#and I think people sometimes get intimidated when it comes to saying nice things?

[ficsandgiggles]

A New Beginning

Chapter One: The First Meeting

You finally get into the place you’ll call home for a while, meeting your new housemates and getting settled.

Word count: 1277

Warnings: None

You had asked Yelena multiple times before even getting into her car that she was willing to allow you to live with her. Your colleague was fond and gave you a few side squeezes before playfully telling you to just get in the car.

The two of you complained about work a little throughout the journey until suddenly you went quiet, the anxiety had begun to take over you and you were worried about meeting two Avengers.

“Hey, I promise you, Natasha and Wanda are really nice, you will feel at home in no time, we can share clothing until then and we can also go shopping,” Yelena reassured you, giving your knee a comforting squeeze, knowing that it would both ground you and tickle you. She smirked as she watched you kick out, biting back a smile.

Eventually, you pulled up outside of their house, Yelena looked over at you with a gentle smile. “Are you ready?” She asked you, and you nodded, clearly anxious and wanting to just get the initial meeting over and done with.

You jumped out of the car and followed Yelena to the front door, playing with your fingers nervously as she opened the door.

“We’re home!” She called out, linking arms with you as Wanda was the first to appear.

“Where?” She asked with a raised eyebrow before looking down at you. “Oh hello there, who’s this?” She asked Yelena as you took a step back behind Yelena, who chuckled and put her hand on your shoulders gently and moved you in front of her.

“This is the lovely Y/N, they’re going through a difficult time right now, and I was not going to let them be homeless, so I’ve decided that they can stay with us until they get back on their feet,” Yelena explained, giving your shoulder a reassuring squeeze as you leaned into the feeling.

“Aw, well then welcome!” Wanda beamed, smiling at you as she came closer and offered you a hug. You bit your lip, looking up at Yelena who offered a reassuring nod.

“She will not bite, I promise, she is actually the sweetest person when she is not doing the magic thing,” Yelena told you, giving you a gentle push in Wanda’s direction.

Hesitantly, you put your arms around the Scarlet Witch, who gave you a gentle yet tight hug, you could feel her hands warm up, maybe due to her magic as she rubbed your back. You couldn’t help but relax into the feeling, whilst in disbelief that this was actually happening.

“See? She is very kind, not as scary as she makes herself out to be.” Yelena told you, winking at Wanda as she playfully flipped the blonde off.

“Since when did we start taking people off the street?” You heard another voice say, you turned your head to see an intimidating woman raise her eyebrows at you, before looking at Yelena, waiting for an explanation.

The young Widow glared at her sister. “My colleague was going to be without a home after their shift. I was not going to let that happen. They are staying with us until they can get back on their feet.” Yelena told her firmly. “This is Y/N, and they are very kind so you will also be kind back.”

Natasha rolled her eyes, scoffing a little. “Whatever, just keep them out of my way.” She murmured before walking away. You bit your lip, already feeling like a burden as Wanda already went into protective sister mode and gave you an extra squeeze.

“Don’t worry about her, she was also cold with me for a bit so I understand how it feels, but she will come around, I promise.” The witch told you gently before pulling away. You looked at Yelena too, who nodded and just rolled her eyes.

“She can be a butt sometimes, very stubborn, but also a softie.” She chuckled, poking your side reassuringly, making you flinch and bite your lip.

“Wanda, if you wish to see Y/N’s cute smile, they are incredibly ticklish, and I think they like it too,” Yelena smirked, as you flushed and whined a little, surprised that she already was willing to expose you like that.

“Aw, that’s so cute!” Wanda smiled and wiggled her fingers playfully at you before testing the waters for herself and fluttering into your sides, making you squeal and cover your mouth, letting out a few giggles whilst blushing madly.

“You’re right Yelena, they are sensitive!” She teased fondly before letting you go, not wanting to push it too far. You just smiled shyly at what had just happened, already beginning to feel comfortable with Wanda.

“It’s good to see the two of you bond already. However, I must steal Y/N and show them around.” Yelena said as Wanda nodded in understanding.

“It’s good to meet you, Y/N, and welcome.” Wanda smiled gently before going to her room.

Yelena took your hand and showed you around the house, rolling her eyes as you both went into the kitchen to see Nat completely ignore you. Eventually, you ended up in Yelena’s room, where she offered you some cosy clothes for you to change into since you were still in your work clothes.

“I-I hope you’re comfortable with this but, we do not have a spare room so you will have to share with me. We can either sleep in this bed, platonically, or I believe we have a bed for doing the camping you can rest on.” She offered. The thought of you sharing a bed was enough to fluster you, you craved that physical closeness, maybe with her specifically, but you couldn’t tell just yet.

“Uh, I would be more comfortable in the bed, if you don’t mind…” you asked hesitantly, unsure about how she was going to take your response.

However, the blonde smiled and nodded. “Of course, I have a big bed for us.” She replied, making you internally beam. Although you weren’t the best at body language, you seemed to think she was keen to share a bed with you too.

You went into the bathroom to get changed into the comfy clothes that Yelena gave you, before going back to the bedroom. “Do you think I could have a quick nap?” You asked Yelena quietly, biting your lip as you stifled a yawn.

“Of course! A nap also sounds good to me.” She replied. “I will be right back.” She told you, grabbing her comfy clothes and going to get changed.

You hopped into bed, getting yourself comfortable, unable to believe that this was happening. Suddenly, you felt your side being squeezed, you looked behind you to see Yelena with raised eyebrows.

“You are on my side.” She smirked, squeezing and shaking into your ribs until you rolled over. By now, she had probably figured that you liked this so did so to give you the physical comfort you craved.

You rolled your eyes, getting comfy once again. “Thank you… for all of this…” you murmured out, the sleepiness taking over you as you closed your eyes.

“Hey, you are good friend, I want to help and comfort you.” She said gently. “I do think a short sleep is good for the both of us right now. So we can hang out later.” She reassured you with a smile.

You nodded, yawning, thinking for a moment about how lovely it would be if the two of you were holding each other right now, but you didn’t push it as you quickly felt yourself drift off to sleep.

Little did you know, Yelena was thinking the exact same thing.

#avengers tickle #avengers tickle fic #marvel tickle #marvel tickle fic #ticklish!reader #ler!wanda #ler!yelena

[emeryleewho]

It's always nice when you write a thing and someone goes "Wow, I really needed this! Thanks!"

Like I don't think people realize how rare the "this was great!" comments are compared to the "you're everything wrong with the world for having said something I didn't like" comments are. Especially now that some people consider me a "big name author", the number of positive comments I get is about the same as when I used to self pub, but the mean ones are a lot more frequent a lot meaner. Even just a "this made me happy :)" comment can really lift my spirits when I get them!

#writing #this applies to both my stories can just like posts and stuff #once you've reached a certain (not even that large) amount of recognition people get Very Aggressive #and I think people sometimes get intimidated when it comes to saying nice things? #but I mostly only ever hear nice things in person anymore #And that can make it feel really lonely in between events #fandom #feedback #misc

[underoossss]

Head over Heels - S.H

masterlist

pairing: steve harrington x grumpy!f!reader

summary: Steve falls for Robin’s grumpy friend, and he falls hard.

warnings: family problems mention, trust issues, angst, hurt/comfort, no spoilers, (there’s fluff I promise!!!)

grumpy x sunshine trope

an: I know this is the first Steve fic I’ve posted IN FOREVER and I’m sorry! my writer’s block, personal problems, work and health, have all contributed to how long it took me to finish this. But I promise to make it worth your while, this is the same length as babe baby beautiful and I hope it makes you happy. I dedicate this to all my grumpy beloveds out there, who, like me. don’t relate 100% to the sunshine tropes bc sometimes life just freaking sucks. I poured my heart out with this one so, I hope this comforts you and that you like it! Please let me know. 💘

——-

The September breeze pushes Steve’s hair back as he makes his way to the Hawkin’s start-of-autumn fair, a new thing the town is trying out to make the citizens feel more upbeat after all the incidents they’ve experienced. His friends trail after him, Mike and Lucas arguing over something he doesn’t understand, Max listening to Dusting complain about some prank the soccer team played on the Hellfire Club and Robin walking by his side. Everyone shouts food orders over their shoulder, running towards the picnic tables in search for an empty one, and leaving Steve and Robin alone.

His friend is rambling by his side, and Steve nods along to what she’s telling him. She has a new friend this year, met her at homeroom when she was introduced as a new student. A senior like Robin, she got along with her just fine. I talk a lot and she doesn’t, it’s a good fit, I think she really needed a friend that day, Robin says, and now she’s friends with all of us. Steve hums in understanding, switching schools in senior year sounds awful, and he wonders why you chose to do that. He wouldn’t, unless it was for something serious.

“Anyway here she comes!” Robin says excitedly, waving you over. “I can’t believe she actually came, she’s not comfortable with strangers and she doesn’t know you. I thought she’d sit this one out.”

Steve follows Robin’s line of sight and spots you walking towards them in the distance. Baby blue sweater, light washed jeans and black high-top converse, make you stand out from the orange foliage around you. Your face is serious as you get closer, only breaking into a small smile when you wave at Robin and accept her hug. When you step back your face morphs back to neutrality, a slight furrow to your brow as you hide your hands in your back pockets.

Robin says your name and motions towards Steve. “This is Steve, the friend I told you about.” She explains, “He’s our chauffeur, monster-fighter and designated babysitter.”

Steve furrows his brows and looks sideways at Robin before he looks at you and grins. “Hi, nice to meet you.” He offers his hand and you give it one quick shake before pulling back and looking away. Steve wasn’t expecting that reaction, but he guesses what Robin said is true, you don’t like strangers.

“We’re going to get Apple fritters! They have massive ones here and they serve them with big scoops of ice cream.” Robin tells you, glancing down the line as it moves. There are only three people left to order, so the three of you step into line. “Let me check if they’re still doing the ice cream on top.”

With that, Steve is left to wait next to you until Robin is back. You shift from one leg to another, almost nervously and Steve glances at you. Your eyes meet his and then look away, not scared or nervous, just looking away like you can’t be bothered to make conversation with him. Is he intimidating? Steve asks himself or are you just a massive buzzkill that can’t even comment on the weather.

Steve tries again, scratching his cheek. “So, uh, you’re in senior year like Robin?”

You nod, looking down at your feet before looking at him. “Yeah, we have a lot of classes together. I know the guys over there as well.” Your hand lifts to point at Eddie, who’s just arrived at the table, and the kids talking around him.

Huh, so you do speak, Steve notes, but only when prompted. “Cool.” He nods, looking at your face and noticing the way you look away immediately. “So why did you move to Hawkins all of a sudden? I mean senior year, that’s gotta be rough.”

You press your lips together, looking uncomfortable by the question. Steve has the faint idea that he asked the wrong thing. “I should go say hi to everyone.” You say after an awkward cough. “If there’s ice cream can you tell Robin I’m good with cookie dough?”

Steve wordlessly takes the 5 bucks you hand him and sees you rush away from him. In the distance he can see everyone’s faces light up when they spot you, beckoning you over with excited waves, and your reluctant barely there smile as you greet them and sit down. Steve doesn’t get it; he is half mortified and half confused when Robin comes back. How is it that everyone is your friend when you’re so closed off and Steve doesn’t want to say it but… grumpy.

“Are you sure your friend wants to be here?” Steve asks Robin, looking over at you again. You’re sitting with your elbows leaning on the table, listening to everyone talk around you, neutral expression on your face. Bored, even.

“Of course, she does.” Robin is quick to say. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, she doesn’t look too thrilled to be talking to you.” Steve shrugs.

“You clearly don’t know her.” Robin shakes her head. “What did you do?”

“I only asked her about her move to Hawkins.” Steve holds his hands up defensively, then adds. “She said she likes cookie dough ice cream.”  

They pause their conversation to order the fritters and pay, then continue talking while they wait.

“Okay, you shouldn’t have asked that. First of all.” Robin rolls her eyes, “Second of all, she’s friends with all of us.”

Steve huffs in disbelief. “Oh so she likes you? That’s her I like you face.”

“She adores us, you… not really but that’s cause she doesn’t know you.” Robin nods with certainty, then worries her bottom lip. “The move question is just tricky for her.”

Steve moves to say something when their order is called, and she go back to the booth to take the trays laid out in front of them. There are eight apple fritters with ice cream they have to juggle back to the table but manage to fit in their hands and arms.

“Look Steve.” Robin says seriously, lowering her voice after a sigh.” She slows her pace, so they take longer to get back to the table. “She has been through a rough time; I won’t tell you what because it took her a long time to trust me enough to open up.”

“Okay…” Steve nods, going over her words and feeling a soft pang of guilt. He wouldn’t have judged you so harshly if he knew you were struggling with something. He wouldn’t have asked you about you changing towns. “You could’ve told me that before I messed up earlier. Before I was bitchy too.”

“You’re always bitchy.” Robin huffs, then hums when she looks at you sitting in the distance. “She’s wonderful Steve, in her own way, so don’t judge her by the way she presents herself. When she trusts you, you’ll see what I‘m talking about.” She gives him a pointed look.  

Robin’s words echo in his head as they reach the picnic table and hand over the food to their friends. Steve places yours in front of you with a nod to which you say thank you. Now that he knows a little more about you, Steve guesses you were both left with a bad first impression. They aren’t his forte, and it’s not his fault you weren’t the same person with him as you are with Robin. You don’t know each other, of course it was going to be awkward. Steve sees what Robin means as everyone chats and eats; he sees it in the way your eyes soften, and lips smile slightly when Max begins to tell you something. He sees it in the way you lean closer to the redhead and whisper something that has her laughing soon after; you smile as well before turning your attention back to the group. Dustin and Eddie are planning some sort of revenge on the jocks from the soccer team who messed up something in their Hellfire Room.

Steve tries to focus on what they’re saying but he’s too busy looking at you, trying to figure you out. What happened? What’s the thing that you told Robin that made you keep the gentleness you showed to Max tucked away? You feel him looking at you and meet his eyes, it’s a distrustful glance from the way you narrow your eyes at him. Okay, Steve probably stared at you too long. He looks away and hears you sigh before you do too, tuning back into the conversation between the Hellfire club sitting at the other end of the picnic table.

“That’s a horrible plan.” You say plainly, making Max snort and Eddie pause the conversation. The metalhead rolls his eyes –no annoyance, no malice in sight. Steve supposes Eddie knows you like Robin does.

“Why is that, buttercup?” Eddie asks.

“They’ll know it was you, and they’ll beat you up, Munson.” You tell him seriously with an eye roll of your own –Steve doesn’t need to know you to catch the concern in your tone. “Put some laxatives in their protein powders instead.”

Steve lets out a bark of laughter that startles the table; that would be a good prank if he’s being honest. Everyone turns to look at him, including you and Steve clears his throat. “It’s a good idea.” He mumbles rubbing his chin, then meets your eyes briefly to find something like amusement in them.

“No, no, no.” Dustin shakes his head. “It is an objectively good plan, there’s no way they’ll know it’s us.”

“Yeah, we’ll wait for them to leave and then sneak into the locker room.” Eddie adds. “We’ll seal their lockers shut, they can’t change into their gear the next day and their coach yells their ears off.”

“The perfect plan.” Dustin says proudly and looks around the take to see who agrees.

“You sure they won’t be able to trace the prank back to you? See it as immediate revenge for what they did?” Max asks nodding towards you, “She’s right.”

“We’re absolutely sure.” Eddie confirms with a nod, clapping his hands in front of him.

“Can I read the eulogy at your funeral then?” You ask Eddie and Dustin with fake enthusiasm. “I call dibs.”

Steve chuckles and next to him, Robin fakes discontent as she rolls her eyes. “Damn, I wanted to do it.”

You send a smile her way before you clear your throat. “Eddie and Dustin died as they lived.” Your words are solemn as you speak. “With bad plans and too much confidence that they’ll work.”

“They always work.” Eddie says, chuckling at your words with everyone else. You simply raise one eyebrow at him, which Steve must admit is hot, and Eddie shakes his head. “I guess they sort of work.”

“So, laxatives?” Dustin asks Eddie after a minute, a defeated hunch to his shoulders.

“Laxatives.” Eddie and the rest of Hellfire repeats before the table bursts into laughter– including Steve.

His eyes don’t leave you though. You’re not laughing like everyone else but there’s a small smile on your face. It is reserved but softens your face in the loveliest way. It shows him you are enjoying their company despite the otherwise inexpressive look on your face. Steve begins to wonder then… if he wins your trust, the one you have with Robin and Max, will you smile at him the same way you do with them? Bright and beautiful enough to blind him? He guesses it would be worth a shot, getting to know you more, because if he’s being honest, he’s intrigued.

--------

The next time Steve sees you it’s at a party. It’s mid-October and the cold weather turns it up a notch with the cold bite to the air. He wouldn’t have gone to the party in the first place, if he’s being honest, but Robin forced him to go. Everyone will be there she’d said but Steve didn’t know who everyone would be. Only when he arrived at Kevin Rotner’s house did he begin to recognize some familiar faces. Nancy, Johnathan, and Eddie arrive at the same time he does and the five of them walk up the driveway and the small path leading to the front porch. There’s loud chatter inside and a boombox playing to the loudest volume in the dinning room. There are people sitting in the staircase laughing at a joke and more loud conversation coming from the backyard. He navigates the house with his friends until Robin spots you in the kitchen, and Steve doesn’t know why he’s so nervous when he sees you. You greet Robin with a hug and shrug when she tells you something, he can hear. Your face is pretty and serious as you look over Robin’s shoulder, spotting everyone else coming to say hi. Steve sees you take a deep breath before you greet everyone — almost as if you’re preparing yourself for small talk and hugs. He greets you last, more open and approachable than last time, and he’s surprised when you wave. “Hi, Steve.”

Something inside Steve jumps, but he thinks it’s only his own surprise. He’s about to say something, when Robin and Nancy take your hand and drag you away with the promise of some new gossip, they have to tell you.

Steve talks to a few people here and there; mostly the ones he’s kept in touch with after high school. Other than that, he doesn’t know anyone else; he doesn’t know if it’s cause he’s grown up but he’s not really having fun. There are people jumping into the pool despite the weather while those who mind the cold have gathered inside the house. Steve’s mostly avoiding the crowds, where the air is too hot despite winter being near, while keeping an eye out for his friends. Nancy and Jonathan are talking to some people he doesn’t know in the kitchen, Robin is trying not to combust while she talks to her crush —her lab partner in biology— and Eddie is walking around the entire party with his lunchbox.

When Steve sees you again, you are people watching in the living room, eyes trained on a few people in the middle of the room. He moves to stand next to you, and you shift your gaze towards him but say nothing; Steve thinks it means it’s okay if you stand here. Your foot taps to the music –Tears for Fears’ Head Over Heels –and your head moves almost imperceptibly to the music. The two of you are quiet for a while, and it’s not awkward like Steve expected it to be, not after the way he messed up at the fair. He’s pleasantly surprised, and relaxes a bit more next to you, slouching slightly against the wall. One of your arms is crossed over your chest while your other elbow rests on it, a red cup in your hand. The music continues to play and your eyes are still trained on the people talking in the living room, they’re some old Hawkins High students Steve kind of recognizes. There’s Angela and Karen, Bradley and Peter and some other people he doesn’t know the names of. Steve leans his weigh on his right leg, which brings him closer to you.

You don’t move away, simply pass him your red cup. Steve moves to shake his head no and say he’s driving, but you speak up before he does. “It’s only soda.” You say and nod at the cup that Steve takes the cup from you shortly after.

“What’re you watching?” Steve asks.

“The only interesting thing that’s going to happen in this party I think.” You look at him finally and lean closer, Steve isn’t sure you’re aware of it. “I think there’s going to be a fight.”

Your eyes hold amusement in them, like you’re excited for what’s about to happen. The tiniest movement of your mouth has Steve glancing down, you’re grinning, barely; he thinks it’s cute.

Steve’s eyebrows raise, interest spiked, and is about to say something when you turn your head again. Bradley is saying something to Angela, his voice loud and slurred but incomprehensible over the music, and not a second later an equally intoxicated Peter swings a punch at him. Another girl, who Steve doesn’t know, confronts Angela they start arguing with Karen joining the fight. Bradley and Peter fall to the ground, wrestling each other while others try to break the fight.

“Wait isn’t she?” Steve’s mind catches up the everything that happened puts two and two together. He’s pretty Angela is dating Bradley, not Peter.

“Yup.” You say with a shrug, tilting your head. “It was all a matter of time before it happened.” It’s all you say, then chuckle. Steve does too, he can’t help himself at the sound of your own laughter, until the two of you are giggling at the fight in front of you.

The music changes then, to something more upbeat, and Steve’s mind can only think about asking you to dance. Would you say yes? Probably not. Before he can ask you though, you step away from the wall. More people have gathered in the living room to watch the fight, and you decide to make your way to the front door. Do crowds bother you? Steve wonders.

“Wait.” Steve goes after you and closes the door behind him. “Where are you going?”

“Home.” Your back is turned to him. The cream-coloured sweater you wear over your lilac skirt and your black boots look lovely on you, and so does your hair. Steve doesn’t know why but he thinks it frames your face perfectly. There’s also a hint of remaining lip-gloss on your lips that shines with the streetlamp’s light… and Steve, well Steve thinks You’re so pretty.

