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onlyjaeyun · 9 months

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𝐇𝐘𝐏𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐘

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐘𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄: 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐥𝐬

࿏ 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐒𝐢�� 𝐉𝐚𝐞𝐲𝐮𝐧 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

࿏ 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭!𝐀𝐔 (𝐡𝐞'𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫), 𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐬/𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬!𝐀𝐔

࿏ 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 𝟒.𝟐𝐤 (𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲)

࿏ 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 (𝐟.𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠), 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠

← 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 — 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 — 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 →

You shoot the elderly lady behind the counter a soft smile and thank her when she hands you the change, her gentle eyes constantly roaming your face before her gaze meets your boyfriend's, who's been rather silent since the two of you had left the restaurant about fifteen minutes ago.

"What a beautiful couple you are", she says and chuckles when the two of you grow flustered from her compliment, Jake smiling brightly and placing a soft kiss on your temple to hide the blush on his cheeks.

"Thank you, ma'am", you quickly reply, tightening your hold on your boyfriend's arm.

"I think I know you two, your faces seem so familiar", the old woman mumbles and all you can do is nod in response, since the two of you have been visiting her little supermarket whenever you passed it on your way back from your little dates.

"Oh, you two are the young parents, aren't you?" Her sudden excitement shoots jolts of warmth into your chest as soon as your brain realises, what or better said, who people have come to associate you with and you simply can't help but smile in response.

Jake lets out a soft chuckle and nods, letting go of your hand to place it on your lower back before he speaks up.

"Yes, we are", he says simply, "we're raising my younger brother together." And again, when you decided to befriend the neighboring brother's almost nine months ago, you never thought it'd come to the point where the older could state something so confidently, yet now you feel absolutely pride and joy fill your veins just hearing him say it out loud.

The old woman raises her brows, her eyes still as soft, yet impressed and you smile when you notice the glimps of pride in her expression.

"I hope you guys know how amazing you are", she says and hands you a little chocolate bar with a big smile, "a little something for your handsome boy at home. Take care you two and have a good night."

Jake is quick to reach for the present, bowing slightly to show his appreciation as he thanks her again and you both leave after saying goodbyes.

For a few moments, neither one of you says anything and just as usual, it doesn't bother you at all. You enjoy the soft breeze meeting your warm skin, listening to mother nature's melodies as you make your way down the street with your lover in your hand.

The dinner was just as calm and quiet, soft glances and little chuckles the only thing you two exchanged in between stories and despite bursting into loud laughter every now and then, either one of you has been rather reserved.

You're pretty sure Jake is aware of your knowledge regarding the previous night and still, you've decided to hold back on it until the right moment.

Just like your boyfriend.

He's been patiently waiting for said moment his best friends kept talking about on the phone, yet for some reason it seems to take ages. Jaeyun was convinced he'd have plenty of romantic opportunities at the restaurant, but for some reason you both lost yourself in one story after the other and before he could even realise it, he found himself paying the bill with your pretty eyes in his back, waiting for him at the door.

It's not like he's given up yet, he just genuinely hopes for it to happen before he unintentionally makes things awkward, which is actually quite difficult since the both of you have reached a point of absolute comfort in each other's presence but it doesn't make the thought any less prominent.

Jake has been thinking about how to confess his love to you directly for the past few weeks, the worries and doubts eating him up to the point where he simply couldn't fall asleep despite having you so close to him. That's why he started whispering a sweet little love confession into your ear every single night you've fallen asleep in his arms, basically finding a way to somehow make it easier for him. However, now he can't help but regret taking away something so special and unique from you.

But Jake is determined to make the best of it, the way he usually does, which is why he's quite hopeful, up until you two approach the door to your shared apartment building and he can't help but sigh as you get closer and closer.

"What's wrong, baby?" Your voice is calm and filled with genuine worry, making his heart beat faster in his chest as he shakes his head and decides to just do something very sweet and intimate once the two of you get to your place just as you had planned.

But as Jaeyun's lost in his thoughts and you're trying to figure out why his mood has suddenly shifted, you suddenly find yourself watching your boyfriend trip over a stray cat which had decided to run for its life. Before you can even react and reach for him, Jake's knees have met the hard concrete of the street as he manages to use his hands to stop his face from following them with a loud groan.