“It’s cold, don’t tell me you’re going to walk.” Steve speaks again, shaking away his previous thoughts.

You shrug, “I usually do, it’s not too far.”

Steve doesn’t know where you live but he knows Rotner lives far away from almost everyone in Hawkins. Your house is probably far away. “I’ll drive you.”  Steve offers, but you sigh and look away.

“Go back to the party Steve, you can drive Robin home.” You say simply. “I’ll see you around.”

“No, she can go with Nancy.” He follows you until he’s walking next to you. “It’s not safe for you to walk home, come on.”

You sigh again and look up at the sky, annoyed. If you’re annoyed, then he’s too, because you’re making a dumb decision for the sake of being stubborn. And you probably don’t know that he’s stubborn too, so you might have to argue all night about whether this decision is right or not. Why is it so hard for you to accept a ride home? You offered him soda and were talking to him just now; it was nice. More than nice.

“I won't stop asking.” Steve says, crossing his arms and stepping in front of you.

Your eyes meet his in an intense half-glare, and Steve can’t help but think how nice your eyeliner looks on you. It does something to him he hasn’t felt in a while. He feels like he can’t breathe while heat creeps up the back of his neck —it’s October, he shouldn’t feel hot at all. A moment later you roll your eyes, though backing down first, and giving Steve some time to breathe as you turn around.

“Alright.”

Steve can’t help smiling in triumph, knowing he just won, and follows you as you walk towards his car further down the road. Amusement paints his eyes as he looks at you; your lips are pursed, and a huff escapes you.

 “You’re pouting” Steve says, looking at your lips and the annoyed look on your face. It makes him smile. You’re pouting.

“I’m not” You look sideways at him.  

“Oh, you are.”

“Shut up, Harrington.” You say and he laughs, opening the passenger’s door for you.

-------

From then on Steve does his best to increase his charm and be a gentleman. He offers you his help as well as rides home whenever he can, especially when you’re alone. The last thing he wants is for you to think that he’s only being nice when your common friends are around. Steve sees you more often now, not as much as he’d like, he must admit, but enough to know more about you. What you’re okay with sharing, more like.  

As he suspected from the party, you don’t like crowds (they make you nervous), and when Steve asked why you’d changed the topic. You work at the Deli on Main Street, have a younger brother named Chris, and you love coffee. He always sees you drinking one in the morning when he gives both you and Robin a ride to school, and whenever he stops by at the deli for lunch during your shift. Most important of all, Steve is starting to see what Robin meant when she said not to judge a book based on its cover. Because, despite your grumpy exterior, there’s a whole personality hidden underneath.

Steve can tell. There are hints and pieces; from the way you dress, to the music you like, and comic books you read and often exchange with Max. When he takes the time to look, he sees the gentleness with which you do things, and the care with which you treat your friends. He also sees your distrust for what it is: fear. You’re afraid, to let new people in, to get hurt, and Steve doesn’t know why.  

He wishes there was something he could do to fix it, to make you see the glass half full instead of half empty, or to change your sporadic pessimism.  But then he figures, he would be changing you, and that’s not something he wants. If he’s being honest, your friend group (Steve isn’t sure if he’s your friend, officially at least) needed someone with an objective outlook on life to set their heads straight. And if he’s honest with himself, he likes all the things that make you you. He likes your confidence when you don’t care what people think about you. He likes it when you fight with Robin over who chooses the music, despite it being his car. And he's pretty much obsessed with your face; the hard set of your jaw when you get impatient, the brow you silently arch that makes him feel things he shouldn’t, and the silent way you listen to conversation, only speaking up when you think it’s necessary. Steve is more than a bit obsessed.

He had been wrong that first day. He didn’t know you and wrongly assumed you weren’t happy to be there with them, when you actually were. He reflects upon it now that he knows your facial expressions; your eyebrows had been relaxed, and your eyes didn’t have a hard edge to them. You had been at ease, only closing yourself off when Steve tried to dig into your move to Hawkins. He really started off with the wrong foot, but it all takes a turn on a Friday night.

You visit FV for a tape mid-afternoon, surprising Steve at work. The weather is more than chilly outside, and Steve notices right away how you have no jacket on, only a dark red sweater. He’d been doing some paperwork behind the counter when the bell over the door for his attention. It rewarded him with the sight of you walking in, looking around before your eyes settle on him.

“Hey, Steve.” You say voice light as you approach him and lean your elbows on the counter. “Do you have karate kid available? My brother is begging us to watch it again tomorrow.”

Steve doesn’t know why but he struggles to speak for a moment —it probably has to do with the fact that you look very pretty, and two, this interaction is so different from your first one he shortcircuits. After a long pause you raise a questioning eyebrow, “You okay?”

Steve clears his throat. “Yeah. Um, we have it, let me go get it.”

“Thank you.” You nod as he dashes away from the counter.

“Did you walk here?” Steve asks once he’s cleared his head and reaches the action movie aisle. He sees you shrug over the stands.

“I usually do, I don’t mind it.” You explain simply.

“You’re not wearing a jacket though.” Steve grabs Karate Kid and goes back to the counter. Why are you always out in the cold without a jacket? It’s a miracle you haven’t fallen sick, he thinks.

“I left school in a rush, I was gonna be late for work.” You shrug again, eyes visibly lighting up when you spot the movie. “Thank God. Chris would have been insufferable if someone beat me to it.”

Steve crouches down behind the counter and retrieves his own jacket —a grey bomber— before placing it on the counter in front of you. “Here.”

“Steve,” You tell him seriously, rolling your eyes. “I’m not taking your jacket.”

“Why not? You’re the one walking out in the cold, I only have to walk towards my car.” He dismisses your refusal with a wave of his hand.

“Hey!” Robin says, calling your name as she emerges from the back room. “Perfect timing, I was going to call you.”

“Here to rent karate kid.” You tell her, a small smile on your face.

“And choosing hypothermia over my jacket.”  Steve chimes in, sliding his jacket pointedly towards you.

“It’s not that cold Steve.” You roll your eyes at him again, “But I know you’ll annoy me until I say yes.”

Steve gives you a triumphant smile and you shake your head, Steve would even say it’s shyly, before you take the jacket and shrug it on. “The movie? Please.”

Robin speaks up while Steve rings you up. “We’re gonna hang out at Nancy’s tonight. The kids will be there too, you should come.”

Steve risks a glance at you, in his jacket; a huge mistake. He seriously underestimated his reaction to seeing you in his clothes, because it is downright adorable and something he was unprepared for. The sleeves go past your hands and the whole thing is oversized on you, his shoulders being broader than yours and his torso longer. Steve bites back a smile —he hopes you never give it back to him; this is a sight he’d love to see more often.  He turns back to the computer to hide his grin from you and silently hopes you’ll say yes.

“Will there be other people?” You ask Robin, and Steve is quick to shake his head no and reassure you. Too quick.

“Just the usual gang.” Steve tells you, clearing his throat to hide his eagerness. “No one else.”

“Come on, it’ll be fun!” Robin insists with a smile, then moves her gaze towards Steve, who tries to ignore the way she raises a knowing eyebrow at him. He’s gonna have an earful once you leave, he can bet on it.  

“Okay, I’ll be there.” You nod, then exchange some cash for the movie Steve hands to you. “Thank you, Steve.”

Steve leans his forearms on the counter, trying to give you his most charming smile to see if he’ll get one of those you give Robin in return. “We’ll pick you up after work.” Steve says and you look into his eyes for a long second before nodding.

“Sure.” You shrug, eyes shifting away from his. “I’ll see you guys later.”

------

At Nancy’s, chaos ensues. The kids argue over what board-game to play while Eddie and Robin argue over what record to play next. Steve is listening to Nancy and Jonathan talk about a volunteering drive she’s organizing and from where he stands, he can see you leaning against the wall next to Robin. Your face is neutral as you listen to the record that’s currently playing, tuning out Eddie’s argument for the most part until you speak up.

“Or you can let me choose?” You ask calmly, glancing at them briefly before going back to looking down at your feet.

“No!” Both Eddie and Robin say at the same time, and Steve notices the corner of your mouth twitch upwards.

“You chose this one, buttercup.” Eddie says with a sigh. “You’re only gonna choose one to annoy us.”

This earns Eddie an eye roll. “How exactly do you know that?” You ask. “It could’ve been a great pick, now you’ll never know Munson.”

Steve tries to tune back into Nancy’s explanation when Max pushes the board game she wanted to play away with a huff. It clatters to the ground as she stands from her place in front of the coffee table. You spot her and call her name only a moment later.  

“Hey Max, I got the new Wonder Woman!” You say after a moment when the read-head stops glaring daggers at the boys. 

Her eyes light up, a dramatic change from the look in her eyes moments ago. “Really? Can I see it?”

“‘Course, I brought it for you.” You roll your eyes, this time full of fondness, and nod towards the kitchen. “It’s in my bag.”

 Steve can’t follow your conversation because the doorbell rings, signalling the pizza Nancy ordered arrived. The weather feels much colder than earlier as he opens the door and steps outside, he pays for the pizza, tips the delivery guy and goes back inside. Arms full of pizza boxes, he walks back to the dining table, shooting a pointed look at Dustin and Mike. “Zip it or you don’t get a single slice.”

The high schoolers move more discarded boardgames away from the table in a heartbeat, scrambling to undo their mess and opening the pizza boxes in a hurry. Steve spots you still standing in the kitchen talking to Max as everyone helps themselves to pizza and decides to let you both know the food is ready.

“So, you skate too?” Max is asking you excitedly, leaning her hip against the kitchen counter.

You chuckle — it hits Steve in the chest and Steve doesn’t know what to do with that. “I do,” You grin, “I mean I used to when I lived in Indianapolis, but I haven’t since I moved here.”

“We can go to the skate-park tomorrow.” Max proposes raising her eyebrows, “If you want.”

You nod, “Sure. I’ll look for my skateboard tonight, let’s hope I still remember how to use it.”

“Pizza’s here.” Steve says, interrupting and smiling at you both. When your eyes meet his, your lips move to smile but in a matter of seconds you stop yourself.

It makes Steve furrow his brows and walk over to you as Max leaves to grab a slice. “You okay?” Steve asks, and your eyes meet his again briefly before they dart away as you sidestep him.

You make your way to the front door in a rush, this time though you do grab your jacket—his jacket— on the way. Just like he did the night of the party, Steve follows you, worried and confused at your reaction. Robin glances at him from the dining table, an unspoken question in her eyes but Steve can only shrug. He is certain he didn’t do anything wrong just now, but somehow, he messed up because you just fled from him.

“Stop.” Steve says after calling your name. “What happened?”

“Nothing, I just need some air. You should go back inside Steve.” Your back is to him, shoulders tense and close to your ears defensively.

“No,” He shakes his head. His lips go down into a frown briefly as he looks at your back. He voices the question he always asks himself when you shut him down. “Did I do something?”

“No.” You say when you turn, eyebrows meeting in the middle as you glare at him but Steve sees the way you struggle to hold it in place. After a second it falls, and your face just crumples to exhausted look. “I want to be alone.” You whisper.

 “You think a glare and a pout are intimidating enough to drive me away?” Steve shakes his head.

“I don’t pout.” You say, lips pursed and jaw tense. Pouting.

“You do and it’s not working.”  

You change tactics then, raising an eyebrow and staring him down like the night at the party but Steve shakes his head. “That’s not working either.”

“Why are you insisting so much on this!” You finally ask, raising your voice and crossing your arms in front of you. Your jaw clenches as you look away and Steve sees your eyes squeeze shut.

He runs a hand down his face and breathes out. “Whether you like it or not there are people who want to get to know you.”

“What, like you?” Your eyes cut a suspicious look Steve’s way and he can see your walls come back up right in front of him. A tear falls down your cheek and you’re quick to wipe it away, harshly. “Why?”

Steve throws his hands up in the air, exasperated but not raising his voice, “To be your friend! Just like Robin and Eddie are your friends.” His shoulders move up and down, trying to cover up how much he likes you and looks forward to your company. “Why are you so distrustful, is it something I did?”

“It’s not about you, Steve.” Your eyebrows meet in the middle again, and you look away from him, directing your gaze to the snow-covered lawn. “If… If it bothers you so much, why do you even want to be my friend? Because you’re wrong Steve. No one else does, and I’m more than fine with that.”

Steve shakes his head, knowing you’re lying to him and trying to convince yourself. His voice softens. “Because despite it, I like you, I think you’re… cool.”

“Cool?” The way you raise your eyebrows makes Steve chuckle.

Funny, caring, fucking beautiful, Steve wants to say but he just nods his head at your question.

“Yeah, and you’re interesting, and I… want to be your friend.” Steve’s hands settle on his hips as he shifts his weigh to one leg, looking down to the ground. Glancing at you briefly, he drops his voice to whisper your name. “Don’t leave. I’m not lying… that’s what worries you right?”

Steve assumes that’s where your distrust comes from; you told him it wasn’t something he did, then it must be that you’re scared to trust him. He’s known there are many feelings behind your hard exterior, one of them being fear. Steve doesn’t want you to fear him, and he wonders who broke your trust in the past. Silence settles between the two of you; you seem to be going over his words and Steve is giving you the time to do so. He’d wait an hour if necessary and reassure you a thousand times if it would mean you believe him. Steve panics when he sees you swallow hard and shift your eyes at the sky, the last thing he wanted to do was make you cry.

But you don’t cry. Instead, you take a deep breath and look into his eyes. There’s a vulnerability there that awakens an urge in Steve to hug you. “You promise?” Your voice is a whisper, but he hears you clear as day. You’ve never spoken so softly before, and Steve wishes it could have happened under other circumstances.

Steve looks into your eyes and nods with sincerity, hoping you can see he’s being completely honest with you. “Yes.”

“I do like you, Steve. You just scare me.” You look down at the ground for a moment and nod to yourself as Steve’s eyebrows shoot hop in surprise. A moment later, your eyes drift back to Steve and there are emotions dancing around in them he’s never seen before. “I’m sorry.”

Steve nods and something inside him tightens when you offer a small smile. It’s like something shifts between the two of you despite neither of you moving. In a matter of seconds, everything feels easy, natural, like the brief moment your shared at the party in October. Steve realizes it’s because you’ve let your guard down; you stand differently in front of him, more comfortable, less apprehensive. You scare me. “You wanna tell me why?”

You press your lips together and shake your head. “Another time, maybe?”

Steve tries to hold back a smile, but he can’t, it takes over his entire face. When he sees you shiver, he offers his hand. “Let’s go back inside, or I can drive you home if you want to leave.”

“I can stay a bit longer.” You say when you grab his hand –an electric shock goes up his arm. “I really want some pizza. But if they play Monopoly I’m definitely leaving.”

Steve’s laughter follows you as he leads the two of you back to the house.

--

The coffee cup Steve places in front of you at work the next Monday lands with a soft thud on the counter. It’s black coffee with some milk and sugar; the way Steve’s learned you take it every day. The sound and his presence make you look up at him over the top of your book, a doubtful eyebrow raised and a serious look on your face. Fuck your pretty, Steve thinks. Your eyes shift from the coffee to his face a couple of times before you close your book.

“What’s this?” You ask, leaning back on your seat and tilting your head.

Steve leans his elbows on the counter in front of you and tilts his head right back. “Considering you drink around 5 of these a day, one would think you’ll know what it is.”

“Ah, that’s where you’re mistaken. I actually drink 10.” You deadpan, looking at him with fake disappointment. “I thought you knew me, now that we’re friends and all.”

Steve laughs, looks down and shakes his head. When he looks at you again, there’s a half smile on your face. “Come on.” He says. “Let’s go grab some food.”

“I literally work at a deli, Steve.” You tell Steve seriously, motioning to your surroundings. “We’re surrounded by food.”

Steve copies what you just said with a roll of his eyes and smiles again. “I mean something else, babe. Come on.”

With a sigh you stand up from your seat and round the counter, leaving your apron behind. “You’re lucky I get a break in a couple of minutes.” You tell Steve before yelling over your shoulder. “Hank I’ll be back!”

Steve’s eyes light up and he considers his visit a triumph. He’s becoming surer and surer his feelings for you go beyond friendship and fondness and lean more towards: I want to hold your hand all the time, and cuddle you while we watch movies then forget about the movie and get lost on you. He wants to put his arm around your shoulder freely, have you lean your weigh against him and steal a kiss, probably more than one. No. It won’t ever happen so Steve shouldn’t even be thinking about it. He opens the passenger’s door to his car for you and smiles when you get in, your coffee in your hand.

It becomes a routine of sorts, either you visit him at Family Video bringing sandwiches for him and Robin or he picks you up, a coffee waiting for you in his car and drives you wherever feels right that day to eat your lunch. You talk about your day, or whatever gossip you heard that day. One day you even confessed to be scared about graduation.

“Everyone is so excited to finish school, and here I am so terrified about the future I haven’t opened any of my college application letters.” You muttered, picking at a loose thread on your sweater.

“Why are you scared?” Steve asked you and you swallow hard.

You turned your body on your seat, facing him as you shrugged. “I feel lost, I don’t know what I should major in. I also don’t know where I’d like to go, and I can't even research these colleges without panic settling on my chest.” Your eyebrows furrowed and your jaw got tense and Steve knew that meant you felt angry and this time it was at yourself.

Steve took your hand without a second thought, but you let him. “You know, you don’t have to figure it all out right now.”

“It feels like it.” You whispered looking at him, frustration and embarrassment shining in your eyes.  “Everyone else has it figured out.”

Steve shook his head; you shouldn’t feel embarrassed with him. “If there’s something I’ve learned about you, is that you don’t care about what other people are doing. What do you want?”

“I ask myself that question every day.” You mirrored his head shake and looked away. “Let’s talk about something else. Please?”

Steve was happy to change the subject, anything to cheer you up. By the time you go back to the Deli to continue your shift, he realized it was the first personal thing you’ve told him. Ever. It made him happier than he cared to admit.

-----

Two months after your talk in Nancy’s driveway, you invite Robin, Nancy, Eddie, Jonathan and Steve to your house. It’s the first time you’ve let anyone other than Robin into your home, this time for movie night. Your father and brother went back to Indianapolis to pick up other stuff from your old house, you said, it’s perfect timing. Steve and Robin arrive together, and shortly afterwards Eddie’s knocking on the door.

 Your house is cozy and simply decorated with a forest green comfy looking couch, a dark brown coffee table and a TV in the living room and all the basic stuff in both the dining room and kitchen.  There’s a record playing somewhere, and Steve can’t help the smile that comes to his face when he sees the way you’re mouthing the words as you move back and for the between the kitchen and living room bringing snacks, drinks and pizza for everyone. You’re wearing a cream-coloured sweater he recognizes from the party back in October and something funny happens in his stomach when he realizes just how far your friendship’s evolved since then.

“Babe come on take a break, we can help.” Steve stops you from going back to the kitchen with a hand on your shoulder and a fond look on his face.

You open your mouth to say something when Eddie and Robin appear on either side of you, presenting the movies they –surprisingly– were in charge to pick. “The best horror movies.” They say in unison.

Your eyebrows shoot up in surprise as you take the three VHS tapes from them. “Oh. Um, great! Thank you.” Your reaction hides behind the grin you shoot both, who nod and disappear to the kitchen.

“You’re pouting.” Steve says stepping closer to you again in the living room; your eyes that were fixed on the VHS tapes drift upwards to meet his own. Steve smiles.

“I’m not pouting.” You tell him with a roll of your eyes, lips settling back into a pout as you scan the titles of the movies once more. “These are just scary.”

“You’re still pouting.” Steve whispers, like it’s a secret. His eyes drift down to your lips, a mistake that has him swallowing hard, before the doorbell rings, signalling Johnathan and Nancy arrived. He’s quick to turn and go let them in. It’s a perfectly timed distraction. He shouldn’t think about kissing you, because despite no matter how badly he wants to, you’d never let it happen, or feel the same way he does to let it happen.  “Just saying!”

Once the first movie plays, Eddie and Robin settle on one end of the couch, while Nancy and Johnathan sit on the floor in front of them. Steve shoots Robin a I know what you’re doing look before sitting next to her and feeling the couch dip under your weigh when you settle on the empty seat next to him. A sweet floral scent he now recognizes as your shampoo or your perfume reaches him and Steve actively decides to focus on the movie, not the way he wants to pull you over his lap and breathe you in. Eddie and Robin laugh every now and then and the four of you turn to look at them, there’s nothing funny about the movie. You begin covering your face with the bucket of popcorn as the movie progresses, your face grimacing as the suspenseful music picks up.

Steve leans closer to you, his voice a whisper as he speaks. “It’s just special effects don’t worry about it.” You turn to look at him, worried puppy dog eyes gazing into him and dammit you make it so hard to keep his distance. “Trust me.” Steve winks, lightening the mood only to jump and scream when he turns to the movie once more and a jump scare comes on.

It seems like the perfect medicine for your fear. For you forget about it and lean your head back laughing, a full-on belly laugh, that’s so contagious and beautiful Steve laughs with you. Nancy and Robin share a knowing look he doesn’t notice before they shush the two of you, shoving at his elbow and your knee. You cover your mouth with your hand and your shoulders shake as you lean your head on Steve’s shoulder, turning your body towards his; Steve’s never been so happy to be scared in his life.

Everyone leaves after 3 movies. Robin gets a ride with Eddie, and Nancy leaves with Jonathan as well. Steve though, stays behind insisting on helping you clean up, but it’s a weak excuse to check on you before he leaves. He noticed you getting nervous, fidgeting with your hands anxiously when everyone started to leave. The films were long done, so Steve knows something else is worrying you and it doesn’t sit well in his heart to leave you like this. Which is why he is currently picking up trash in the living room while you do the same in the kitchen.

You’re finishing placing the dirty dishes in the sink when Steve enters the room. He noticed right away the way your shoulders hunch and you take a deep breath. “Steve…”

“You okay?” Steve closes the trash bag and moves to the sink. His eyes roam your face as he looks sideways at you and washes his hands.

“I um… I wanted to apologize to you.” You tell him quietly, passing him a kitchen towel before moving away from the sink. “For how closed-off I was when you met me.”

After drying his hands quickly, Steve turns and leans on the edge of the sink. “It’s okay, it’s not easy to trust new people right away.” He reassures you –it’s something he understands now; he understands you.

You sit on the counter opposite to him and stare at the floor for a bit, polka dot sock clad feet dangling in the air. “It’s more than that. I’m just scared of getting close to people since…”

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” Steve shakes his head, keeping his eyes on your face.

“I trust you, Steve.”

Those four words make Steve’s chest flutter –relief, happiness, nerves– but he pushes the feeling to the back of his mind and patiently waits for you to continue. Your lips are pursed as you stare at the floor, gathering your thoughts.

“My mom…” You swallow, getting chocked up with those to words but soldiering on. With a shake of your head, you look up to the ceiling and will your tears away. “My mom left my dad, brother and I last April. She’d been cheating on dad for years… and that’s not even the worst part.”

You wipe your eyes quickly, lips pulled downwards into a deep frown when you pause again –an upside-down U Steve wishes he could smooth out with his thumb. But he stays where he stands and lets you continue.

“The other man was married too” Your eyes find Steve’s and where there’s usually a spark –like that night at the party– there’s only sadness directed at the memory. “He’s the father of a popular kid at my old high school, so you can guess what happened when everyone found out.”

Steve’s mouths opens again and this time a soft no escapes him.

You press your lips together and nod, “So not only did the news wreck our home… they made life at school unbearable for my brother and I. People who I thought were my friends just threw me away as if I was trash for something I didn’t do. Something I had no fault in.”

“Is that why you moved here?” Steve asks softly, walking closer to you. The answer to the question he asked many months ago, right in front of him and it doesn’t make him feel any satisfaction. No, it hurts him to know this. Moving away from everything you’ve known and starting over again during senior year sounds brutal.

“Yes.” You whisper and close your eyes briefly; more tears fall down your cheeks and Steve’s heart aches. Teary eyes move away from his and fix themselves on the kitchen window instead, your lips are pressed so hard against each other they’re losing colour. “She packed her bags right after school the day we found out. We saw her leave with that man, no other explanation, not even a goodbye or a note. Everyone except my dad and my brother decided to leave me that day.”

A sob escapes you then, finally breaking free and shaking your whole body; another one replaces it once it stops. Your hands move from the counter to your face, covering it as cries continue to escape you in succession. Steve wastes no time and walks to stand in front of you; he hates seeing you in so much pain. God, it must have hurt so much, just being left behind like that. His hands move to your hips and gently urge you to hop off the counter before he wraps you up in his arms. His shoulders shake with the force of your sobs as you cling to him.

“Stevie.” Your hands are bunched up in the back of his polo, holding onto him like a lifeline.

Steve can’t even relish the sound of your calling him Stevie so softly. He swallows hard as he witnesses the pain, you have felt inside of you for so long. “I’m so sorry.” He whispers.

“She left us, Steve. She just disappeared and left us grieving her despite her being alive.” You say between your tears, they soak the right side of his shirt, but Steve couldn’t care less, his arms just tighten around your waist. “She’d been pushing us away for years, treating us like garbage and now I can see it’s because we weren’t good enough for her anymore. She didn’t love any of us anymore. We… we didn’t make her happy.”

Your voice sounds hoarse from crying, and your hands tighten behind Steve’s back. When you bury your face in his chest, Steve hunches his shoulders and forms a cocoon to protect you from the past. His protective nature takes over as he holds you flush against him; his hand moves up and down your back firmly –you need to know he’s there, that he’s got you. Steve puts his cheek over your head and whispers his next words. “I’ve got you; you can cry as much as you need to, I’m not going anywhere.”

It takes a few minutes, but your sobs soon transform into soft sniffles even as you press yourself closer to him. Steve doesn’t want to upset you anymore, but he’s itching to comfort you and let you know what he wishes someone had told him years ago. “I know my own shit experience with my parents isn’t the same as what you went through.” He starts, taking a small step back so he can look at you.

His fingers take a gentle hold of your face until puffy and teary eyes meet his; Steve wipes away some stray tears. “But what your mom did to you doesn’t say anything about you alright? You’re more than good enough for anyone. If she didn’t see that, then she made the worst mistake of her life.”

You close your eyes at his words and look away, but Steve shakes his head and urges you to face him again with a whisper of your name. “You don’t have to prove your worth to anyone because your mother left. All of us see it, and we’re so lucky to have you here.”

Steve’s thumb catches more tears as your lips begins to tremble again. “I’m so fucking lucky that you trust me, and I understand why you didn’t at first, okay? I understand you.”

Your hands on his waist tighten again as your forehead drops to his right shoulder. “I didn’t used to be like this… I’m sorry that this is the me that you met.”

Steve shakes his head, sure that you feel it when he does, and pulls you flush to his chest again. Is this how you’ve felt since last summer? He wonders. Like this version of yourself is wrong or unlikable.

Sure, you’re not a smiley person, but that makes your rare smiles even more special –and they drive Steve crazy. You see the glass half-empty most times to protect yourself if things do indeed go to shit, but you also recognize genuine goodness. You don’t hesitate to encourage or celebrate everyone else’s happiness; he’s seen it firsthand, with the kids, with Robin and even himself. Steve doesn’t think he could ever get tired of your dark humour or that pretty pout that settles on your lips when you get annoyed, not to mention that making you laugh is his favorite thing in the world. Steve understands your anxiety and panic at your college decision, you don’t want another change; you don’t want to choose something you don’t like and face another disappointment again. Most of all, Steve finally understands your hesitance and the root of your gruff exterior, and he wouldn’t change a thing about it. He’s stupid in love with you; your grumpy and soft looks; your frowns and your smiles; your heart; and that tender way you’re holding onto him right now.

Steve places a kiss to the side of your head to keep himself from saying all of this out loud –it’s not the right time, not yet. Instead, he whispers above your ear, “I wouldn’t change a single thing about you.”

For a moment, stillness surrounds the two of you in the kitchen and there’s no other sound but your quiet sniffles against Steve’s shirt again. Steve doesn’t mind, he’s happy to hold you for as long as you need, which ends up being five more minutes. You take a step back and look at him with those pretty eyes of yours; they’re teary and red-rimmed but lovely all the same.

“Thank you, Steve.” You whisper, a small smile tugging at the corner of your lips until your gaze drops to his shirt and embarrassment shines in your eyes. “Sorry I cried all over you.”

“I don’t mind.” Steve shrugs and looks at you softly, hands still on your waist. “I think I know what we should do.”

You look at him curiously. “About what?”

“To cheer you up.”

The head shake you give him is immediate, just as he imagined. “I don’t–”

“You deserve a happy life.” Steve states as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world and sends a wink your way hoping to amuse you. “And I think, ice cream is a good way to start. I should know, I worked at an ice cream shop remember.”

He leaves your side and walks over to the freezer to grab the ice cream he saw earlier that night when he got up mid-movie to get more ice. It’s cookie dough ice cream, which he knows to be your favourite –he’s known since that first night he met you. Knowing he’s completely serious now, your eyes stare into his eyes for a moment before you turn and grab two spoons from a kitchen drawer.

“I guess we’re having ice cream then. Considering you’re an expert.” You say with an eye roll Steve can only describe as fond when you approach him again. A moment later, you sit on the counter and Steve follows suit, sitting next to you. “Spoon?”

“Thank you.” Steve says and takes it from you after opening the ice cream tub. He offers the tub to you first, letting you scoop some ice cream with your spoon which you pop in your mouth. Your arms brush from how close you’re sitting, and Steve has to lean forward to look at you, but he doesn’t mind. He’s happy with the proximity.

A sigh escapes you and you close your eyes as you savour the ice cream. Steve feels heat creep up the back of his neck at the sound, but he shakes the feeling off; you’re only eating ice cream, to make you feel better. “You were right Harrington, this is like medicine.”

“Told you, I’m an expert.” Steve chuckles and eats his own spoonful, the creamy ice cream melting in his tongue before he laughs as you search for the cookie dough in the tub. “This is going to be just plain vanilla ice cream if you keep doing that.”

“Finders keepers.” You tell him with a shrug as you bring the cookie dough to your mouth. “It’s arguably the best part of this ice cream.”

“You’re supposed to eat the ice cream with it!” Steve argues, holding the tub away from your reach. “I want cookie dough too you know.”

You roll your eyes at him, but there’s a soft look on your face as you look at him and nod. The two of you go back to eating ice cream in silence until Steve speaks up again. There are so many things he wants to know about you still –he thinks he’ll always want to know more. “What’s something you miss from living in Indianapolis?”

You pause mid-scoop and concentrate for a few moments going over his question. A moment later a tiny smile makes its way to your lips. “There used to be a wonderful campsite my dad used to take my brother and I; we’d camp for three days and do all sort of activities.”

Steve smiles. “Like what?”

“Dad and Chris love fishing, so we’d do that. There was also hiking, swimming, s’mores. Oh! We’d all tell each other stories sitting next to the fire. They were all completely made up of course, and I think the more ridiculous they were, the more fun we had.”

Your eyes wander around the kitchen, like you’re back in the forest with your family and not next to Steve anymore. Light dances in your eyes and Steve can almost picture the three of you laughing around the fire as the catch of the day roasts on a grill nearby. He knows better than to ask about your mother, he’s got a pretty good idea what the answer would be. Besides, you’ve cried enough already, so much that Steve’s own heart feels bruised from seeing you in pain.

“You haven’t camped here in Hawkins?” Steve asks after a minute, voice quiet to avoid disturbing your memory.

You shake your head and sigh, the mirage in front of you disappearing as your eyes drift back to Steve’s. “Dad’s not the same person he was during those camping trips… he hasn’t scouted a good place for us to go. I don’t think he even wants to go camping anymore.”

Steve puts the ice cream tub on the counter and takes your hand instead. “Maybe we could go camping someday, invite everyone, have fun…”

Your head moves to rest on his shoulder, the dizzying smell of your shampoo and perfume reaching Steve’s nose at the proximity. He leans his cheek on top of your head and feels the faint nod you give him. “Maybe.”

A comfortable silence settles between the two of you, your hand still in Steve’s grasp. Until he gives it a squeeze that makes you jump, as if you forgot you were holding hands in the first place. Steve chuckles. “What?”

Your head leaves his shoulder in an instant and for a second Steve is sure you’re going to hide behind your walls again, like you did so many months ago. His fear though, is replaced with concern when you hop off the counter and check the time with a frown.

“Babe come on, what’s going on?” He hops off the counter and stands in front of you. His eyes search yours until finally your gaze meets his, your embarrassment clear in them.

“I just hate being home alone at night. It makes me anxious.” Your hands fidget in front of you, as if you’re waiting for Steve to laugh at you. Oh, so that’s why you were nervous earlier. “I can’t sleep. At all.”

He looks down at his watch and sees that it’s midnight already. “I don’t mind staying over.” Bringing his eyes back to yours, he speaks up again. “Would that make you feel better?”

You close your eyes and let out a shaky exhale before you nod. “A lot better.” When your eyes open again, they’re full of gratefulness and surprise, as if Steve wouldn’t do anything for you.

 A smile grows on Steve’s face, and he takes your hand before you can thank him, threading your fingers together as he speaks. “Come on, you’re probably tired.”

Steve, however, is everything but tired. His heart is racing at the thought of spending the night here with you. You’ve never spent so much time together in a day, he’s never seen your bedroom, and there’s something about this impromptu sleepover that makes heat creep up the back of his neck. No. He’s here to give you emotional support; you were so anxious earlier and there’s nothing he wants more than to see you happy and comfortable. If staying here, despite it sending his feelings into a frenzy, is the key for you to rest then so be it. He can stay for one night.

You don’t let go of his hand as you lead him upstairs, passing various pictures of you and your family that hang from the wall opposite the handrail. There are three bedrooms upstairs and yours is the last one down the hall, its view towards the backyard. You open the door a moment later and let go of his hand as you step inside. Now that he’s here, Steve remembers neither of you made sure the doors were locked downstairs. He should do that.

“I’m going to take a shower.” You tell him as you walk towards your dresser.

Steve nods and swallows hard, using the excuse of your safety to be downstairs while that happens. “We forgot to lock everything downstairs. I’ll go do that.”

“Oh, right.” You press your palm to your forehead; Steve can see you reprimand yourself. “Thank you, Steve.”

“No problem.” Steve is quick to shake his head as he takes a step back from the room. “I’ll be right back.”

Once Steve is back downstairs, he makes sure to check the windows and lock the front door. He fiddles with the light switches for a while before he finds the right ones and turns the lights off. The whole process takes him less than five minutes, and the shower is still running when he’s back in your room. With a deep breath he finally looks around, gazing through a metaphorical window into your world, which he surprisingly already knew a lot of. The pastel walls make him smile, and he walks along the furthermost wall where various posters have been hung –all bands and singers Robin and you have played in his car. There’s a small vanity by the closet next to the bathroom, full of tiny bottles and a couple of lip-gloss tubes. Steve also spots a purple bottle of perfume on top, and a grin makes its way to his face –that’s the one that drives him crazy, he’s sure of it. He’s about to move closer and look at the pictures you’ve pasted in the vanity’s mirror, but he’s startled to a stop when you speak.

“I left a shirt for you to sleep in, if you want it.” You say and Steve turns around.

His heart summersaults when he sees you, fresh dewy face, hair out of your face, an oversized grey t-shirt with a pink Queen logo on the front and pink cotton sleeping pants. The overhead light of the bathroom makes a small rectangle in the carpeted floor, and some steam from your shower still circles around behind you. It takes all Steve’s self-control to stay where he is and not walk up to you and pull you into his arms; no tears between you this time, just Steve holding you the way he wishes he could all the time. He looks at the t-shirt you left on your bed to distract himself and laughs when he notices the colour.

“How’d you guess I love pink?” Steve asks you, glancing your way as he walks towards the bed and holds up the t-shirt. It’s very oversized like yours, and it has a black and fuchsia print of Blondie’s lead singer on it.

“Dunno, just thought it would suit you.” you chuckle, and Steve sees you hold back a smile as you point towards the bathroom. “There’s a spare toothbrush on the sink.”

Steve nods and hurries to the bathroom, lest you notice him blushing. He finds the toothbrush instantly and proceeds to brush his teeth, and though he doesn’t know why, Steve feels extremely happy to know both of you use the same toothpaste. He glances around and looks at all the details that are entirely yours around the room. There are some facial creams on a shelf next to the mirror, a vanilla scented hand soap on the sink, and a look towards the shower shows him two purple and pink shampoo and conditioner bottles –the ones that make your hair smell like flowers. Steve rinses his mouth, then takes off his sweater and jeans before he puts on the pink t-shirt you gave him and, like a freak, smells it to find that somehow your scent still lingers in the soft cotton.

If he was panicking before, he’s panicking even more now. He’s obsessed with you, he realizes, stupidly head over the heels and all of this is making it worse; lying on a bed next to you will make it so much worse. He’s got to pull himself together. He’s doing this because of fear of being home alone, that’s all. He can sleep alongside you for a night without making a fool of himself –or worse, accidentally confess his feelings. So, pushing all bed related thoughts to the back of his mind, he walks out of the bathroom to find you already under your duvet in bed.

 Not letting himself think too much about it, Steve turns off the lamp on your nightstand and slips under the duvet too. He keeps his body still, tense more accurately, as he lies next to you. That is until you turn to face him, and he immediately does too, like a magnet naturally attracted to you.

“Do you ever fear that you’ll wake up one day and everyone you know will be gone?” you whisper in the dark; your voice is almost silent, but Steve hears you loud and clear with how close he is to you. The minty smell of your toothpaste mingles with his own breath. Is this how things are going to be between you now, deep conversations and secrets you only trust to each other? He really hopes so.

Steve shakes his head, trying to make out your face in the dark as his heart constricts in his chest. “No,” he says just as quietly, “But sometimes I’m afraid that something terrible will happen and I won’t be able to help.”

Steve closes his eyes and exhales through his nose as he voices one of his fears for the first time. He’s sure that everything that happened in the Upside Down that they managed to fix was thanks to the brains in his friend group. Steve is all physical strength, which has proved useful in the past, but against monsters or whatever the hell could come next, he’s not sure it will be enough. The thought of being useless like that and everyone suffering because of it terrifies him. Even more now that you’re a part of said friend group. He’s sure of one thing though, he’d protect you and all his friends no matter what.

Your hand slowly moves to his shoulder and gives it a squeeze. “Knowing you, Steve, I’m a thousand percent sure you’d find a way to help. Your stubbornness can be a good thing.”

A breathy chuckle leaves him as your words punch the air out of him. He’s silent for a moment, scrambling for something reassuring to say back. Words aren’t his forte, not unless he’s flirting. He’d rather pull you close to him and comfort you that way, the way he did in the kitchen. “You know… if we were to disappear for whatever reason, you can bet I’d fight my way to you. You won’t be alone.”

Steve sees you nod your head in the dark, his only sign that you haven’t fallen asleep yet. Your hand goes back to your side, in front of his before you stifle a yawn. Assuming your eyes are tired from all their crying, Steve moves his hand to cup your cheek gently.

“Go to sleep, you need to rest.” He whispers; he wants to give you more comfort, pull you close and rub your back until you fall asleep. He doesn’t because he can’t, that would make things weird.

“Thank you for staying with me.” You whisper back.

Remaining silent to avoid saying something that’d give away just how deep his feelings for you run, or the fact that the opportunity to be lying here next to you is something he should be thankful for, he only rubs his thumb softly on your cheek once more before letting go. With another yawn you turn around, your back facing Steve as you whisper goodnight.

Steve doesn’t know when he falls asleep, but he knows he sleeps more peacefully than he has in a while. Not that he doesn’t sleep well often, but most days his dreamless sleep is a result of the exhaustion of the day and not peacefulness. Last night though, there were no nightmares, no tossing and turning, just a distant dream of a campfire in the woods, fireflies, and a silhouette standing peacefully by the water. At some point, early in the morning, he finds himself waking to the light sneaking into the room from a small gap in the tulle curtains. His eyes that were too sleepy to open, blink awake at the awareness that you’re in his arms. Lovely floral scent and cozy softness pressed to him.

It seems that during the night, you’d shifted to your side and burrowed yourself on his chest, an arm around his waist and leg thrown over his hip. His left arm is around you, settled between your shoulder blades, holding you to him. He lifts it and checks his watch, barely 6am but Steve knows he should go. The last thing he wants is your father getting back home and finding him in your bed. Steve doesn’t know him and that’s not the first impression he’s looking for. Besides, there’s a pressing problem in his briefs, that has appeared from being tangled up with you, that he needs to hide in his jeans before you notice. Shifting his hips way from you he looks down at your sleeping face, brushing hair away from your face before he whispers your name.

“Hmm,” You frown, eyes still closed. “What?”

“You’re a cuddler,” Steve says as he smiles; it’s something that should surprise him, but it doesn’t. Not at all.

“I’m not.” You mumble and, contradicting yourself, press closer to him.   

“Yes, you are.” He chuckles, shifting his hips backwards again. “I have to go.”

You frown but move away from him, turning and facing away. “Why?”

Steve slips from bed and puts his jeans back on, adjust himself, before pulling his sweater over his head and on top of the pink t-shirt. Call him a lovestruck fool, but he’s not giving it back. “I don’t know when your dad’s gonna be back, I don’t want him to find a boy he doesn’t know in your bed.”

You chuckle, then yawn as you shift and sit up in bed. Steve stares at you longer than he should. His eyes take in your messy hair and your still puffy eyes from all your crying the night before. He smiles widely.

“I have drool on my face, don’t I?” You sigh, moving the back of your hand to the corner of your mouth.

Steve laughs and shakes his head. “No, you don’t; you look pretty that’s all.”

His words reward him with an eyeroll and a headshake before you stand up. “Come on, I’ll walk you out.”

You remain silent as the two of you walk side by side all the way down to the front door. Steve takes his car keys, and you move to open the door, but pause after a moment. Steve’s eyes look into yours as he wonders if there’s something wrong but when your eyes shift up to him, a small smile settles on your lips. Next thing Steve knows, your arms go around him in a hug.

He can’t help but sigh at the feeling and leaning his cheek on top of your head. “You okay?”

You nod and look up at him. “Thank you, Steve.” You say, stepping on the tip of your toes and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

“Don’t thank me.” Steve smiles, letting his arms fall to his sides as his heart skips several beats. “Wanna get a coffee later?”

Is he bribing you with caffeine just to see you again? Of course, he is. Steve is charming, and he has a lot of work to do if he wants to make a move soon.