"Oh, goodness!" The suddenness as well as the fast pace of the whole scenario unfolding elicits a loud shriek from you and all of a sudden you're thrown back exactly nine months and three days to the day you ran into the Sim brothers for the first time. The day Jaeyun had tripped and fallen in front of you for the first time.

And as you stare at your boyfriend on his hands and knees, his head hanging in between his arms, you can't help the little chuckle bubbling from your throat which then turns into a full on snort before you throw your head back and finally burst into laughter.

Jake doesn't say anything and for a short moment you're genuinely worried he might have gotten hurt, only for him to join you as he shakes his head and straightens himself to be on his knees, his face tinted in a deep shade of red, eyes teary from laughing so hard and his pretty lips stretched into the biggest smile you've seen today.

"I can't fucking believe it", he sighs and looks up at you with his puppy eyes widened in shock and disbelief, "I fell to your feet...again."

All you can do is nod since you have yet to stop laughing at the sight of him, before you finally calm yourself down adn reach for his handsome face, bending down to place a soft kiss on his forehead.

And as your lips graze his hot skin, Jake feels this familiar jolt of warmth spreading through his chest, the one he's felt the day he finally had finally given his feelings for you a name.

Maybe that's why the young parent doesn't give his usually so anxious thoughts the chance to ruin this one, as he wraps his hands around your delicate wrists, taking your hands into his before he places a bunch of soft kisses on your cold knuckles.

"I'm in love with you."

The words leave his lips the second they race through his head and for the first time in probably ever, Jake is grateful for the lack of connection between his heart and his brain.

However, the fact he just went for it doesn't necessarily make the heaviness of uncertainty on his chest any lighter, so all he can do is pull his bottom lip in between his teeth and pray for your reaction to be anything but rejection.

"I'm in love with you, too, Sim Jaeyun", your response is soft and genuine, a repetition of his words, yet everything he could have dreamed of.

Your heart is brutally hammering against your chest, the adrenaline mixing with excitement and nervousness in your system as you try your best not to lose your composure any further only to throw your arms around your boyfriend's neck with a loud chuckle of relief.

The following minutes are nothing but a blur.

You have absolutely no idea how either one of you manages to unlock the door, the only thing your cloudy mind processes is the feeling of Jake's perfect mouth capturing yours in a way only he's capable of. His kisses are messy and sloppy, needy and filled with a hunger you've never experienced before and for the first time in your life you can barely get yourself to breathe as the arousal takes over every bit of your body.

Jake doesn't miss a beat as the doors of the elevator close, his big hands roaming your body and groping every bit of flesh they can find, his mouth moving from your lips to your neck, leaving soft kisses all the way down to your cleavage.

"I need you", he whispers as soon as he lifts his head and nudges your nose with his, plump lips swollen und red from the abuse of your teeth and without hesitation you start nodding, already too far gone to even think of a proper sentence.

By the time you two finally make it to your living room, Jake has already gotten rid of his sweater and the feeling of his hot skin underneath your fingertips is driving you absolutely insane. He doesn't give you the time to appreciate his toned torso, his big hands nervously pulling your top over your head, his eyes widening as soon as they're exposed to the sight of your new bra.

"Fuck, Baby", he grunts and shamelessly adjusts his hard cock in his pants, only to push the fabric of your lingerie just far down enough for him to finally take your pretty nipple into his mouth.

The sudden heat around the sensitive nub has your eyes rolling into the back of your head and with a loud gasp you push your hands into his thick hair and pull on the strands, eliciting a deep moan from your boyfriend in response.

The moment Jake pushes you onto your bed, he yet again, but this time intentionally, drops to his knees to be on eye level with your pretty cunt after throwing your little skirt to the side.

"Wanna eat this pretty pussy", his words are a statement, not a question, but you still nod and throw your head back with a soft moan the second his face finds home in your clothed cunt.

"Look at how wet you are, pretty girl", Jake grunts and pulls away to place a row of open mouthed kisses on your inner thighs, his finger gently grazing the little spot in your panties before he looks up with his pretty puppy eyes dripping in absolute hunger.

"Jae-", you whimper and pull his head closer to where you need him the most, your cunt clenching desperately as the anticipation becomes too much for your sensitive body. Every single spot he touches and kisses feels like its on fire and by the time he finally pulls your panties down your legs, you feel your juices find their way onto your sheets and a wave of embarrassment hits you.

Nobody has ever seen you in such a vulnerable stage but to think of Jake, your first and only love, to be the one definitely eases your nerves.

"Don't", Jaeyun suddenly grunts and pushes your legs apart, placing your thighs on his broad shoulder before he makes himself a home in your crotch, his face just close enough for your cunt to tighten at the feeling of his hot breath fanning against the soaked flesh.

"Don't you dare hide yourself from me, angel." And those are his last words before he wraps those sinful lips around your sensitive clit, sucking the bundle of nerves into his mouth to silence your response and elicit another row of breathy whimpers from your throat.

At this point you should have gotten used to the feeling of Jaeyun eating you out, since it's quickly become his absolute favorite way of making you cum ever since the first time all those weeks ago, yet the sensation of his tongue lapping up every drop of your juices and the lewd slurping sounds filling the empty space of your bedroom remains as overwhelming as it did the first time.

For a short moment, Jake doesn't even pay attention to your body's reactions, his whole brain captivated by the taste of your pretty cunt coating his tastebuds, the feeling of your cute clit in his mouth and the way your wet hole keeps clenching around his tongue as he gently fucks you with it just how he knows you like it.

After spending so much time with his head buried in between your legs, Jaeyun has managed to figure out the quickest way to make you fall apart, but tonight he's decided to take his time. Despite his current state of intoxication, he's very well aware of the direction this night is going and how the following acts might not be as pleasuring for you as it definitely will be for him.

"Baby", Jake grunts into your cunt, his voice deep and hoarse as his fingers dig into the soft flesh of your thighs, his tongue never once losing the close proximity to your hit flesh as he lifts his head and looks at you through hooded eyes.

You can feel his gaze linger on your face, yet you're too lost in the sweet haze of your pleasure to respond to his words.

"Hey", he suddenly hisses, followed by a quick yet haesh bite into your inner thigh, which has you even more lightheaded than before, but manages to catch the attention of your fuzzy brain, "eyes on me, yeah? Want you to look at me when I make you cum all over my face."

You physically can't get yourself to form a proper response. All you can do is whimper and nod, a row of begs and pleas falling past your swollen lips.

"S-So good", you whisper and finally meet his gaze, your body overwhelmed with pleasure and the need to finally reach the high he's been pushing you towards for who knows how long.

"Go ahead, Baby", Jake mumbles and pushes a his finger into your tight hole, curling it up to hit a spot you've come to love ever since he's first gotten a taste of you, "be good for me and cum all over my tomgue, pretty girl. Make me proud."

And those words are enough to make your eyes roll back as you arch your back to push yourself against his mouth, a loud moan echoeing through your bedroom as the feeling of a second digit joining the first one darkens your vision.

Jake continues to mumble lewd words of appreciation and praise against your cunt, your clit firmly tugged in between those plump lips as he thrusts his fingers deeper and deeper inside of you, but at this point there's absolutely no way for your brain to even think about hearing him.

"Cum for me, pretty girl", are the last words to reach you and as soon as his command makes its way ghrough the cloud in your head, you feel the coil in your core snap and your whole body tense up as you stumble over the edge with your head first.

Your high breaks down on your like a huge wave, the feeling of release making your head fall back into the pillow as nothing but his name falls past your lips.

You have absolutely no idea how long you're cumming, the lack of touch the thing to pull you back to reality, only to open your eyes and meet the gaze of your lover.

"Hey, there", Jake chuckles and licks his lips, his eyes never once leaving yours as he swallows the last drops of your cum on his tongue, "hi."

"Sim Jaeyun", you breathe and bury your face in his neck, your whole body sensitive from your intense high, "that was so fucking good."

Jake doesn't say anything, just chuckles softly and places his soft lips on yours, capturing them in a gentle kiss before he calmly pushes his tongue into your mouth and gives you a taste of yourself, something the both of you have become obsessed with.

However, your attention is quickly shifted to the feeling of his throbbing cock pressing against your sensitive cunt, the head leaking precum and staining your skin as he rubs himself against you.

"Baby." Jake pulls away with worry wavering in his voice and all of a sudden you notice the hesitation in his eyes.

"Are you sure? Do we – Are we ready?"

Are you?

The question seems so simple, almost blatant. But those fee words of reassurance carry so much weight, you actually find yourself gasping for air.

However, the nervousness and uncertainty of this whole new experience doesn't change the way you genuinely feel.