“Only if I get to pay.” You raise an eyebrow but smile nonetheless, that rare big smile he loves.

Steve huffs and opens the door. “Sure, babe.” He says though he knows you don’t believe him.

He walks to his car when you nod –heart pounding– and smiles as he drives away. Your figure on the rear-view mirror watches him leave until he turns at the end of the driveway. Steve leans his elbow on the door, his hand settling over his mouth as he thinks about the events of last night and this morning. Hope fills his chest, and Steve feels like this is the beginning of something really good for both of you.

 ---

There’s a small shift in your dynamic after that late night conversation in your kitchen. It’s like almost as if it brought you both closer: like a barrier breaking between you and Steve. Steve knows he should take it slow, that he should better conceal his feelings to avoid scaring you off. But another part of Steve wants to throw caution to the wind because there’s been a change in you too. I trust you, Steve, you’d said, and it shows. In the way you sit closer to him, how you give away more pieces of your past and yourself when you talk. There’s less apprehension and more curiosity from both of you and Steve can’t help but fall and fall and fall. He only hopes it doesn’t end up with him crashing down painfully.

The two of you make a new habit of visiting a small the café on the weekends; you sitting sideways on the couch and Steve talking nonsense to make you laugh. It starts the day after the sleepover, and the two of you use it as time to catch up on the events of the week. It delights him; every Saturday, he wants nothing more than to lean close and kiss your smile, the one he never thought he’d be at the receiving end of. You have bad days too, days in which Steve knows you’ve been crying, days where all you want to do is sit in silence with him. Steve doesn’t mind, at all, in fact he loves all your mood equally and now that he knows the backstory of what you went through, he offers you the quiet reassurance of his presence next to you, so you know you’re not alone.

Weeks pass like this, until winter leaves and spring comes. Overnight, the breeze has no bite to it anymore, the flowers bloom again and you begin to wear the prettiest floral dresses that give Steve a whole new reason to be obsessed with you.

“You two are adorable; when are you going to tell her, dingus?”

Steve and Robin had stopped by the Deli to get something to eat during their lunch break while you were on your lunch break too. The three of you had spent the 30 minutes talking between bites of your own sandwiches until the moment Steve had to drive away and you had to go back to your shift. He hears Robins words but his eyes follow your retreating figure until you’re out of sight –his mind is begging him to find you and steal a kiss just so he doesn’t go crazy. Robin snaps her fingers in front of his face and laughs when Steve startles. He rolls his eyes and gets in the car while Robin asks him the same question again.

Steve rolls his eyes again, “Tell her what?”

“That you’re obsessed with her dummy!” Robin hits his arm, Steve sends her an annoyed look, “You love her come on, you have to tell her.”

“No, I can’t.” He’s been thinking about it more often now. Keeping it to himself has been almost impossible lately and he knows he should do it before he breaks.

“Yes, you can, and you have to.” Robin asserts, setting her converse on the dashboard. “She clearly feels the same way.”

“She doesn’t.” Steve’s answer is instant as he focuses on the road and getting back to FV, his fingers gripping the steering wheel so hard they turn white. It’s a half-lie, and they both know it.

“She does and you know it.” Out of the corner of his eye he sees Robin shake her head.  “The way she looks at you Steve… it’s unbearable to watch, coming from her.”

Steve knows it, he’s seen that change. He’s felt the pitter patter of his heart, the way his hands shake when you look at him like that, like he’s all you want. But Steve is a coward in denial, he doesn’t want to assume wrong and send you running away from him. But if Robin’s seen it… “You really think so?” He says as he parks his car and Robin nods enthusiastically.

“Duh!”

He nods to himself, “Okay... I can tell her tonight. We are hanging out at my place anyway.”

“I’ll make myself scarce, just say the word and I’ll disappear.” When Steve nods Robin cheers, opening the passenger door and stepping outside. “Don’t mess it up, Steve.”

“I’ll try.” Steve grips the steering wheel, trying to calm himself down.

Steve doesn’t get a chance to though, for that afternoon with greying clouds in the sky you show up at Family Video as soon as your shift at the Deli ends. Steve is about to go to the back and finish some inventory he has procrastinated all week when he sees you pacing in front of his car, arms crossed over your chest. His heart soars, then fills with dread –somethings wrong. He knows it right away which is why he rounds the counter and rushes outside in a heartbeat.

“Babe, what’re you doing here?” Steve says as soon as he opens the door. “It’s gonna rain come on, let’s go inside.”

But you shake your head and look at him with a look he can’t name. It’s a sad look, and it makes Steve panic; he panics even more when he sees your eyes are teary and red-rimmed. “Did something happen? At work or at home?”

“I love you.” You say, at the same time thunder cracks in the distance. Your trembling lips press together when Steve’s move to smile, and your headshake makes Steve pause. “But I don’t think we should see each other again.”

“What?” Steve’s question is a whisper, almost lost to another booming thunder. “Why would you say that? Did I do something?”

“No, Steve.” You sigh, voice shaky, looking everywhere but his eyes. Steve knows this tell though; you don’t want to be caught in a lie. “We just don’t fit–”

“No.” He says simply, shaking his head as he interrupts you. This is that night in the Wheeler’s driveway all over again, you trying to shut everyone out. His hands still shake slightly though, at your confession, your words afterwards, at the idea of losing you.

“Steve it won’t work.” You tell him, it cracks halfway with feeling, and you swallow hard before repeating yourself. “It would never work.”

“Yes it will, it’s us.” Steve tells you, shaking his head. He remembers how far you’ve come, how close the two of you have gotten. He should’ve have known it would scare you, after what happened with your family. “Of course it will! It has worked for months.”

“It won’t! It won’t work regardless of our feelings. Because I’m me! And you’re you –you’ll get sick of me and then leave. And it’ll hurt more than anything I’ve ever experienced.” You tell him, shaking your head and looking at him with reddening eyes. Both your arms are crossed over your chest, as if you’re physically protecting your heart from feeling what if feels for him. I love you, you said. Around you, the sky begins to open, bathing both of you with big droplets of water. “I told you before, you scare me because I’ve never felt this way before.”

Steve tries to take a step closer, but you take a step back; it makes him groan in frustration. “You can’t make that decision for me! How can you think I’d just leave you?”

“Because the person who I thought never would, LEFT.” You yell, eyes brimming with tears that roll down your cheeks. They mix with the raindrops that fall on both of you and Steve’s heart aches.

“Then she didn’t love you enough, not the way you deserve.” Steve places his hands on his hips, looking at the wet concrete underneath his shoes. His eyebrows meet in the middle as he swallows hard. He can’t put into words how angry it makes him that someone hurt you so much, that you’re scared of being happy again. “I thought you trusted me.”

“I do.” You tell him, hands falling to your sides. Your voice is so quiet that the rain falling around you almost drowns it out. “You know I do.”

“Then let me love you!” You’re stunned into silence by Steve’s words, confessed loudly in an outburst as he brings his hands to his hair. He meets your eyes and feels his own tear up; he really doesn’t want to lose you. “Let me prove to you that I love you like crazy, baby. Because I do, you have no idea how much.”

Your eyes squeeze shut and Steve knows you can see all of his feelings reflected on his face. “I don’t want to be heartbroken again Steve! Can’t you see you’re sunshine, and I–”

“Don’t say that.” He whispers and steps closer to you, holding both of your hands. The way you cling to them sparks a fire in his heart, keeps his hope alive. “I told you I wouldn’t change a thing about you, that I’d fight my way to you.”

You try to let go of him, but Steve only pulls you closer even as you look away from him, lip trembling. “You know my issues, especially after what happened last year.”

“I do know them, and I’m telling you now that I don’t plan on ever letting you go. This isn’t just a fling, and you know it.” His hands go to your face, holding it gently and looking into your eyes. Those beautiful eyes he’s seen tear up, the ones that crinkle in the corners when you laugh and turn steely when you’re mad. He wants to look at them forever.

You close them, bracing yourself, as the sky continues to fall all around you. Big drops of water hitting your skin and soaking your clothes every second that passes. “Even if I have bad days, or get exasperated with you, or I’m a grump?”

Steve smiles and shakes his head. If only you knew. “I love it when you’re a grump, I want to kiss your pout so badly every time.”

“I don’t pout,” You roll your eyes, but Steve can see you’re trying to hide your fear. He’s learned every little detail about you to memory, this is you trying to build a wall. Well then, Steve knows how to break them down.

“I promise,” Steve says, like he did that November night you fought outside in the cold. His nose brushes against yours as tenderly as he can, rainwater sliding down between your faces –his breath catches on his throat. “I love everything about you, everything baby, trust me. It’s you and me, that won’t change.”

You nod, trust shining in your eyes as a teary smile makes its way to your face when you let it free. It knocks the air out of Steve’s lungs. “Stevie, I love you.”

 He leans his forehead against yours, happy beyond words and because he’s not good with them he says, “I really want to kiss you.”

“Then kiss me,” You urge him.

Steve leans down, holding your face in his hands and lingering close as he braces himself for this; this moment he’s wished for so many times. He smiles, and thinks finally, before leaning in and kissing you. A noise dies in the back of his throat, his chest feels full of helium and his mind reels at the everything he’s feeling. It’s even better than he dreamed it would be. Your lips soft against his, your hands in his hair, the sigh that escapes you when one of his arms wraps around your waist and presses you flush against him. His skin is buzzing, his fingertips are tingling. So he kisses you until you’re both dizzy, brushing his tongue against yours, matching your intensity head-on. Everything is intoxicating, the sweet scent of your perfume, the softness under his hands, the way your face feels like it’s on fire as his hand remains cupping your cheek. Steve is so in love he could faint, so he breathes you in as he kisses your cheek, your jaw, your neck and just below your ear until the two of you pull back. Soaked in rain, without a care in the world.

“Does this mean you’re my boyfriend?” You ask him softly, stepping impossibly closer to him.

Steve smiles proudly, heart soaring. “Yes it does, I’m yours.”

“I want to kiss you again.” You confess after a minute, blinking away that raindrops that have gathered in your eyelashes and smiling at him. “But I’m cold.”

 Steve laughs when you frown and pulls you closer to him. “Yeah, we should probably get out of the rain.”

----

thank you for reading! reblogs are really appreciated and so is any feedback 💖

(I also wrote this tiny insight to grumpy reader’s feelings here )

#steve harrington fic #steve harrington x f!reader #steve harrington x you #steve x you #steve harrington x fem!reader #steve harrington x reader fluff #steve harrington #steve harrington fanfic #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington fluff #steve harrington angst

[eightstarr]

visions — abby anderson.

summary: a love letter to trying (or the time when you met your favorite people in the world, an overly stressed med student and her overly adventurous one-year-old, in your apartment's hallway).

notes: constantly suffering from chronic baby fever so this is a present from me to you because i spend way too much time thinking about abby as a mom <3

୨・┈﹕✦﹕﹕✦﹕┈・୧

You’re stepping out of the elevator when you suddenly hear it— a series of light thumps on the floor, fast but determined like a tiny little elephant who really has somewhere to be right now. Another step and then you stop clumsily when a flash of golden hair comes rushing past you. You follow the sight with your eyes, tilting your head. A little girl is walking, no, stomping through the hallway. She’s no older than two years old, her thin shining hair in two short braids, blue jean overalls and red socks on her feet. She moves so confidently that you almost don’t think about it, almost have the instinct to look away as if to not accidentally appear nosy, but her tiny stature and wobbly sense of direction keep your attention.

You look around the hallway, expecting surely the sound of the little girl’s parent calling her name (something sweet and pretty and classic, you imagine; it’d suit her). You picture her name being followed by a tired sigh before her patents rush to catch up, maybe rolling their eyes in a way that pretends to be annoyed but unmistakingly holds a million times more affection. A perfect family, a tiny glimpse of a full life somehow existing right in your unimportant building.

The hallway is long and terribly empty. You look back at the little girl who is striding forward in less of a rush now, with no worries, like this is the same route she’s taken for years.

What are you supposed to say to get a kid’s attention when you don’t know their name? What’s something concise, yet nice, yet simple enough to be understood? Babysitting as a teen has prepared you for a lot, just maybe not all of it. It's been a little too long. You linger on it for just a second before spitting out the first thing that comes to mind. “Hi, princess,” It’s a little awkward, but you’re relieved when she immediately stops and spins around, like something about it sounded familiar— could be your sweet tone or the nickname, you’re not sure. The little girl tilts her head to the side, round cheek lightly squished against her shoulder. It's the cutest thing you’ve ever seen and it makes you giggle like a charmed kid. “Where did you come from?” you ask, but before you have the chance to reach her she pouts her lips, as if just now realizing that you’re not who she thought you were. And then she turns her back, like there's no time to waste, to return to her journey with renewed enthusiasm.

In a scarily fast moment, you realize that she’s going for the stairs. It would maybe be a slightly less terrifying idea if that stupid door actually worked— but it doesn't, it broke sometime last May and now it's awfully easy to open, no strength or shove required. Sometimes, if it's windy and quiet enough, you can faintly hear it swing back and forth from your apartment. The little girl reaches a hand out, not intimidated by the tall door more than three times her height. If you weren’t this terrified, you’d find it amazingly admirable. 

You don’t register you’re running until you reach her, don’t register the sound of fast steps behind you or the scream of Rue! or anything else other than the heavy relief on your chest when you lift the baby by her armpits and hold her over your hip against your side. She’s fussing in your arms immediately, upset that she’s being interrupted, especially by a stranger. “I know, I’m sorry, baby. It’s okay, you’re okay,” you coo, though trying to be soothing when your heart is beating this fast is admittedly not the easiest task.

“Rue!” Someone repeats, and this time you do hear it. A woman is running down the hallway, hand coming down to mindlessly drop a tote bag bursting with groceries on the floor by the time she’s in front of you. The little girl reaches out her arms immediately, tiny fists opening and closing furiously and you sigh with relief as you carefully pass her over to the arms of the tall stranger. Her hair is blonde but darker than Rue’s, held back in a braid that looks both pretty and messy, like it was once pristine and then slept on. She’s wearing jeans and a half unbuttoned white shirt, a black tank top underneath. Her chest rises and falls and you notice that yours is no different. Adrenaline is a strange bond to share with a stranger, but it does make things less awkward, knowing you’re both here, feeling the same thing. You meet her expertly focused eyes for just a second before she turns to look at the little girl, searching for anything that could be wrong. “I’m so sorry, sweet girl. You’re okay, right? You’re okay,” the baby flashes a precious, wobbly smile at the sound of her voice, but she’s quickly distracted by the endlessly fascinating rainbow of groceries that lie on the floor. Her tiny head peeks over her mom’s shoulder to observe and it’s like you both can take a more soothing breath now, knowing she’s okay. “Thank you so much,” Abby says. You blink a couple times before you realize that she’s talking to you. “Sorry, I really don’t know how that happened. We were— we just got home from the store and I hadn't even put down all the bags yet and I thought— I was convinced that I shut the door, but…” her rambling drifts off and the stranger takes another breath, reddish embarrassment crawling up her neck.

You understand, suddenly, that she’s not only struggling with the stress of losing and finding her baby, but also the shame of having to face a stranger who might judge her for it. It feels insane to you, to think that she would be forced to prioritize that right now. “Oh, no, it’s okay!” you rush to respond. “I saw her immediately, and you were here in seconds! She wouldn't have gotten any further than that,” your smile is soft, but you speak with enough confidence to be reassuring (babysitting lessons, perhaps), “It was just a scare— don’t be too hard on yourself, please.”

Abby looks disarmed by your answer, her eyebrows raised in surprise. A short moment passes before she nods and smiles back, a small gesture without any less warmth. It’s the most relaxed you’ve seen her so far and it suits her beautifully, enough to make your face feel warm. Her blushing is much less forgiving though, more physically evident on her skin, spread over her cheekbones and the bridge of her pretty nose.

Rue giggles and it distracts you both, her hand waving excitedly at the colorful bird printed on a box of cereal as soon as she spots him. Abby looks at you for a second too long before she clears her throat, joking, “Sorry, she really loves that guy.”

You hum. “He is pretty cool, to be fair.”

Abby tilts her head, copying your sincere tone. “I don’t know, I always thought he’d be kind of a dick in person. He just looks like the type.”

Your startled laugh makes her smirk but she's frustratingly good at hiding it, free hand covering her mouth casually enough that you don’t notice. You look at the grabbing motion of the baby’s hands and pout with sympathy. “She loves him, though. We should probably get him off the floor.”

“Yeah, I should get that— I guess I just ran out with the bag, huh?” Abby huffs. She looks and sounds, physically, a lot less anxious now, less ashamed and more annoyed at herself.

“Would you like some help?”

“That’s okay, I got it,” she’s not sure that she does but she says it anyway, instinctively. Abby tries to lean down and Rue clutches her shirt, pulling enough to communicate that she is not ready to be put down yet. Abby straightens her back quickly enough to communicate that she is not ready to risk getting her any more upset for today. She meets your eyes for just a second. “Well, maybe some help.”

“Sure, just some,” you chuckle. “I’ll get it, don’t worry about it.”

People say that to Abby a lot— don’t worry about it! She hears it from her colleagues when she inevitably asks for the notes from the last class she ran a little late to, from a few of her kinder professors when she’s a day past some assignment’s deadline, from the guy at the grocery store that picks up the packets of M&M bags from the floor when Rue’s curious hands knock them over, from her dad when she asks if he’d be okay with babysitting for just a tiny bit longer. It always makes her stomach turn with guilt, some cases more intense than others, her lips usually pursed as she turns around and takes a breath. This time when you say it, she finds the guilt passing through her with ease, a short visit that makes her shoulders tense before it gets replaced by something else. She believes you, for some reason. Her brain is quiet except for thinking, for once, that there could really be nothing to worry about.

Your hands move casually as you pick everything up, resting on your knees like it’s not uncomfortable, like they might as well be your groceries. The idea is startling. Abby thinks, suddenly, that if someone were to walk into this scene, they wouldn’t read you as a kind stranger. Your ease would hint to something else, a friend, a lover, a picture of a family. Abby finds herself looking at your hands again, brought back to reality only by the slight tug of her hair. Rue plays with her braid distractedly, mumbling to herself about her froot loops friend— except she hasn’t quite learned to pronounce it yet, so it sounds more like oot oops.

Abby chuckles, brushing some of her loose baby hair behind her ears, mumbling back answers to her gibberish to keep her entertained even if Rue doesn’t seem to need it. She’s always endlessly thrilled to just be outside, perhaps the one trait she got from her grandpa rather than her mom. Other than her light snoring.

“She loves you a lot,” you comment, rising from your knees with the bag hanging on your shoulder. You don’t ask and Abby doesn’t think about it—  you just start walking back to her apartment together. “Don’t you, Ru-Ru?” the baby giggles, her head turning to you, blue eyes sparkling. You laugh, “Oh, you like that name. It suits you, Ru-Ru.”

“That’s what my dad calls her,” Abby explains.

“He sounds like a man with taste,” you say. “What do you call her?”

“Princess.”

Your smile is wide and pleased. “That suits her even more, I fear.”

“I think so, too,” Abby agrees, a proud little glimmer in her eyes. She stops in front of her door, B06 engraved in silver. Is it always such a short walk from the elevator? She’s seriously thinking about it until, after realizing in an embarrassing second that she never introduced herself to the person kind enough to chase after her baby, help pick up her groceries and carry them home, Abby suddenly turns to you with widened blue eyes and pretty, reddened cheeks. You forgive her before she even says anything, and forget your traitorous reason before it gets a chance to warn you about how dangerous that thought is. “God, sorry, I never told you my name. I’m—”

“Abby, right?” you smile softly at her surprised face, chuckling before you explain, “One of our neighbors is an old friend of mine and she kinda threw this welcome party for me when I moved in. I promise we weren’t gossiping, but I think someone mentioned you.”

“Oh,” Abby nods casually, brushing it off as if she won’t be spending all night thinking about what your first impression of her might’ve been like. Rue fusses in her arms, a little grunt as she kicks her legs to be put down. “Sorry— I‘ll be right back,” Abby shares a quick look with you and you wave goodbye, not surprised to be missing Rue as soon as she turns around. You watch them walk inside together, a tiny hand waving back at you and making you smile as she excitedly makes her way to her playpen, shrieking bye-bye! Abby places a kiss on top of Rue’s blonde hair and makes her laugh with some noise that you don’t quite catch. She’s comfortable here, walking amongst colorful toys and biology books. She moves like an expert, pulling down her shirt where it rode up somewhere along the way. You make half an effort not to stare, but it’s half more than the effort Abby makes to not let it get to her head. The most confident she’s felt so far, she asks you, “Did that totally innocent welcome party of yours happen, like, two weeks ago? I think I heard some music.”

“It was extremely innocent,” you insist, eyebrows raised teasingly, “And no, sorry, not sure what that was— I moved here like a year ago.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

You grace her (or yourself) with a second of silence before you laugh at her awkward expression, the way she brushes a hand over her flushed face and huffs. “Fuck, that’s embarrassing. I’m kinda terrible at keeping up with this type of, uh, social stuff.”

“It’s not embarrassing, I promise. It’s a big world,” you reassure her. “Even bigger when you’re doing a million other stuff.”

You tell her your name and Abby, who is young like you but also highly knowledgeable on little specific human interaction cheat-codes that come with being a mom, nods her head and makes her eyes light up with what seems, to the naive eye, like recognition. “Oh, that’s right!”

You stare for a second before squinting your eyes. “Are you lying to me, Abby from B06?”

Abby grins, wondering when was the last time she found being caught this funny. “Yeah, sorry. I’ve never heard that name in my life.”

You laugh the loudest you have so far and a daydreamed life flashes in Abby’s head— in that big, dramatic way that it does only when you’ve been watching too many rom-coms every night, or when you’re getting too much dating advice from your friend who’s been married since eighteen, or maybe when you fall in love with a pretty stranger who seems to be able to read your mind. It’s an idealized vision of an idealized world, and Abby finds herself being completely okay to clutch it in her fists to keep, because it’s fucking lovely.

“Well, I forgive you,” you tell her, unaware (maybe?) of the chaos that you’ve induced inside of her. “You’re a busy girl.”

Abby tries to think of a good, smooth way to tell you that she could see herself saying your name everyday, placed adoringly after good morning and I miss you. All she comes up with is, “I got enough time to learn it.”

—

You play with the hem of your shirt, pajamas made of mostly Abby’s clothes every night, a scent on them that’s not yours but it might as well be. It’s yours in all the ways that matter, in the same sense that she is. Abby walks out of the bathroom wearing her usual pajamas— a shirt that fits too loose and boxers that are a little too tight around her thighs. She doesn't seem to mind them, and you don’t seem to wanna complain. She knows by the way you look at her. You’re leaning back on your palms, your head tilted, the same shyness and sparkly adoration in your eyes that you’d get when you didn't know each other all that well. It’s not too often that she sees that nervousness anymore, but she still gets glimpses of it, a blink of something on your face or your tone or your breathing that says I have a crush on you and I’m hoping you can’t tell. She likes that nervousness the best right now, the way it’s timid and then settles into something like cockiness when you remember that she’s looking at you just the same, when you remember how much you like the way she copies the tilt of your head and teases you as if she's not also smiling like you’re the most beautiful thing in the world.

Abby loves every moment like this, loves getting home and helping prepare dinner and making Rue laugh before kissing her goodnight, loves doing the dishes with you and flirting and talking about the day. Today, she’s especially looking forward to the latter.

“So, how was it?” she asks, the back of her thighs resting against the dresser. She’s trying to play it cool and she's annoyingly good at it, even now.

“Hm?” you hum, leaning further back to rest on your elbows, your back almost fully touching the bed. Abby feels a little bad keeping you up, but she knows she’ll be tossing and turning all night if she has to wait until the morning to ask.

“The school meeting.”

“Oh,” you smile wide enough to look silly and beautiful, sweet enough to rot teeth. She feels like she could sink in it, your smile and the relief it brings to her well hidden nervousness. “I loved it so much, Abs.”

Abby is smooth when she walks closer, soft when she cups your cheek, but there's something anxious in her eyes if you know where to look. “Yeah?” she insists.

You nod your head and kiss the palm of her hand, your lips pressed together in that funny way of trying to hold back an excited giggle. Abby smiles and feels nostalgic for the time, many many months ago, when she’d bring a finger to her lips to shush you and then remind you in an expert whisper that Rue is sleeping in the other room. She doesn't have to teach you much at all anymore, and every moment that proves that to her feels like the most beautiful, unfamiliar peace.

“I’m so happy,” you announce, looking up at her. You’re tired enough that it feels almost like being drunk, which is maybe why a short giggle manages to escape. Abby finds it contagious, your joy moves through her as naturally and importantly as the pumping of her blood. “I’m so excited for all of it.”

It’s the second parents' meeting that you’ve attended at Rue’s school— but you spent that first one sitting quietly by her side, practically hiding behind her, too aware of yourself and of the fact that you don’t really know what you’re doing. “Nobody knows,” Abby confessed on your way home, a hand on the steering wheel and another over your leg, her fingers tapping a comforting rhythm. “Parenting is beautiful, it just comes a lot less naturally than you’d think. That thing about a biological, primal wisdom or whatever— it’s a nice concept. But the best things I know came from me actively trying.”

Her words echoed in your head when you said yes to attending this school meeting alone, when you smiled and made the effort to look as calm as you could, kissed her cheek and said “of course!”. Being Rue’s parent doesn’t always come naturally, but it comes from the most genuine love, every single time. Of course you can go to her meeting when Abby can’t reschedule work, because of course you want to know about how Rue is doing in school. It’s an honor to be there for her, to speak for her when you know she needs you to. This is you actively trying.

“How were the other parents?” Abby asks, lying on her side now, her finger tracing unreadable patterns on your cheek. She craves physical contact more than she’d like to admit— but it works great, because you never ask her to admit it if she doesn't want to. The pads of her fingers say enough.

“They were cool, they were all very sweet to me. Well, Leo’s mom is a little passive aggressive but she’s that way with everyone,” you comment through a yawn, the side of your face comfortably pressed against your pillow. Abby hums, agreeing. “Sophie’s mom was the nicest, she sat next to me and invited me to join her and Jade’s mom for brunch.”

“Which Sophie?”

“The one that gave Rue a Valentine’s gift, that milk chocolate that she loves.”

“Oh, I like that Sophie.”

“Me too. I think I wouldn't mind joining a weekly brunch cult with her mom.”

Abby laughs in the way that she only does when she’s sleepy, where she sounds almost like her teenage self, shy and sweet. By the time it dies down, you’re almost asleep. But then, softly enough that you almost don’t hear it, she asks, “How do you think you would feel if she called you that?”

You make a questioning little sound that sounds like "what?" but not quite.

“If Rue called you mom.”

Your eyes open in a second, though not without effort. You look at Abby’s face, her pretty, relaxed features, and answer honestly. “I would probably cry. And then kiss her cheeks for as long as she let me.”

Abby chuckles. “Like when she fell off the swing and got the tiniest scratch on her knee?”

“Yeah, just— the joyful version of that, I guess. They would be the happiest tears ever spilled,” you explain, so sincere that Abby almost tells you. And you know her enough to read it on her face, the way she barely parted her lips and then pressed them back together quickly. Your head lifts from the pillow. “Wait, why? She told you something? Did she ask about that?”

Abby is great at keeping it cool, but less so once she’s been caught. Her nervous chuckle says it all. “I…”

“Abby, I swear to god, I will not let you sleep until you tell me.”

She more than believes you, but a flash memory of her pinky finger wrapped around Rue’s holds her back from spilling any more details. “Sorry, baby, I’m not allowed to say.”

“Oh my god,” you drop back onto your pillow, this time lying flat on your back. “You think she’s gonna say it?” you ask, and Abby is unsure if you’re asking her or the ceiling or a godly presence way above it. Or yourself, most likely. “It’s okay if she doesn't, maybe she was just curious. Maybe she needs time. I mean, obviously. She probably won’t say it, like, tomorrow, right?” you turn your head and look at her, so wrapped up in your inner monologue that you don’t process the amusement and adoration that’s all over your girlfriend’s face. “What if I react super weird and she doesn't say it again?”

Abby’s lips stretch into the softest smile, so in love that she almost forgets to answer and instead holds her hand on the back of your neck and pulls you close to press a kiss against your forehead. Your eyebrows are still furrowed worriedly when she pulls away, and she brushes her thumb over your cheek as she lets out the kindest hum, acknowledging your question. “You’re not gonna react weird, sweetheart.”

Momentarily flustered, you shake your head to remember the point that you’d been thinking about. “But I shouldn't cry, imagine how confusing that would be for her— what if she thinks she made me upset?”

“That won’t happen. She cried happy tears when you moved in, remember? She knows what they are,” she says. It’s one of the best memories you have, the nervous look on Abby’s face when she asked you, rambling, “It would be a big change, but not the worst, right? You’d just be a couple doors down the hall. It would be a lot of the same in a lot of ways, just with us.”

After that came the late nights at your apartment, dates hidden behind the excuse of packing, half empty boxes on the floor and Abby stuck to you like glue, a kiss or ten whenever she got too carried away with excitement. A couple weeks later came your clothes in her closet, your favorite blanket on the couch, and Rue’s eyes glimmering with happy tears as she hid her face on your neck and tried to understand her feelings. Then, after a few minutes of patiently rubbing her back, came her little frown of concentration and the way she attentively listened to you and Abby explain that her reaction was normal, that sometimes happiness feels like too much to hold in just a laugh or a dance. “Oh, okay,” she’d said, in this cute proud tone that she gets whenever she learns something new that makes sense to her. It was the sweetest thing. She’s the sweetest thing— and you can’t believe this is your life, that you get to take care of her and hang out and teach her new things to be proud of.

“You think she wants me to be her mom?”

Abby smiles. “You are her mom, baby.”

Rue doesn't say it the next day. You don’t overthink it— couldn't if you tried. It's a nice feeling to be so happy that you don't feel the need to think. She doesn't call you mom that morning, but she runs to the doorway where you’re putting on your shoes to get to work and wraps her arms so tight around your legs that you have to balance yourself with a hand against the wall. Her hair is messy from sleep, her yellow pajama shirt wrinkled, her eyes blinking lazily as she looks up at you and asks, “Back soon?”

“Soon as I can, princess,” you promise, leaning down to kiss her head. What is there to overthink? What more could you possibly need?

You can do this forever, have mornings like this and feel grateful in a way that you didn't know existed until now. You love the way it comes at random times, the way you’re still you, still grumpy when your coffee tastes watery, still a little bad at getting to the train station on time, still learning not to burn the first batch of pancakes. It’s a big change, but not the worst, right? It’s a lot of the same in a lot of ways, except Abby is there at the kitchen kissing your cheek, and a tiny head of blonde hair is peeking from the back of the couch, gummy smile and freckled cheeks, saying, “I like my pancakes like that, mom!”

#abby anderson x reader #abby anderson fic #abby x reader #abby anderson x female!reader #abby anderson fluff #abby anderson headcanons #mom!abby #doctor!abby

[astrow1zar6]

Sun Sign Observations- 012

Every Scorpio Sun male I met gives the same vibe as Sasuke from Naruto lol. They all give off this mysterious nonchalant vibe. They come off as very uninterested in others but this is lowkey what draws so many people to them. They are sooo magnetic (especially with libra placements) these guys are very sexy and a lot of ppl obsess over them men and women whether it be good or bad. Also I notice they are quite pessimistic.

I notice Gemini Suns are either so chatty or very mute lol. I feel there’s no in between. I feel like Gemini’s are the introverted of the extroverts. But even the quiet ones are very good conversationalists when you really start to get them going lol. They get the reputation of being flakey and fake but really it’s not the case a lot of the time. Geminis need a lot of mental stimulation, it’s energy is very restless so when things are stable for too long they can become irritated more than most. Bringing in new ideas and social connections help their fast paced minds feel at ease. This however can cause them to be very misunderstood and have a harder time with holding long lasting relationships.

Libra suns are all so naturally pretty (men and women) they are so easy to spot because they all have this conventionally popular look to them. Also the flirt A LOT, a little too much at times. I feel like this sun sign enjoys leading others on more than most. They love attention especially from attractive people. They are so charming and can make you feel so special (even if it’s completely fake). As much as they flirt it’s actually rare they really fall in love but when they do they become so devoted to their partner & very obsessive (especially with Scorpio placements). But overall they are genuinely nice people even if it can be a little fake they try so hard to make people happy and comfortable which is so respectable.

Capricorn sun people I notice find a lot of humor in being mean to people😭 and you never know if they really mean it or not cuz they have such a dry humor (I honestly think most do mean it tho)😂. But their serious tone can be so hilarious. It can come off as intimidating sometimes cuz they can be pretty cutthroat.

Pisces suns will say some of the weirdest most random shit outta nowhere. It can be so funny tho cuz it’s usually so out of context😂 I feel like Pisces are more of oddballs than Aquarius. They have this feral energy they keep hide around these calm sweet auras. But they only show this side to people the trust.

All the Sagittarius suns I met are all surprisingly very emotional people. They normally hide their sensitive souls under this really confident flamboyant carefree mask. But really their huge animated personalities are defenses to hide how vulnerable and scared they really fear. They come off as childish but when they really open up to you they are some of the wisest people you’ll meet. One big thing I respect about this sign to is their inability to discriminate against others, they have such an non judgmental nature about them & are always so open to learn even if it normally goes against what they stand for.

Cancer suns are soooo clingy to their partners. Once they feel they found their soulmate I see a lot kinda isolate themselves and their partner. They can become a little codependent. It’s hard for cancers to feel comfortable around people because of their softer nature. So when they find someone that finally feels like home it’s hard for them to separate themselves.

Taurus suns can be very jealous of others. I honestly think more than Scorpios. A lot I met tend to be very bully like if insecure about themselves. They don’t like when others look better or have more money than them. Most feel like they have to be the best to feel good about themselves and many can find it hard to see the beauty in themselves:( but when healthy these people can be the rock to their families and relationships they are so stable and reliable once they love you they will do anything for you. These people genuinely do have big hearts but their egos can get in the way a lot.

I’m so jealous of Leo Suns, they are just so confident in their authentic selves it’s so admirable. It’s so hard for this sign to feel embarrassment because they love the attention and expression so much. I’d die to have this trait. This is why so many people want to be around them the shine like the Sun 🌞

#astro observations #astrologist #astrology #astro community #astro notes #astroblr

[lucifers-rubber-duck]

oh my god! I just read the modern time one and it gave me an idea!! hazbin crew with a modern reader that is just so chaotic. but like not even a dangerous chaotic and they could probably be killed by any demon but they just have no regard for their safety at all. if a demon makes them mad, the yell at the random demon (even if it's like Alastor or something, they just don't care) calling it something stupid. or if they so much as encounter a slight inconvenience they act like their dying all over again and then within a few seconds goes back to normal like nothing happened. but is overall just entertaining to have around the hotel

Characters: Charlie, Vaggie, Alastor, Husker, Angel, Niffty, Sir Pentious & Lucifer.

Warnings: None.

A/N: We need more Chaotic!Reader in fics, let Reader be a drama monarch and be extra! Thanks for the ask!

𖤓Charlie

• She lost the count of how many times she apologized in your name to random demons on the streets and stores every time you two go out together, you simply have no filter.

• If a demon annoys you you'll scream at them, if they look at you in a way you didn't like you'll flip them off, you just don't care about your own safety and the fact that you're being rude for no reason and that kills her.

• Every week you'll have a behavior exercise where she'll make you be nice to a member of the hotel or simply do good deeds around hell, she even made you apologize to a demon that you fought in a clothe store once, that's your last favorite part of living in the hotel and you make that clear.

• But your behavior does come in handy sometimes, like when some random thought it would be nice to mess with Charlie and shit-talk her hotel, you threw your hot coffee on them making them run away with an angry grin. She didn't scold you that time but didn't say it was acceptable.

• “There are better ways to… resolve those types of situations, but I'm thankful that you stood up for me, that's another good attitude to have!”; “Whatever you say princess, you can thank me by buying me a new coffee.”

𖤓Vaggie

• Sometimes your way of acting annoys her, a lot, you're just so headstrong and so she is so you two just clash with each other a lot, and neither will give up so easily.

• You would make things that annoy her, like poking her or just making a few rude comments, and that would work because she would always have to hold herself to not put her spear on your throat and silence you herself.

• I imagine Charlie putting you two in one of those “get along” shirts, that didn't end up very well and you two almost threw punches with each other.

• The only moments you two middly get along is when a random attack happens at the hotel, what for some reason actually happens at least once a week, and both of you team up to beat the shit out of the demons, you two would he too tried to fight after.

• “You weren't so bad this time Vagina.”; “Don't make me add another one to my kill count.”; “To your what?”

𖤓Alastor

• You not being scared or intimidated by his presence annoys him like nothing else, he doesn't enjoy not being in control, he likes when people fear him and plead for their lives so your lack of care for his power makes his smile be a little more forced everytime.

• He dislikes your attitude towards him, but mostly dislikes how modern you are, you have no respect for him or the older demons, you're always using slangs he doesn't understand and is always so full of modern technology, he especially doesn't like the VoxTek phone you always carries with you.

• He's pretty verbal on how much he dislikes you, just how you are about him, he wouldn't be as aggressive like Vaggie when showing his dislike, he's more the type to give sarcastic comments than throw punches. There was only one occasion where he used his magic to make your phone get all glitchy with his presence.

• I also think he would like to try and correct you on things just out of spite. Sitting with your legs crossed? He'll tell you to sit properly. Bad posture? He touches your back with his staff making you fix it. Even when you're literally just doing your duties at the hotel, he'll tell you that you're doing it incorrectly to make you mad.

• “That's not how my mom taught me how to do it, you should try another way dear, maybe like that you'll actually be useful for something.”; “Oh, kiss my ass old man, come and do it yourself if you're so bothered by it.”

𖤓Husker

• Hates your guts 90% of the time, he hates the way you're just so careless like you aren't literally in Hell, he wonders how you didn't get yourself killed or had a beef with the wrong people already, you look like the type that would face against a Overlord.

• But he does like having you around the bar sometimes, he won't admit it of course, but he always offer you a drink after he sees you do something that annoys Alastor in the slightest.

• He also saved your ass a few times. When Charlie gives the hotel staff permission to have a night for themselves and go to a club, he just knows you'll enter a fight, doesn't matter how well the night is going, you always manages to get in trouble so he had to keep and eye on you all the time.

• After that fight at the club happened, just Like he tough it would, he has to carry your slightly bruised and heavily drunk body, putting one of your arms around his shoulders and holding you to make sure you don't fall while you state how annoyed you are that he got involved on your stuff again.

• “I could take that motherfucker, get my ass back there so I can show them.”; “And I wish I could take a break from you but we can't always have what we want, can we?”

𖤓Angel

• Do I even have to say he's the one that mostly enjoys your presence? He likes your attitude, your way of dressing, your personality, it matches his and you two can be just the most annoying pricks together.

• Your favorite activity when going out to do whatever is to silently judge sinners on the way, you and him would point at a random sinner while talking about their looks and shit-talking them just because you two can.

• If a sinner ever gets annoyed at you two Angel just knows that you're not going to stay quiet about it and will most likely try to fight them, and as the good friend he is, he's always there to help you out in a fight with some fire power.

• He makes sure to not talk about his boss though, he knows that if you learn about how horrible he's treated by him you'll want to go there and have a conversation with him yourself. He will make sure that you're far away from Valentino with your careless attitude.

• “You know what toots? You should meet my friend Cherri, you two were made for each other.”; “If she's anything like me then I know she's no good influence, when can I meet her?”

𖤓Niffty

• She enjoys your attitude, probably thinks it's attractive and will call you a Bad Boy (in a gender neutral way).

• She's probably giggling every time you're creating chaos or getting into a beef with another demon, you're just her type to be honest and she'll for sure start flirting with you in her own weird way.

• The only way I see her not liking your attitude is if you're openly getting things dirty, like not cleaning the dishes when it's your turn or not bothering to throw the trash in the trash can, the only thing that she likes more than people with bad attitudes e keeping things clean so that's the only way you can really annoy her with your way of act.

• “Hey bad boy, I made you a gift, hehehhehe~”; “How… peculiar… What are those?”; “The mother bugs I killed on front of their children and turned into a necklace.”; “.... Riggghtt…”

𖤓Sir Pentious

• The first time he interacted with you was when he attacked the hotel trying to fight Alastor and you commented on how noisy and weak he looked so let's say he was not very pleased with you at first.

• He's still very annoyed with you at first when he started living at the hotel and would give you the silent treatment, or at least try, he's not very good at just ignoring your rude comments, especially if it is about his looks, you just find his hat funny.

• After you two, forced by Charlie and her exercises probably, started to know each other he would start to like you, you two would just be so extra together, he's a theater kid and you're chaotic neutral energy what could possibly go wrong?

• Definitely tries to act a little bit like you after you two start hanging out, be it by trying to act a little more rude and confident or by trying to use more modern slangs and expressions. You can appreciate the effort.

• “So, wasn't I simply the coolessst ever?”; “If you use the word ‘cringe’ again I'm hitting you on the head with a brick.”

𖤓Lucifer

•If his first impression of your headstrong and somewhat cocky attitude is when you're being rude to Alastor or just your simple existence making the Radio Demon annoyed, he'll already like you.

• He would be surprised at first while interacting with you on how much you just didn't care, you would talk to him like he was a long-term friend instead of the king of Hell that you just met a while ago, are all people on earth like that?

• You would have to be a little patience with him, because he would ask you tips on how to act around people, you're younger and came from a newer generation, he can learn one thing or two with you, especially about the right ways to say insults, you don't need him saying “I'm going to fuck you” again.

• You remind him of Charlie's emo phase, he will chuckle every time you do something that reminds of her smug attitude in that period of her life. Don't be offended if he calls you emo, that's the only word he knows to describe your personality.

• “You remind me of my daughter you know, there was a time she acted just like you, I kinda miss that time if I'm being honest.”; “Are you… complimenting me or insulting your daughter?”