So without missing another beat, you nod.

You attentively watch the way your boyfriend reaches for the lube in your nightstand, the one he made sure to purchase before shyly handing it to you without a word because he didn't want to seem to eager or pushy, only to let out a sigh of relief when all you did was thank him before putting it away.

As soon as he wraps his pretty finger around his thick cock, you can actually feel your juices dripping out of you and if it wasn't for the sudden call of your name, you would have physically cringed.

"No, angel girl, I want you to say it. I need to hear it", Jake mumbles and kisses your forehead, reaching down to wrap his hand around his cock as he looks at you, lining himself up with your tight hole, refusing to push in just yet.

"I'm ready, Jaeyun", you whisper and try to ease the tension in your muscles, your lips grazing his with every word, "I want you so bad. I need you."

And before you can add anything else, you feel the way Jake slowly pushes the tip of his length into your tightening hole, the stretch unfamiliar yet bearable.

"F-Fuck, you're tight", your boyfriend presses through gritted teeth, his fingers digging into the flesh of your waist, only for him to reach for yours and intertwine your fingers, carefully placing them next to your head to steady himself.

The gesture is sweet, genuine and so full of love, you can't help but tear up once your brain manages to realise that waiting all this time has turned out to be worth it.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong? Does it hurt? Am I hurting you, pretty girl? Do you want me to pull out? Talk to me, come on. Use those big girl words for me, will you?"

Cold shivers run down his spine the second he spots the tears running down your temples and all of a sudden the world comes to a stop. He's only pushed about half of his length inside of you but as good as the tightness of your cunt feels around his throbbing cock, he knows the pain of the stretch is probably overwhelming.

Worry and guilt make their way into his chest, his heart aching at the thought of being the reason for your pain and not a single bit of his pleasure matters right now.

"No, Baby, keep going", you whisper and kiss him softly, carefully moving your hips to wordlessly encourage him to give you more of himself, but Jake can't help but remain hesitant.

"I'm hurting you", he whispers and hates how his voice breaks at the end of his short sentence, tears blurring his vision, "I'm pulling out."

But you don't give him the chance to, shaking your head and softly begging for him to just please keep going.

"It's just – I love you so much", you finally explain and as his brain processes your words, a wave of relief washes over your boyfriend and you can actully see the way he physically releases the tension in his shoulders.

"I love you, too, angel girl", he whispers and swallows his own tears, pushing his cock just a little deeper into your greedy cunt and if it wasn't for the intimacy of the moment, Jake would have lost himself in the feeling of your warm walls hugging his length in a way he could have never prepared himself for.

"My everything, my only love."

You don't know if it's the adrenaline rushing through your veins or your body trying to distract you from the pain of the stretch, yet those sweet words are enough for you to choke out a soft sob, only for Jake to swallow them all as he presses his lips against your and pushes himself even deeper inside of you.

"Almost there, pretty girl", he whispers and grazes your jawline with his nose, still holding onto your hands like he's too afraid you might slip away if he didn't hold you tight enough.

It doesn't take Jake too long to bottom out, your cunt desperately spasming around his cock and he genuinely hates the way he's so close to cumming already. But who could blame him, right? With every little drag along your spongy walls, he feels his breath hitch in his throat from how fucking good you feel. Nothing could have ever prepared him for this.

"I'm s-so close, Baby", he finally admits and lifts his hesd to meet your gaze, only to realise how excitement seems to be the only thing lingering in the pretty colour of your eyes.

"Go ahead, pretty boy", you whisper and gulp harshly when you feel him twitch inside of you, "cum inside of me. Want you to make me yours. Please."

A soft whimper follows your words and as Jake lets his eyes roam your pretty face, he knows there's absolutely no going back from here. He's a complete goner for you and you only.

He barely manages to pull himself out and thrust back inside of you when he feels the familiar sensation of his high climbing up his spine overwhelms him and the second you push your hesd up to capture his lips in a hungry kiss, Jake physically can't hold back any longer.

He lets out a row of deep grunts, hoarse moans and profanities as he cums inside of you with three thick spurts, his cum painting the inside of your cunt in the sweetest shades of white as his relief knocks the air out of his lungs.

You don't really know how much time it takes for you both to catch your breaths, the silence comforting and easy, taking away the tension in the air as you both calm down and soak in the aftermath.