#hazbin hotel #hazbin lucifer #lucifer morningstar #charlie morningstar #hazbin hotel lucifer #hazbin hotel x reader #lucifer x reader #charlie hazbin hotel #charlie x reader #hazbin alastor #alastor x reader #vaggie x reader #hazbin vaggie #hazbin angel dust #angel dust x reader #angel hazbin hotel #husker x reader #husker hazbin hotel #niffty hazbin hotel #niffty x reader #sir pentious x reader #sir pentious #hazbin hotel x you

[openconceptpanicroom]

IMAGINE BEING AN: American student at JJK

2006!Geto x fem!reader

2006!Gojo x fem!reader

Summary: Your first few months as an American at Tokyo Jujutsu High. Shoko is the best.

Note: fluff, hints of pining, flirting, culture clash antics.

Coming in as the new girl is never easy. Especially not when you’re in a completely different country with different social norms and rules.

Sure, your Japanese was passable, but you weren’t conversational yet. And there were so many rules to follow when speaking to someone. It was enough to make you mute for the first two weeks of school. Sometimes guys would approach you and you would get excited, thinking they were flirting with you… only to find out they wanted you to tutor them in English. Other students were nice enough to only talk about you behind your back. American bullies are way more straightforward. It was sorta refreshing to just be politely shunned as opposed to being loudly excluded like you were used to.

The first person to be nice to you was Ieiri Shoko. She was laidback, knew a surprising amount of English, and could see you needed a friend. She taught you better phrases to use in conversation, “So you won’t sound like a freakin’ textbook,” she’d say. You started hanging out with her outside of class too. Shoko knew good places to eat and spots in Tokyo that weren’t terribly crowded. The only problem(s) were those two guys she had hanging around her all the time.

Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru.

Those two were the superstars of the school. Two students who were guaranteed to be the strongest sorcerers alive once they graduated. Everyone adored them, except for a few sensible people. You would ask about them sometimes. Mainly things like: “Are they like, always like that?” or “How do you stay sane around them!?”

Geto was polite. You could say that much. Other than that, you found him very intimidating. This tall, lanky young sorcerer with piercing dark eyes and that mocking smirk. He had some, uh, interesting thoughts about America. Nothing you hadn’t heard before. Americans were lazy, arrogant, thought the world revolved around them. What irked you was when he said that American sorcerers “mix too much,” with ordinary folk. The day you caught him staring at you, you left class to “go to the bathroom,” and just didn’t come back. It took a long chat with Shoko to be convinced he wasn’t going to corner you in an alley and kill you. Geto would speak to you only in Japanese, and he would speak slowly. Like you were an idiot. The nicest thing he had said to you in those early days was a bit conceited. He’d complimented you by saying, “I’ve heard of your family. They’re a modest bloodline, I wouldn’t have assumed you came from them… they must be proud of you.”

Gojo was the most irritating. Surprisingly loud and cocky, totally unlike most of the boys you had met so far. And, unlike most boys, he would not stop pestering you about American pop-culture. He knew absolutely no English, except for dated quotes or catchphrases from movies. Sometimes he would shout your name just so he could say something corny like, “Stay golden, Ponyboy.” You were certain he was making fun of you. And, like Geto, you were very intimidated by the most powerful student in school.

He also had no concept of personal space and had made it his mission to get you to talk. Which meant a lot of him popping up out of nowhere and slinging an arm around you. There were a lot of jealous girls that assumed you were dating. All he wanted was to have bragging rights that he got you to talk. Needless to say, Gojo was devastated when he found out Shoko was talking to you outside of class. It had been a nice day, Shoko was going to meet up with you at a park to get sorbet and chat. Then Gojo found her.

“She talks to you? To you?!” Birds took off to the skies. An elderly woman shot him a dirty look, dropping her handful of birdseed before hobbling away.

Shoko took a drag of her cigarette, “Yup.”

Gojo flopped down onto the seat next her. She hoped he wouldn’t be too obnoxious, this was a public park “But I was supposed to be the one to break down her walls!”

“Maybe if you weren’t so pushy, she would talk to you,” she deadpanned.

They continued to bicker, with Gojo insisting he had been nothing but an excellent ambassador of good will and Shoko calling him an idiot. You had showed up to hang out with Shoko, only to freeze when you saw Gojo. Just as you tried to sneak off, you bumped into Geto. This casual hangout with Shoko had turned into a foursome and neither boy was letting you weasel out of it.

Thankfully, Shoko kept you calm enough to have a good time.

With how sheltered Gojo had been, there were aspects of his own culture that were novel to him. There were lots of movies and tv shows that were new to you both. Not to mention junk food. Gojo needed Shoko to help him translate certain things, but he was actually a fun guy. He kept you laughing most of the time. If only he would stop hugging you from behind like he was your boyfriend. Geto was quiet, trying to absorb the sound of your voice. Listening to how you pronounced words in English and Japanese. He would never say it out loud, but he found your interest in the temples and folklore to be cute. He did join Gojo in teasing you. Both boys tried to get you to call them by their first name. Insisting “No, no! It’s fine! No need to be formal. We’re all friends now, right?”

You took a swig of yuzu flavored cream soda and said in Japanese, “I know what first names mean here. We aren’t close enough for that, people at school would think we’re dating.” With a pout you added in English, “And no hot guy is worth getting torn to shreds by a jealous fan club.”

Geto only leaned down to you, smirking as he said, (in English) “Then you can call me Suguru… in private.”

You gagged on your drink. This was how you found out Geto Suguru knew five different languages fluently. Gojo begged Geto and Shoko to translate what was said. You just focused on calming down. What a lovely start to an awkward friendship.

#jjk imagines #jjk x reader #jjk #shoko ieiri #geto suguru #gojo satoru #geto x reader #gojo x reader #gojou satoru x reader #geto suguru x reader

[buckyarchives]

Day After Tomorrow

pairing: bucky barnes x sick!neighbor!reader

summary: enhanced hearing is both a blessing and a curse. eavesdropping, loud music, footsteps and when your sweet neighbor has been coughing her pretty head off all day.

author note: i’m sick and binging twilight so blame that for this being created.

w.c: 3.6k

The last time Bucky remembers living on his own was – well never. Romanian doesn't really count in his mind because he definitely was not mentally aware then, not himself, on autopilot, whatever you want to say. Even before hydra and before the army, it was him living under his mom's roof and then a small apartment with Steve before he got shipped off to sleep like sardines in camps.

Then we all know what happened next. Pretty much getting coddled by Captain America, on a leash by the government, or asleep in a cryo chamber in princess Shuri’s lab.

So when Bucky finally got snapped back, a pardon on behalf of Steve Rogers – before he quite literally abandoned him. Sam was there at least, Sam didn't make him feel shitty for not being the old Bucky because Sam first met him when he was literally trying to shoot him in the head. So you can only go up from here.

Sam helped him find an apartment, Brooklyn was the only requirement, and he delivered. They went to IKEA, which is amazing by the way. Bucky thinks it's the best thing to come from the continent of Europe. They bought the necessities, a couch, a bed (it's been 6 months and bucky still hasn't touched it but doesn’t matter), a coffee pot, and one plant. It was a succulent and apparently impossible to kill, Sam said it would liven up his apartment. But it was hard to do that when his curtains were always shut.

The best thing about the apartment complex was it was mostly filled with old people, Bucky got along with old people well. And they were all pretty quiet and nice. There were a few other college students that lived there. Bucky heard they were all medical students and probably picked the cheapest place to live close enough to campus. Their music was loud sometimes and they stayed up late but minded their business for the most part.

Then there was the girl across the hall. He only saw you a few times, the first time he thought you were one of those beautiful girls he'd see in the magazines they smuggled on camp. You left your apartment at the same time as Bucky did, you had a bag slung over your shoulder like you were going to work or school. Bucky watches you intently, Sam would probably call him creepy for staring, but Bucky couldn't shake the fact you were the most beautiful woman he's seen.

And as you turned and gave him a small pursed smile, Bucky tugged his sleeve down. A habit from his anxieties, also the paranoia that everyone knew. “You just moved in?” you asked him, Bucky wasn't expecting a conversation now. But that was part of being a functioning human, so he gulped down the lump in his throat and curled into himself. Making him as small and less intimidating as possible.

“Yeah.” Bucky nodded, god this was awkward but he couldn’t even fathom anything else to say to you. He was horrible at this.

But you were a godsend of a human and gave him the warmest smile, “I'm surprised more people haven't moved in since everyone came back. We’re you– uh, blipped? Is that what people are calling it?”

Bucky wanted to smile, but it just didn’t translate from his brain to his body and he was scared it would look creepy. “Yeah, I was blipped. Were you?”

“No, I wasn't. But I’m sorry that happened to you, if you need any help re-adjusting I’m right here.” you offered, gesturing to your door. Bucky sucked in a hard breath, it was weird being offered help. Weirder for a total stranger to pity him for what happened, if only you knew the full picture. It didn’t stop from pulling at his heartstrings as he stood absolutely dumbfounded in front of you.

You weren't scared off though, despite how utterly awkward and creepy Bucky felt standing in there, shifting on his feet and not responding. He had to rack his brain for the words of gratitude.

“Thank you.” he choked out, and you just fucking smiled again and Bucky felt like he was going to cry. “And I'm uh- I’m James, by the way.”

“Y/N, Don't be a stranger,” you said, before bidding him goodbye and waving him off as you disappeared down the stairs.

Bucky probably stood there for another minute or two just kicking himself for how horrible he was at talking to girls.

Bucky only saw you a few more times after that, some stuck out for than others.

It was way too late to be up, but Bucky was practically nocturnal at this point, a fucking vampire that winced when Sam barged into his apartment to pull back the blinds so he’d get an ounce of vitamin D.

Bucky had a basket of all blacks on his hip, the complex has a laundry room since none of the apartments had one. You would put money in a little machine and it would give coins you could only use on another machine, not to mention they got jammed half the time and stole your money. Bucky thought it was stupid.

He stopped dead in his tracks at the bottom of the stairs. The familiar head of hair threw clothes into the dryer and slotted the coins into the machine, they didn’t get jammed. Bucky tried to ignore your presence, maybe it would have been more polite to greet you.

Throwing his clothes in the machine and followed the usual routine, except Bucky heard the coins trickle down and get stuck. Fuck. Bucky pressed the button with his gloved hand, mostly out of frustration. Nothing happened.

“Hey, let me.” a soft voice spoke from behind him, a light pressure on his shoulder as you touched him. Bucky tensed at the touch, you didn't notice but Bucky moved away from you. “These old things barely work anymore, you just got to give them some tough love.”

Bucky just watched as you banged on the machine, if Bucky did this he might have broken it. He heard the metal clink down and you pushed the start cycle and it began to work just fine.

“That's easy, huh? Lost probably a total of 10 dollars and I just needed to punch it.”

You laughed and it felt like heaven in his chest, “you just have to outsmart the machine.” you snarked, lifting yourself onto one of the vacant machines and waiting for your cycle to be done. You wore a small shirt and a small pair of sleep shorts. Bucky felt hot by the amount of skin you were showing. Fuck, what was he? 16 again?

“I’ve had a lot of doing that recently.” Bucky said, almost murmuring to himself but you listened.

“I bet, catching up on what? 90 years of technology – must be hard,” you said so plainly like it didn't make Bucky’s head stop. Popping his head up with a panicked face.

You did know… and you didn't run. Weird.

“You know me?”

You swung your feet innocently, a small grin on your face as you pushed your hair away from your face. Cute. “James, I had to do a paper on the howling commandos in middle school.”

“Really?” he asked, genuinely surprised. He sometimes forgets he’s famous for other reasons than being a world-renowned assassin.

“Yeah, and I keep hearing the two girls that live down on floor 2 gossiping about you.”

Bucky’s face dropped. “Gossip, huh? Bad or good.”

Probably bad, it’s always bad.

You bit your cheek, wondering if you should lie and spare him the horrid memories. “Mostly they were devising a plan to get the falcon– caps number from you. They also think you look like James Dean.”

Bucky knew James Dean. Pop culture wise he started in the 50s, so he knew him enough.

“I think that's the best compliment I've ever gotten,” Bucky said, a slight quirk on his lips. You hadn't realized how blue his eyes were until you started to get trapped in them, only being ripped away when the ding of the machine made you flinch.

“Well, I’ll make sure to relay your gratitude,” you said, throwing the rest of your clothes into the hamper.

Bucky wanted so painfully for you to linger and wait till his cycle was done, to talk to him about your day so he could know more about the mysterious, beautiful girl across the hall. Maybe you could walk back together, Bucky would offer to carry your basket because he does still remember to be a gentleman.

Maybe Bucky was just grasping onto the thought of not being alone.

but you smiled at him so warmly, waved, and turned your back but god- he just wanted to keep you in place. to stay. He wasn’t sure what came over him but he felt empty when you left. so weird.

Bucky finished his laundry in silence and made sure to lightly (light for him) bang on the dryer after he put the coins in.

it surprisingly didn’t take long for you to run into him again, in the lobby. laundry room, again. the halls and weirdly, he saw you ordering an iced americano at the coffee shop across the street.

you two became… acquaintances. That's how Bucky would describe it.

Bucky was not a creep, or a stalker. He was just caring and very curious. it was also kinda unavoidable with his super soldier hearing, but he heard everything. He's pretty much got a pretty good idea of your music taste, always some indie or punk rock playing during the day, softer music during the night. He heard 40s music once and almost went feral trying to hold himself back from knocking on your door.

He heard the television when you watch shows, or when you get into heated conversations with people over the phone (those get very interesting at times). Bucky had heard you having a life crisis as you shoved all your furniture around at 2 am and decorated the walls. He also hears when you have people over, oh how shitty he felt with himself when he realized you had a boy - a date over. jealousy was a newer emotion, maybe it was even envy.

and now as the winter season rolls around and the city gets colder, Bucky sometimes forgot about people getting colds or head flu. serum and all. Recently, Bucky's heard nothing but sneezing and coughing from his next-door neighbor. He was worried, is that creepy?

So much so that he ran down to the local Thai place, and he went there often. They had really good food. Bucky passed the bright red and green lights for Christmas, the snow coated the ground and he gained a few odd looks from passersby at the little amount of clothing he wore.

Bucky Barnes had a plan, you knew he was… enhanced. So the whole hearing you thing wouldn’t be that creepy? maybe. Either way, he was going to “coincidentally bring home leftover food that he will oh-so-graciously let you have while he makes sure you're not dying of a head cold.” because he worries

his hand hovered over the wooden door, a moment contemplating if this was a bad idea. but before he knew it the echoed sound of knocking filled his ears and he heard you padding your feet toward him.

Yeah, you looked horrible. red nose, bedhead, and dark eyes m. you looked incredibly pale too, there looked to be no life in you.

“hey, James!” your voice was raspy but you tried to sound cheery and happy despite how much you felt like dying as you stood up. “what are you doing?”

“I’ve been hearing you cough your head off for the past day, and I brought home some leftovers for you. Can I come in?”

you looked utterly astonished. your eyes glanced up and down and back at the bag of food. Bucky noticed the way you were swaying on your feet and grasping at the door frame. you needed to sit down.

“uh, yeah. I just- I don't want to get you sick.” you worried, but still moved out of the way slightly for Bucky.

“Don’t worry, doll. perks of that serum.” Bucky chuckled, your face relaxed and you showed him to your kitchen.

“Oh, right.”

Bucky followed and set the plastic bag on the counter, going through and grabbing the two containers of soup. He noticed the photos stuck to the fridge, pictures of you with friends and smiling wildly. his heart warmed. Bucky also didn’t miss the messy couch, from the fleece blankets, stray tissues and glass of sprite. you’d been officially camping out there for the last few days.

“Do you want something? tea, water, alcohol if you're in the mood.” Bucky turned around to see you reaching on your tippy toes for the cups. He jumped to grab it out of your hands and push you away.

“Hey, you’re sick. go sit down.” Bucky said, you frowned slightly.

“I don't want to be rude,” you whine.

“you’re not rude, you're sick.” Bucky pressed his hands to your shoulder and sat you down on the island's barstool.

“The lady at the Thai place said this could help with a head cold.” Bucky explained, pushing the soup towards you. He found the silverware drawer on his third guess. “supposably it’s jacked up on chili peppers and ginger, so it’s spicy.”

your hand shakes slightly as you bring it to your lips, “mhmm, good. you try.”

“no, it’s for you.”

“James, grab a spoon and try it,” you state, sliding the bowl over to the brunette.

Reluctantly, Bucky takes another spoon and brings the liquid to his lips. you laugh loudly at his reaction, he winced as the soup goes down his throat. coughing wildly at the spice.

“It’s not that bad!”

Bucky speaks through coughs, “I don't like spice.”

“more like can’t handle it obviously.” you snark, snatching the bowl back from him.

“poor kids in the 40s didn’t have much more than salt and pepper, doll.” Bucky says as if it's the most obvious thing ever. but it was hard to remember when he still looked like an attractive 30-something-year-old. You chuckle under your breath.

“Well, it’s time to build up to your tolerance, Barnes.” you bring the spoon up to his lips, and Bucky flushes a light pink. he hopes - prays that you think it’s just from the chili pepper.

Bucky shakes his head, “I'm not a masochist, eat your food. I spend the army’s good money on that.”

you smile at the light jab, letting the liquid run down your throat. a satisfied hum leaves you, Bucky makes a mental note to get you the dish again.

Bucky let you eat in peace, finding his way around your kitchen after having to reject your offer second to host him, again. he found the tea bags and kettle and started boiling water, as his hand grasped around the handle to pour the water into a “Ohio is for lovers” cup Bucky was hit with a weird distant yet familiar feeling. the feeling of normalcy and comfort he’s so avoided for decades.

it was the closest thing to how he felt in Wakanda, but better. because he was a charity case in Wakanda, this was normal. in a small New York apartment, caring for a sick girl by feeding her Thai food.

Bucky had to snap himself out of it before you started to get creeped by him staring daggers into your tea. his eyes shot up to you, your hand massaging your shoulder with a twisted face.

“Are you okay?” Bucky asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine. just a knot in my shoulder from playing dead on the couch.” you laugh and wave it off, but bucky’s already rounding the island towards you. He motions to your right shoulder, tapping at your fingers where they dig into your skin. “oh no, it’s okay.”

“Just let me. I used to have to get the knots out of a young pre-serum Captain America once." Bucky says, digging his thumb into your shoulder. you instantly tense, Bucky lets off the pressure as you relax into him. slowly building it up. “Little punk had horrible posture, he’d sit on this bench in bridge park and just draw for hours while I did laps.”

Bucky laughs to himself in reference to the distant memory, he left out the part where he hid the fact he was exercising for the army — and hiding it from Steve. you smile warmly with him, “I can't imagine the shock of seeing your 5 '4 childhood best friends look like — like, uhh.”

“like Captain America?”

“yeah, like Captain America.”

Bucky hums, “well, I first saw him like that when he rescued me from the POW camp. was jacked up on hydra drugs and thought I was hallucinating,”

a soft mewl comes from your lips as Bucky gets his thumb around the knot in your shoulder, your head falls down onto his chest lightly and another moan leaves you. Bucky tugged at his bottom lip as he glanced down at you, gulping down his nerves and having to physically tear his eyes from you before he started to get the wrong idea.

too late though. you made a soft noise again and Bucky thought about what it would feel like to have you make more of these noises, but with Bucky's hands elsewhere. anywhere else.

“There, you got it. thank you.” you breathed a harsh breath and push away the half-empty soup.

“done?” Bucky pushed himself away from you.

“mhm.”

Bucky feels a weird sense of deja vu while taking care of you, it’s nice - deja vu - it means he remembers. remembers taking care of Steve like this. Bucky puts the dishes away, he’ll offer to clean them later. you're sipping at the tea he made, bucky's eyes glance to the living room. the television was paused in the middle of a movie, and your shoulder began to sag again.

“What movie were you watching?” Bucky asks.

“uhh,” you smile shyly, glancing from the screen to Bucky. “Twilight.”

Bucky furrows his eyebrows, showing no recognition of the name. Once again you forget you’re technically talking to a 100-year-old man that probably was too busy being brainwashed to watch Twilight at the peak of its fame.

“oh! it’s some stupid vampire-werewolf movie, it was really popular like 10-15 years ago. kind of iconic.” you laugh quietly.

“perfect. you need rest and I need to catch up on the 20th century, yeah?”

-

“Where the hell have you been, loca?” you whisper under your breath, laughing to yourself at the stupid line.

Your head lay comfortably on the armrest of your couch, Bucky sat across from you and was currently being used as a footrest. He took the position proudly and traced circles into your calves, you tried to ignore the blush and goosebumps on your skin when he did.

“do you know every line?”

“My niece was obsessed with these movies when she was little, every weekend we had to rewatch one of them.” you scoff, “so yeah, kind of.”

Bucky snorts, scrunching his face up when Jacob shrugs off his t-shirt. “Also, why doesn't Bella just get over Edward and get with Jacob?”

The only women Bucky has genuinely feared in his life were his mother, Steve’s mother, and Natasha. you were suddenly added to the list when your gaze turned to him, mouth gaped open lightly as you looked at Bucky as if you were going to kill him.

“Did I say something wrong?” he asks innocently.

“Please don’t tell me you’re team Jacob.”

“Team Jacob?” Bucky wears his confused face again.

“Team Jacob and Team Edward. Which one are you on?” your eyes shoot daggers at him as he scrambles for an answer.

“I think Jacob.”

you open your mouth wide to argue, explain that their entire relationship dynamic and why Bucky is wrong. but you don’t, you just give him a death glare and slowly gaze back to the television. “you’ll change your mind.”

Bucky smiles. He thinks you’re cute, too cute. “Okay, who would you date?”

without skipping a beat. “easy. Carlisle.”

“Really?”

“mhm, but Jacob with the long hair is really hot.” you smile, “shame he cut it.”

“So you like a guy with long hair?” Bucky teases, ready to exaggeratedly brush his hair behind his ears to tease you more. then remembering he cut it. shame.

“Maybe,” you smile. “didn’t you have long hair?”

“used to.”

you look at him intently, like you were imagining him with the grown-out brunette hair. other than the fleet pictures and videos you saw of him on the news back in 2014, when he wore a dark mask and even darker eye makeup.

you hum contently, like the image pleased you. “You should grow it out again.”

Bucky felt dizzy when his eyes met yours, he couldn’t pull away even if he tried. “maybe.”

nodding, you were content with that answer and gazed back to the screen. by the end of the movie you were dead and passed out and those plans to get him caught up on Twilight would have to resume later.

Bucky thought for a moment. If the first person he grows a normal, non-superhero, 21st-century relationship with was you. He'd be happy ending up here, not grief and trauma filled with Steve leaving and what hydra did. no — maybe, grateful even if it was just moments like this with you.

Gently, Bucky laid another fleece blanket over you and did your dishes, put away the leftovers, and turned the screen off. it was weirdly domestic, it warmed his chest.

if Bucky wanted to be hopeful for once, maybe he would try for something more than just neighbors or acquaintances.

-

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#bucky barnes #bucky barnes x reader #james bucky barnes #bucky x reader #marvel #marvel fanfiction #bucky fic #sebastian stan #bucky fluff #bucky x female reader

[skelliko]

I was wondering if u could do these headcannons? Baji and kazutora with a gf that has a more mellow personality, is soft-spoken (like reallllyyyyyy soft-spoken it's like she's almost whispering but when she needs to get stuff done she gets stuff DONE🗣️) and is almost never smiling, sort of like a resting face 24/7

Idk I think it's funny if u see a raging delinquent and next to him is his gf who looks and acts like she'd never hurt a fly

๑-context: soft spoken s/o

๑-featuring: kazutora, baji

°- Kazutora Hanemiya

• to other people he may seem hard to handle, a little too rough with sharp corners, and overall a handful. however that's far from the truth with you, you bring out the best of him due to your calm demeanor making him to be completely tame, kept in line and be the opposite of what others see in him. however not everyone knows of that side of him so comparing the two of you is an ongoing thing.

• he never knew he needed someone like you until now, and neither did anyone expect kazutora to get a girlfriend as cute and sweet as you are. it's like putting a tiger and a mouse next to each other. most were expecting a break up soon enough but that 'soon' hasn't happened nor do you both seem to show any signs which made people to surface up some false information

• you're always someone that he can go to for advice due to your sweet heart and overtime your positivity has grown onto him that he has tried to think the same way you do, but no matter how hard he tries there's always something else whispering in his ear that isn't you, leading to him needing your shoulder to lean on and give him those certain steps. sure he was quite hesitant on asking for help at the start but overtime he's overcame that and instead is now gotten into a habit of asking for help all the time.

• if it's not already obvious, you're a safe space for him. physically he gets tired easily when you two are relaxed together but that's not cause of him being bored but rather it's cause you give that warm comfort of security for him which makes him all eepy.

• when you're together he tends to keep his gang life separate with you, he tries to be more mannered and patient around you and doesn't do anything reckless even in public (even tho everyone manages to still get his temper up) the most he tends to do that gets you somewhat involved is when he's talking about his day that happens to includes his delinquency or if he gets an injury and you help patch him up, but other than that your out of the dangerous picture.

• he's noticed you not smile all that much and sure it sometimes makes him secretly question if you're getting bored of him which results him in being a little distant almost as if to protect himself from getting hurt by you, but that all quickly stops in the end when he remembers that even when you both first met you didn't seem to be full of smiles which then makes him to come back to you in an instant and lie about why be was absent, he didn't want to say the truth.

• but he tends to smile for you in your place. if you're sharing some good news then he'll smile on your behalf, when you're complimented by someone he also smiles and he even does a little look over at you, however after that look over at you he then looks at the person and his smile seems to be a little more intimidating than before, but we overlook that, it's the thought that counts.

• your voice is soooooothinnnng, soothing for him and whenever you're both cuddling he starts the most random, long winded conversation or asks you to talk about your recent fixation that way he gets to feel all at ease and his stressed out heart can finally have a feel of relaxation.

• when others found out about you and kazutora, they were a little intimidated to walk past you in case Kazu would take offence to that, and we know that bro can be ruthless over the smallest of things. they'll either ignore you and try their best to avoid you or try and be really nice to you but those don't last long.

°- Keisuke Baji

• with Baji I reckon it's a little different since with his close friends they know what Baji's like therefore they know he can be respectful and possibly be a good boyfriend for someone but it's mostly his other set of behaviours and decisions mixing with yours that get a little questions to surface up, such as how is it still compatible where We've got two complete different personalities?

• when people first saw you and him together they were all shocked, baffled even about how someone like you would want to go for someone like him, I mean are we talking about the Same Baji Keisuke here? the guy that punches random people just cause he's mad and set a car on fire once cause he was hungry? while you're over there next to him with the most sweetest demeanour that seems like you would feel bad about putting a stuffed animal back onto the shelf after you held it in your arms for a few seconds. but hey! opposites can attract.

• you tend to speak softly no matter who with, but Baji only ever has gentle eyes for you. it's obvious to compare how he looks at others with sharp and almost glaring eyes, but with you his eyes gain a certain light that makes them seem less intense. not to mention that Baji had no interest in dating in the first place but when you came around that clearly changed and thats tells everyone a lot about what kind of affect you have on him. you're pretty much like an angle that came down with light.

• he tends to sometimes tease you just to try and see if he can get you to smile, he's noticed how little you do and it's not exactly a bother to him but he still aims to see that smile of yours anyway. even if it means to raise your cheeks with his fingers if that's the only way you'd come close to smiling. though there were a few times when he saw you crack a small smile and Baji's heart stammered in excitement and shock from finally being able to see it.

• when you want stuff done, you certainly get it done. doesn't matter what it is, you don't even ask Baji for any help either and he ends up finding out in his own way. such as reorganizing your room, scooting your table on the other side or switching up your posters and lifting up some heavy stuff to move around, when Baji came over and saw the switch up along with hearing that you didn't get any help he was amazed. more than amazed actually, shows that you have a heck of a lot of determination and not one to be taken lightly.

• if you say something that he may have not heard he takes 2 or 3 seconds to process your words in his mind, that way he doesn't need to ask to repeat yourself but when he does ask you to repeat yourself he asks almost gently aware that you probably get asked to raise your voice a little on a daily basis

• when he does a delinquent act that he probably shouldn't have in front of you he tends to do a little toothy smirk knowing that you'd probably scold him for it afterwards, he can't help but find it amusing when you tell him off, but he also finds it adorable you speaking back to him.

• oh he's protective of you, not in an obsessive sort of way but just as an overall 'touch her and you die' sort of way, he's made sure that his gang members don't come near you so that there's no sort of potential danger for you. and if he finds out that someone has, then he makes sure that there was a good enough reason for that, and if not then a certain action would need to be taken place cause clearly they didn't understand the first time. but with Baji's close friends he's chill with them talking to you, just not too close.

• he's gentle with you as you are gentle with him but when it comes to departing hugs he always does a little tight squeeze at the end

 ♡---

#tokyo revengers #kazutora hanemiya #baji keisuke #kazutora #kazutora x reader #baji x reader #baji #baji keisuke x reader #kazutora hanemiya x reader #tokyo revengers kazutora #tokyo revengers baji #tokyo revengers x reader #tokyo revengers headcanons #kazutora headcanons #baji headcanons

[sinisteryanderescribe]

Hii i rlly like ur writing so could u write this?

Hanma and kazutora (seperate) with a gf that's also a valhalla member, but she's more to collecting info and pickpocketing certain things (a policemans walkie talkie to know if there are police near or something)

And she also attends meetings but keeps to herself most of the time. Also the other members are too scared to talk to her bc she always has a resting btch face, and most likely bc shes also the gf of their captains. But in reality if anyone were to talk to her she'd be the funniest and unhinged

A Soft touch in Valhalla

Charecters: Hanma Shuji / Kazutora hanemiya

Female reader

Genre: SFW, fluff, romance,

Warnings: slight possessive behaviour, mentions of trauma on kazutora’s side, slight explicit behaviour

Note : thank you so much dear! I hope this came out okey!

…………………………………………………………………………….

Hanma Shuji

Being in a dangerous gang for an average girl is very interesting indeed. Most would call you crazy for being involved in gang related activities but who knew you would find yourself dating the leader of one of the biggest and violent gangs in Tokyo Japan.

It was your boyfriend’s idea really, with his constant nagging for you to join him and be by his side, helping him with “collecting” some information or using your “gym stealth” to good use.

But really it was mostly an excuse to have you sit on his lap every meeting with a hand on your thigh to keep you from getting up no matter how much you complain to him about it. This man loves to tease and squeeze the flesh of your plump thighs.

ESPECIALLY if it’s in front of the members of his gang, it’s more of a sign of possession, warning them if they try anything funny, there will be consequences…..

It also may be another reason to show you off to kisaki, a mocking way of telling him how he “can’t get any bitches” but anyways he managed to convince kisaki to let you join. Much to his dismay Kisaki was pretty impressed by your performances.

You have a strong sense of humour, but you tend to show it in subtle ways. Hanma appreciates that you can understand him without words and has found it really easy to communicate with you. You two share a special connection, but also a quiet intensity that few others understand.

When it comes to your relationship with the other gang members, you keep most of them at arm's length. But that doesn't mean you aren't aware of their comings and goings. They definitely know they should be careful around you.

Seeing what happened to the last guy that disrespected you…..definitely taught them a lesson not to mess with anything that belongs to their leader. Yet again you still gave him some home made cookies and muffins after he apologised.

The members have a lot of respect for you. They may find your stoic exterior intimidating, but your strong and confident nature commanded respect. They know you're not someone to be crossed, but they also know that you're a valuable member of Valhalla. It sometimes upsets you how they see you as someone to fear (hanna might have something to do with it) but you try your best to use your baking as a way to make them less tense.

Hanma even reassured you of that.

"The rest of the gang members always know to watch their backs doll. You're skillful and the information you gather helps the gang stay a step ahead of their rivals ;your ability to steal important items has saved us many times. No need to worry doll face"

…………………………………………………………………………….

Kazutora Hanemiyu

It’s was quite a surprise to see Kazutora in a relationship due to his…past actions. Let alone have a girl be interested in him but some people would say they were glad. Since you would be able to control or calm him down whenever he’s on edge.

Despite the heavy demeanour you carry, you’re always open to have a nice conversation with the others, though it sometimes tends to be a challenge. (Your boyfriend’s piercing glares and menacing smiles whenever someone thinks to even come close to you doesn’t help either)

As Kazutora's girlfriend, you have developed a unique role within Valhalla. You are his trusted confidant and adviser; He shares private details about his plans and strategies with you.

He values your input. Your performances has made you a key member of the gang, and he relies on you for your advice and insights. While your responsibilities sometimes require you to keep a distance from him, you know that he will always be there when you need him.

You have developed a strong bond with both Kazutora. While you may often be overlooked, your place within Valhalla is irreplaceable.

Though life as a gang member may often be unpredictable and chaotic, one thing remains constant: your relationship with Kazutora. You have stood by each other's side through good times and bad, and have supported one another.

You have a deep and lasting bond with him knowing how his past often haunts him and gives him certain unpleasant episodes. So you always let him pull you closer whenever your around him.

Let him nuzzle your hair and neck, no matter how embarrassing it seems your sent and perfume relaxes his nerves. Also he always places small kisses on the flesh of your neck before meetings, (or rather if he’s feeling territorial he’ll bite down hard enough to leave a mark)

Kazutora's role and status within Valhalla have always made you an object of caution among the gang members. Whenever you attend meetings and gatherings, they tend to keep their distance from you. Some may even avoid eye contact with you completely, out of fear that you might lash out or react violently, given how your face is always stone cold.

Despite this cold and stoic look, you have always been friendly and welcoming whenever they approach you, and over time have built up a reputation for yourself as a welcoming and approachable figure within the gang.

However, while most of the members may be intimidated by your relationship with Kazutora, some might not. There might be those who try to form alliances with you and use your connection to Kazutora to their advantage.

Some members may not even notice you and think you're not there. Others might want to talk to you but are afraid to approach you. Overall, your relationship is a mixed bag of reactions within the gang. But regardless of the reactions, everyone knows not to mess with you, as you're someone who belongs to Kazutora.

Some cakes and snacks might change their perspective though so easing their minds with some heartwarming bakes and food would do the trick!

Look out for a jealous little kitty though…he might not like the attention you give to other men.

ESPECIALLY if it’s Hanma…

…………………………………………………………………………….

#tokyo revengers #tokyo revengers hanma #tokyo revengers kazutora #tokyo revengers x female reader #tokyo revengers x reader #hanma x reader #kazutora x reader #x reade #x fem reader #hanma shuji #kazutora hanemiya #tokyo rev #hanma Shuji x fem reader #kazutora hanemiya x fem reader #tokyorev kazutora #tokyorev hanma

[yanderes-galore]

Hello and happy birthday! I wanted to request romantic Mauga x healing Gn!reader.

Thank you and thank you! Here you go :) Me spilling more thoughts about the big man I love 💜

Genuinely hate that I'm the only one writing for him right now... I desire him.

Yandere! Mauga with Support/Medic! Darling

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Manipulation, Threats/Intimidation, Slight flirting, Isolation, Forced relationship, Suggestive line at the end.

I have a feeling it's a similar thing to Baptiste.

Mauga's the Tank, you're the Support, you're meant to keep him alive.

By default I feel this would make you a Talon medic, similar to Baptiste.

Except... while Baptiste managed to escape from Talon... you're unable to.

Mostly due to Mauga as you later find out.

Maybe you're in a similar boat as Baptiste, you originally joined Talon to help people completely unaware of the real intentions of the organization.

It's just mercenary work... right?

That or you have your own reasons.

As a medic and support you naturally end up seeing Mauga often.

He isn't going to get far as heavy assault without back up.

For this concept let's say you, Baptiste, and Mauga are a group of comrades in Talon.

You often help Mauga during and after fights.

While Baptiste and Mauga are good friends, you may begin to notice Mauga feels something different to his second support friend.

When it comes to you Mauga seems awfully... interested.

When you have him take off his heavy armor to attend to wounds, he often makes suggestive comments as you touch his skin.

Mauga also begins to prefer you to work on him as a medic.

Baptiste does his job fine, great even, but Mauga likes you alone.

In his eyes, Mauga doesn't think you have the killer instinct Baptiste does.

You really are just meant to heal and support, a useful unit in Talon other than outright damage.

To Mauga that means you're perfect for one another... in combat and other means.

Mauga is normally comfortable around Baptiste, yet he finds himself twitching when you speak with the combat medic for too long.

The obsession would continue to grow as you go on missions.

Some times you step out on missions, instead being paid to attend to wounded at base.

Mauga ends up meeting up with you still just to chat.

Sometimes you even catch wounds on him... which is odd.

A man like him isn't clumsy, did he do this on purpose just to be given your medical attention?

You try to push such thoughts from your mind but you have a feeling something is off with how Mauga feels around you.

That only escalates as you learn the truth of Talon along with Baptiste.

Baptiste expresses wishes to leave, he hates killing innocents.

You agree, the pay is nice... but the job wears on you.

As a result you help Baptiste escape and things play out like they did in his lore.

Mauga lets him go, Baptiste goes into hiding, and you continue work.

You yourself want to leave the organization too.

The issue?

Well... Mauga knows.

The heavy assault soldier only has more excuses to stick around you now as Baptiste is gone.

Plus, he knows you helped Baptiste leave.

He knows you want to leave too...

You're lucky Mauga likes you... he could've turned you into the boss... or killed you.

Mauga no doubt isn't going to let you ditch Talon like Baptiste.

You're his medic now, you're meant to support him.

You and him will be a new duo... not a trio... partners.

Part of him is a bit happy Baptiste left.

He was getting really tired of sharing.

You yourself can tell Mauga's catching onto your thoughts.

He never likes to leave you alone.

He even gets more pushy on you being more than his medic.

He admits casual comments, some threatening, some more... personal.

Mauga's plan is to make you feel like you need him as partners.

If you still feel like you want to leave Talon... well, Mauga isn't going to let you just walk out like Baptiste.

If he has to corner you... intimidate you... all just to make you stay?

He feels he'll convince you.

Just as you try to put together plans to leave and start a new life... Mauga's here to remind you where you belong.

You'll be cornered in your office, the heavily armored man blocking you in.

His grin is wide but his eyes read danger.

You struggle to explain yourself, he probably doesn't believe you anyways.

"Planning to leave your partner all alone?"

His voice is low... threatening.

"Maybe you need a reminder that you belong here... with me."

You can't leave past him... he essentially blocks the door with his size.

A true mountain of a man...

You wish you left earlier... or never joined at all.

"Now, help me get this armor off, won't you, doc? I don't plan on needing it."

#yandere overwatch #yandere mauga #yandere mauga malosi #yandere maugaloa malosi #yandere overwatch mauga

[pkshenanigans]

The S.I.M.P Gene

Pairing: Saiki Kusuo x Reader

Warning(s): Actually inheriting a dominant trait from his father righsldnsocsesssghhh~

A/N: Rewatching Saiki Kusuo with my sister and I don’t care about the risks, Kusuke is my husband. But this ain’t bout him.

Summary: Saiki is leagues away from resembling his father in any way, shape or form...Except...

——-

What a pain.

Of all the things to inherit from his father, why this? And why now?

He was having a hard enough time dealing with his classmates, you mean to tell me he had to worry about you, too?

No that he has any issue with you.

On the contrary, you were wonderful. Amazing, in fact.

He likes you.

And therein lies the problem.

Kusuo is very level-headed and he trusts his common sense.

Even though the world around him is… well… Not as level-headed and well-versed in the ways of common sense. 😅

So the realization that he is capable of having this… this unrestrained affection for you blindsided him.

Why is he doing your homework for you today when he is a firm believer in people taking responsibility for their own mistakes?! Oh well, it’s just this once.

He has no choice but to listen to other people’s problems, but why is he actively trying to help you with yours even though it’s going to be more trouble then he’s willing to deal with?! Oh well, it’s just this once. (It’s not)

Sigh. He can’t deny it. He likes you a little too much.

He likes how you aren’t afraid to say what’s on your mind, but at the same time you speak sense.

He likes that you have a good head on your shoulders. Every now and again you can’t help yourself with the Saiki gang, but the fact he can sometimes avoid being dragged into his classmates’ messes just by leaving with you whenever you don’t have time for it is quite refreshing.

He could actually trust you with knowing about his powers because you had a little secret of your own!

No, you weren’t a psychic too.

You had your own powers to keep under wraps.

He likes your laugh, unrestrained and full of feeling. It gets really embarrassing when you do it in public but when it’s just you and him, it’s fine if you let it rip!

——-

Can we talk about how he enjoys being seen with you by Teruhashi way more than he should?

Trying to ask him out in front of you as to intimidate and overshadow you, but at the same time she can’t let it look like a date because of appearances~

Kusuo is just done, and he’s not cool with Teruhashi snuffing you like that.

But you don’t even flinch. You were scared of no-one, and you better believe Saiki filled you in on what she was really like so you knew just how to deal with her.

“Hi Teruhashi, L/n here!” You wave your arm in a wide arc in front of Saiki, making your presence known.

“Given how nice you usually are, I’m sure you didn’t mean to pretend like I wasn’t here-“

‘She definitely did.’

‘Oh, I know.’

You slide over to Saiki, arms touching at the elbows. “-but Saiki’s taking me out this weekend…”

“Oh, r-really? If you don’t mind me asking, where are you going?”

At this, you waved her off. This girl really had it bad for Kusuo. Well, too bad, your plans come first. “It’s a secret~”

It drove PK’s perfect pretty girl nuts!

‘Seriously?! That girl’s been here a whole three months, there’s no way she hasn’t done some exploring on her own! She must be using her ‘new girl’ status to get close to Saiki! Saikiiiiii!!! You CAN’T think she’s prettier and more perfect than me, you just CAN’T!’

Kusuo didn’t know if he could say you were perfect, but he could say without hesitation he preferred looking at you over her. Also, considering that he liked you… a lot…

And he didn’t like Teruhashi… at all…

The comparison just couldn’t be made. Not without making a permanent enemy out of every man in the universe.

He was relieved that he didn’t have to go on another date with Teruhashi. He knew you were only baiting her because she had been rude, but he couldn’t ignore the pleasant humming his heart was doing when you revealed that you were also defending your plans together because you really wanted to spend time with him.

“Sorry, I may have made it seem like more than it was…”

‘No complaints here. I’d rather not go anywhere with her.’

——-

While he was alone one day, investigating these… *gulp* feelings… he ended up getting an unexpected unwanted phone call from his older brother.

At first, he was just gonna let the phone ring. He had more important things to worry about and his super villain brother was not one of them.

But Kusuo knew Kusuke wasn’t going to be snuffed that easily. He’d call the house phone next and his mother would make him talk to him or worse, he would show up in person.

He was better off taking this call and getting on with life.

And baybee! Somehow. Someway.

Kusuke called asking about you. 💀

Like, how sway? Kusuo didn’t say a thing about you, made certain not to alert his parents of your existence but he still found out!

“Silly, did you forget that I see everything? You’re slipping~”

Oh right. His brother spies on him whenever the mood strikes him.

Ugh. Pain.

Having his brother in his business was thee last thing he needed right now. But he may as well get a second opinion. So he spills a teensy bit of tea.

He admits his strong attraction to you, despite the two of you being just friends, and it’s not even in the way most high school boys are attracted to girls.

He suspects that, despite his better judgment, he might be letting you have your way a little too often, even when it doesn’t benefit him in the least to indulge you. To be fair, the amount wouldn’t look like much from a normal person’s perspective.

It’s just a huh-yuuuuge leap for Kusuo personally.

He doesn’t even pursue relationships, but you don’t push him to be one way or the other and it makes him want to reconsider.

And Kusuke, classic evil Kusuke, had to pipe up and say the worst thing ever.

“The answer is very simple, little bro. You’ve inherited dad’s simp gene, and the trait is surfacing for this L/n girl.”

……..The AUDACITY!

Kusuo hung up right in Kusuke’s face. He should have known better than to expect anything helpful from him. Not about this…

A simp, huh?

Laughable.

The idea was as impossible as it was ridiculous. Saiki Kusuo was many things. A simp he was not. He knew better than that.

And yet… The more he thought about it, the more similarities he found between the way his father talked about his mother and the way he felt about you.

He was not a simp, but every day spent with you, he felt as if he were slowly creeping towards something scarily close….

Ugh. NO!!!!

While most boys wanted to be just like their fathers, the thought that Kusuo actually might have inherited something, anything from his father, wasn’t a pleasant one.

And this was the worst possible trait he could have gotten. Well. Aside from the freaky skill of polishing $300 leather with one’s tongue but we’re not getting into that.

For a week straight Kusuo gave his father the cold shoulder. Every attempt at any father-son bonding was rebuffed and he refused to help him with his powers.

“I don’t get it Kusuo, why are you being like this! You’re even more surly and cold-hearted than usual!”

‘You cursed me with your incurable disease. I’ll never forgive you.’

“What are you talking about?!”

It took his mother, his grandmother, his friend group AND you to patch the bridge between the two of them.

Oh well, he’ll figure out how to deal with his feelings.

He’s Saiki Kusuo. Making the most messes was his unfortunate specialty.

#saiki no psi nan #saiki headcanons #kusuo saiki #saiki x reader #pkshenanigans #anime #saiki k #saiki kusuo x reader

[guywithn0name]

-Alphabet headcanons-

;Hobie Brown

Hobie Brown x any gender reader

Main masterlist

Spider-man: spider-verse Masterlist

Warnings: swearing

-‘A’ is for AFFECTION (how affectionate are they?)

Hobie’s an affectionate guy. His love language is definitely physical touch and acts of service in my opinion. He always has an arm wrapped around you or he’s holding your hand. No matter what it is, he’s always in physical contact with you in some way even if it’s small. He’ll also make sure you’re always alright and he’s definitely played some of your favourite songs for you on his guitar to show how much he cares for you.

-‘B’ is for BESTFRIEND (what are they like as a bestfriend?)

If I had to choose one word on how it is to be Hobie’s friend, it’d be chaotic. He definitely cares for you, but he’s always up to something dumb. No matter what you’re up to, he can be your partner in crime. Wanna steal something from a large company? He’s there. Wanna go to a concert? He’ll be there with you. Or wanna go into the city and support small businesses? He’s definitely there with you.

-‘C’ is for CUDDLES (how and do they like to cuddle?)

Hobie honestly loves cuddles. It doesn’t matter to him if he’s the big spoon or the little spoon. Just cuddle with him. Surprisingly tho, he doesn’t like cuddling in public tho. He likes cuddling in private because he finds it relaxing in his chaotic life. Hobie likes chaos but a moment of peace every now and then is like heaven to him.

-‘D’ is for DOMESTIC (if they settle down, how will they help?)

Hobie does the house work, sometimes. He’ll help you around the house but he ends up leaving his clothes and other punk items around the place. Hobie also can’t cook for his life honestly. So if neither of you can cook, you two aren’t gonna be doing too good. He probably does some house work while listening to loud music that makes the neighbours hate him, honestly.

-‘E’ is for ENDING (how would the break up go?)

It would definitely happen face to face. Hobie thinks breaking up over text or call is just plain rude. He would be pretty straight forward about it, so he wouldn’t beat around the bush with you about wanting to break up.

-‘F’ is for FIANCÉ (how do they feel about marriage)

Hobie wouldn’t wanna get married. He doesn’t believe in commitment and getting married would kinda contradict what he always says. But Hobie definitely wouldn’t go sleeping around with other people, he likes you enough to kind of stay ‘committed’ to you. Hobie doesn’t like to admit it but he’s definitely committed to you, but he’ll never admit that.

-‘G’ is for GENTLE (how gentle are they?)

He is genuinely a nice and gentle guy even tho he’s a punk. He always makes sure he doesn’t overstep your boundaries. He’ll try to get you out of your comfort zone from time to time but he’ll never be too pushy with things. If you ever want to try something different or new, you best bet that Hobie will be there to support you and help you with it.

-‘H’ is for HUGS (do they like hugs?)

Yes. Hobie loves hugs. He’s a huge sucker for physical touch. So expect hugs from him, along with other kinds of physical affection too.

-‘I’ is for I LOVE YOU (when do they say I love you for the first time?)

Hobie probably said ‘I love you’ for the first time when you two were just hanging out together at his flat. He was tuning his guitar and the words kind of just came out.

-‘J’ is for JEALOUSY (do they get easily jealous? And if they do, what will they do?)

Hobie doesn’t get easily jealous, but on the very very rare occasions that he does. He’ll put his hand on your waist or put an arm around your shoulder while glaring at the person very intently. Hobie also has a resting bitch face so it’s easy to intimidate someone when he wants to, with his height also coming into play.

-‘K’ is for KISSES (how often do they like to get or give kisses, and where?)

Hobie gives kisses a lot, and he loves receiving them along with giving them. His absolute favourite spot to kiss you is on your forehead, it’s an easy spot to kiss in his opinion. Hobie’s favourite spot to be kissed is on his lips, it could be a quick and sweet kiss or a long and passionate one. He’ll definitely love it.

-‘L’ is for LITTLE ONES (how are they with kids?)

He’s great with kids. Kids usually stare at him since his style is so different and new to them. If a kid asks to touch a piercing that’s on his face or wants to touch his spiky jacket, he’ll pretty much always accept. Hobie’s always gentle with kids and they’re just naturally drawn to him.

-‘M’ is for MORNINGS (how are mornings with them?)

Hobie hates waking up early, he tries to hold off getting out of bed for as long as he can. He’s super groggy for the first ten minutes of him being out bed, but after that he’s back to being himself.

-‘N’ is NIGHTS (how are nights with them?)

Hobie definitely has a whole hair routine. He uses all the essential oils and hair products, you can’t change my mind. He also definitely cares about his hair more than he’s willing to admit. He also 100% wears a bonnet when he goes to sleep, can’t change my mind. But other than that, it’s all pretty chill with the occasional shower before going to bed (he doesn’t shower every day, sorry to admit it)

-‘O’ is for OPEN (how open are they about themselves?)

Hobie’s not secretive but he also isn’t the most open person to strangers. But once he gets more comfortable with you he’s definitely one of the most open people ever, like he’ll say whatever comes to mind. Even if it’s the dumbest thing ever.

-‘P’ is for PATIENCE (how patient are they with you?)

Hobie is super patient with you. Don’t wanna talk about it? It’s alright, he’ll be there to keep you company in silence. Just wanna be alone? He’ll let you be and he’ll go so something else like play his guitar or do patch some of his clothes. He’s the most patient guy ever, seriously.

-‘Q’ is for QUIZZES (how much do they remember about you?)

Like any good British punk, he remembers what he can. Hobie’s memory isn’t the best but it’s still really. He does try to remember as much as he can, which is actually a lot. I can’t guarantee that he remembers every tiny detail, but he still remembers a lot.

-‘R’ is for REMEMBER (what’s their favourite moment in the relationship?)

Hobie’s favourite moment in y’all’s relationship was probably when you two went to a concert of one of his all time favourite bands. You wore punk clothes together and just had loads of fun at the concert.

-‘S’ is for SECURITY (how protective are they?)

Like with the jealousy one, Hobie isn’t that protective. As long as some creep doesn’t try to come and harass you, he’s otherwise pretty chill.

-‘T’ is for TRY (how much effort are they putting into the relationship, dates and ect?)

He doesn’t try too hard, but he’ll give you the occasional gift. (that’s totally not stolen) And if Hobie is feeling extra nice he’ll even go to some small business and buy something from there he’ll give to you in your anniversary or Valentine’s Day.

-‘U’ is for UGLY (what’s a bad habit of theirs?)

Since his universe is set in the 1960’s. His bad habit is probably smoking. Smoking was pretty common in the 1960’s so he probably does it too. Tho, Hobie does steal the cigarettes from stores. No way he pays for them. (except if it’s from a small business)

-‘V’ is for VANITY (how insecure are they?)

Hobie being insecure? Not a thing. The last thing he’ll ever be is insecure. He’s always super confident in himself and the things he does. Hobie isn’t one of those people who are over confident, but he’s the perfect mix of it.

-‘W’ is for WHOLE (do they feel whole without you?)

Hobie wouldn’t be incomplete without you, but he’d probably miss you depending on how much he cares for you and how close the two of you were.

-‘X’ is for XTRA (extra headcanon about them)

He’s definitely written songs about you, and he also plays them to you when you two hang out. If Hobie let you put a sticker on his guitar, that means he definitely cares about you. He sometimes leaves his things at your place as an ‘accident’ so he can come over to your place to see you and get it back.

-‘Y’ is for YUCK (what can they not stand?)

Hobie doesn’t like it when people disrespect other people’s styles, life styles or something else about someone. Tho, it does matter if that person is an absolute asshole.

-‘Z’ is for ZLEEP (how is to sleep with them?)

Except a heather hugging you while you two sleep. Hobie is a literal heather, so summers are not really an ideal time to cuddle with him while you sleep. Hobie is all over the place while he sleeps. He’s also big on cuddling while sleeping. So if it’s summer then you better expect to feel overheated while sleeping and cuddling with Hobie.

HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH :)

#hobie brown x male reader #hobie brown #spider punk #spiderman across the spiderverse #alphabet headcanons #alphabet #headcanon #earth 138 #hobie brown x reader #atsv #atsv hobie #x reader #x male reader #male reader #x gn reader #gn reader #reader #hobie brown x gender neutral reader #hobie brown x gn!reader #x gender neutral reader #gender neutral reader #spidervese #Hobie Brown 138

[shutit-haha]

Retired MafiaBakugo HC

Bakugo isn't that much older than you, he just acts like he is. His body aches sometimes, muscles spasming or clenching involuntarily. If he steps wrong his knee pops out of place and you've got to push it back in. There's bullet wounds you don't like to look at for too long since he only has them because of you.

Playfully you call him your old man, to which he responds one of two ways. On tired days: he'll sigh, hands reaching for you while he growls out an "I know."

On those days where he's feeling more like himself, he'll bark, face scrunching into a snarl. "I'm not old dammit! We're nearly the same fucking age!"

You especially like saying it while he's busy doing something. Like how he struggles bench pressing while snarling at you, or the one time he fucked up his measuring too busy arguing with you. You're just such a big distraction, can't think of anything else once you've gotten his attention.

Bakugo still acts like he's in the Mafia, he can't help it. You've tried to teach this old dog new tricks but he found his tricks transfer over real well. When ever new people come around he squares up and cracks his neck. He stares them down all scary and intimidating. He takes up as much space as possible when entering a room.

Your husband when not on the phone rest it on his crotch and inner thigh just like he used to with his gun.

He speaks to you without speaking to you. Blinks for just a second longer when he's about to lose his temper. You rush into conversations all polite and open-minded. Even though the conversations have moved from negotiations that could end in death, to "I'm surprised you do all the house work." Sometimes it just means you need to take a breath and let the argument end where it is.

He'll raise his pointer finger and beckon you closer with a curl from the end. He watches you carefully waiting for you to tap your finger twice as a signal to him. Though now it's only reserved for when you can't breathe while he's down your throat, he remembers it from when things would start to get unsafe. Your husband watches for that fake smile you give, flashing a single one of your fangs. You use it when you need to get out of places, this includes awkward conversations.

You've grown used to his paranoia. Checking the locks on the doors everytime he passes them. Keeping the garage key opposite to where the garage is. Occasionally he'll take a different route home just to see if that car was really following him. You learned not to get too attached to these houses after the third move, to which your husband promised was your last. True to his word you've lived stabile in this home just fine.

You've grown used to his nightmares, finger twitching in his sleep like it's still on the trigger. Groans that arch his back, and have him double over his stomach. He can still feel the searing pain that comes with the bullets. The ones that penetrate leave mark deep with his brain despite never coming close to his head. He only remembers them, because they're yours. Because the bullets were fired for you, shots that never hit but were supposed too. He was lucky enough to jump in the way in time, shooting out his rounds just moments before he was even hit.

Katsuki killed that bastard. There's no question about it. It was nice and slow, and he'd do it again.

#headcanon #katsuki bakugo x reader #katsuki bakugo x you #mafia au #retirement #bakugou katsuki #x reader #bnha #domestic fluff

[solomons-poison]

Taaarren ♥3♥ How bout Nanami + reading a book together? 🥺

Hi hi Venus!! 💜💜💜 sure I'd love to write that 🥰

♝: Reading a book together

Pairing: Nanami Kento x GN!reader

Nanami was well aware of the effect of his voice on others. His colleague, Gojo, claimed his voice was boring and stiff, too "corporate businessman" for his tastes. His students claimed he was too strict sounding, intimidating and a little cold, although they knew better just how caring he truly was of them.

However, and more importantly, to you, his voice was a source of comfort, strength, and oftentimes wisdom. It was an accident the first time you admitted this out loud to him, but ever since, you made sure to reassure him that you really did enjoy listening to him talk. Hearing his familiar cadence always helped to calm you down, make you feel whole and stable, having helped you before in moments of panic and worry.

Tonight, it was simply difficulty sleeping. It wasn't anything unusual, occurring typically when things have been busy and your mind has been working nonstop to solve problem after problem. You and your students had dealt with a particularly nasty curse in a factory that day, the product of unhappy workers in poor conditions for too long, and although the fight had ended on a positive note, your brain didn't seem to get the memo.

Nanami had already fallen asleep beside you, so you'd done your best not to toss and turn. But sleep simply wouldn't come. Eventually you slipped out of bed, careful not to wake him, and made your way towards your kitchen, hoping a warm drink would make you sleepy.

As you stood at the stove warming some milk and honey, you heard shuffling footsteps come down the hallway from behind. A pair of warm arms wound around your waist, and you felt a soft kiss get pressed to your shoulder.

"Having trouble sleeping?" Nanami asked, voice husky from just waking up.

You leaned back against him, enjoying his warmth.

"Yeah, just the usual," you replied, turning to reassure him with a smile. "I'm going to drink some milk and see if that helps. You can go back to bed."

Nanami looked down at the saucepan then back at you.

"Does drinking milk normally help?"

"Not really, but it's all we have, so I thought I'd give it a try," you said, shrugging.

Nanami seemed to think for a moment, letting you go so you could poor the milk into a mug, before speaking up.

"I have an idea."

Ten minutes later, you were both snuggled up on the couch together, nestled under a blanket as you sipped at your mug. Nanami held up a book to you, showing you the cover to see it was a collection of poems. You gave him a confused look, unsure what it meant.

"Sometimes reading makes people tired, so I thought I'd read you some poems," he explained, opening the book to a page already marked with a flag. The creases in the cover and bind told you this was a well-read book and you couldn't help but wonder just how often he read these poems.

"I'm not a little kid, Kento," you said, pouting.

He only smiled at that. "I didn't say you were. But you said you like my voice because it's calming for you, right?"

Although you'd told him so before, you couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed still, simply nodding in response.

"Then let's give it a try. At worse, it doesn't do anything and we'll have just spent our time reading some nice poetry. Okay?"

"... Alright."

"This one is called 'On the Lake'," he said, clearing his throat before continuing. "'When the crisp moon ventures out, // we'll climb into the little boat. // The waves will lap in gentle sets, // with breezes also joining us.'" ...

...

After a little, Nanami happened to glance over at you, wanting to gauge your interest in the poems. However, he was met by your peaceful sleeping face, mouth slightly open as your breaths were even and shallow. He couldn't help but smile, glad you see you at ease now. He pressed a soft kiss to your temple, before putting aside his book and settling in beneath the blanket with you, slipping into sweet dreams at your side.

#nanami x reader #nanami kento #jujutsu kaisen #jjk #jjk fluff #nanami fluff #the minx can write ✍️

[kvrokasaa]

He protects you

Ushijima X Reader

Friends to lovers if you squint.

Part 2

A party is a nice spot to relax and meet new people, sometimes. All week, you've had hard days. School made you slumped, and you had classes from 6 am to 5 pm, lots of homework, and barely any time to yourself. Honestly, you just wanted to lay down and watch your favorite show. But when your best friend begs you to come to a party, you have no choice but to go. It's not like you're going to go all out, maybe you did your hair, and maybe you put on a cute outfit. But it's not like you're wearing something so revealing that guys have to come up to you and bother you constantly. Even after saying no, multiple times, this guy won't get the memo and leave. You're so close to either ditching the party or slapping the guy.

"Come on, baby~ Let me take you out. I swear it'll be worth your time." Even his voice is disgusting. He's drunk and you know it, his speech is slurred and he's walking weird. "I said, I have a boyfriend. I'm not interested." Which wasn't a complete lie. Sure, you don't have a boyfriend, but you do know a few guys that won't hesitate to scare this guy off. Too bad you haven't seen them yet.

But wait, is that him? In the kitchen drinking out of a red solo cup? Yes. Your knight in shining armor. But before you can make it to the kitchen, the weird guy grabs your arm and pulls you back. "I don't like to ask twice." You snap your head back at him, about to raise your hand to slap this guy. But before you could do that, you hear his voice. "Let go of her. She said no."

Ushijima isn't one to come to parties. He doesn't like the loud music or the people. It's more of the people thing. Don't get him wrong, he likes his friends, and he sometimes likes socializing. But he doesn't like when girls latch themselves to his arm and try to pull him upstairs. He wouldn't have come to this party, in fact, he'd rather be at the gym practicing his spikes. But Tendou wouldn't stop begging him to come, more like peer pressuring him. And even though Ushijima said no multiple times, once he heard that you were coming, he was already out the door and down the street.

He didn't see you at first, mindlessly walking around, looking for you. But he spaced what he was doing once Tendou handed him a cup and told him to relax. And after a few sips, he felt calm, comfortable. That was the case until he heard your voice. He looked for where it was coming from but couldn't find anything.

"Hey, isn't that Y/n? And who's that guy with her?" A guy? Where? Are you talking to a guy, are you two close? "I said no. Leave me alone." He felt his nerves die down, relaxing when he heard you say no. But wait, is that guy bothering you? Ushijima looks to where Tendou is pointing and sees you looking around with a guy latched onto your arm. His eyes widen and he quickly puts down his cup and stalks over to you two.

Before Ushijima can even think of what he's doing, his arm is tightly wrapped around the other guy's arm. He can feel his blood boiling. Has this guy been harassing you? "Let go of her. She said no." Even Ushijima could feel the venom from his tone. The guy looks up at Ushijima and is immediately intimidated. He lets go of your arm and scurries away.

"Thank you! I was trying to get that guy away from me. He wouldn't get the hint." You smile up at Ushijima, blushing a little. He rubs the back of his neck and looks off to the side, "yeah, it was no problem." It's not like he'll admit he was jealous. "You're okay, right? He didn't hurt you anywhere?" Ushijima scowls at the part of your arm that the man was touching. You smile and reassure him, nothing happened. You were about to thank him, walk out of the party and go home, but Ushijima has other plans. He grabs your hand and leads you over to the kitchen were Tendou is. Tendou smiles at you and hands you a cup, which you respectively decline. "Sorry, I'm the designated driver for my friend. She's most likely drunk by now." Ushijima ushers Tendou closer and whispers that he's going to take you home.

After a while, you two finally make it to your apartment. "Thank you for taking me home. I really appreciate it." You're about to open his door, but before you could, Ushijima pulls your arm back and looks at you. And before he can make up his mind, listen to his conscious, he leans in and captures your lips into a kiss. You freeze, not knowing what to do. Of course, you like Ushijima, and of course you've wanted to kiss him for the longest time since high school. But this is out of character for him, you never thought he would make the first move, let alone that he likes you too. But, fuck it, you deserve this.

You kissed him back, your teeth colliding just a little, but that's what made it more passionate. "I don't want to see other men touch you." He whispers in the kiss. "You're mine."

I didn't know what to finish this with.... But I might do a pt 2 with nsfw

#ushijima wakatoshi #ushijima x reader #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu!! #haikyuu fluff #haikyū!!