Jake slowly lifts his head from the crook of your neck, his eyes glossy, cheeks tinted in the sweetest shades of pink and his dark hair messily sticks to his sweaty forehead.

And to you, he's never looked prettier.

Neither one of you says anything, nervous gazes roaming the other's face and trying to take in this special sight as best as you can, only for you both to burst into little giggles once the clouds of pleasure disappear completely.

"We did it", you chuckle and push his hair back, not even trying to suppress the urge to touch him, despite him still being inside of you.

"We actually fucking did it", Jake laughs and starts to pull out slowly, both of you cringing at the feeling of his cum dripping out of your sensitive cunt, "and it was better than anything I could have ever imagine."

"Mhm", you whisper and wrap your arms around his shoulders, just for Jake to bury his face in your chest as he lowers himself next to you on the bed, not wanting to put any pressure on your sensitive body.

"We're actually not virgins anymore." Jake lets out a deep chuckle at your words and nods enthusiastically.

"Fuck yeah", he says and lifts his fist, only to laugh even harder when you quickly bump yours against it while repeating his exclamation of excitement.

That night Jake doesn't let you lift another finger, lips pushed into a pout and brows furrowed as he scolds you for trying to get up on your own when he's made it clear he wanted you to wait for him to help you.

After a nice long bath, lots of kisses and exchanges of love confessions, you fall asleep with his heartbeat in your ear, his arm around your shoulders and his soft lips pressed against your forehead and for the first time in your life there's not a single worry or doubt in your head as you finally drift off to sleep.

(A/N: And here we go, no more virgin jakeyn LMAO 💀 but honestly don't mind me bc im laughing through the pain. ONLY ONE MORE CHAP LEFT UNTIL THE EPILOGUE IM ABOUT TO GO INSANE 😭 but thank you so much for all the love and support, you guys are the best. feedback and reblogs are appreciated babies!🧸🎀)

Taglist: @writingmochi @raikea10 @moonlighthoon @ajayke-reads @bldelaine @rikisly @enhaz1 @ineedsomezzz @ikeu4life @theskzvibe @kpoprhia @jayzdaze @a-l-i-y-a @catnoirsbitch05 @thekinkpopstandsforkrackheads @end0rchans @ddazed-lhs @sunflowerbebe07 @heeverseblog @voidbeomgyu @heerinnie @vanillabeanwaffle @mimikittysblog @l0vee-l3tters @teawithbucky @fluerz @spilled-coffee-cup @3amstarlight @jungwon-xo @smg-valeria @elicheel @bobariki @beomgyusonlywife @sumarchived @aeminju @sprngfeverr @tya0 @tyunnie-gyuu @jungkkoo @s00buwu

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#enhypen social media au #enhypen smut #jake sim x reader #jake sim smut #enhypen x reader #enhypen writers #jake sim smau #sim jaeyun x reader

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jeannineee · 9 months

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Umbra et Ventus (Ⅲ)

Azriel x Reader

a/n: part 1 here. part 2 found here.

warnings: canon-typical themes, allusions to PTSD. Descriptions of blood, gore, violence. Reader was enslaved on the Continent, so there’ll be some description of that in this part.

requests are open, for headcanons or short blurbs/drabbles! Love you guys!!

“Focus, girl,” Amren hissed at you for the hundredth time. Part of you wished that your so-called power actually existed, if only to throw her ass over the nearest cliff.

The two of you had been at it all morning. You sat on the hardwood floor in the living room of the House of Wind. Amren stood across from you, repeating the same words: Focus. Breathe. Feel.

So you tried. You remained on your knees, palms upturned, eyes shut. You centered yourself, breathing slowly, steadily. Each attempt led you to a desolate part of yourself. A hollow space in your soul, long since forgotten.

And in that space, there was a kernel. A small, silvery flicker. But each time you reached for it, it strayed further. Just out of reach.

Scowling, you stood, bracing your hands on your hips. “What is the point of this?” You said to Amren. “You’ve known me for all of three days. You are second in command of the Night Court, and I am a nobody refugee. What is the point? Why me?”

Amren stared at first. Her gaze was almost terrifying, but you did not balk. Did not waver as you asked again, “What is the point?”

“The point, girl,” Amren began as she stood in front of you. “Is that your power is unlike anything I have sensed in my fifteen thousand years.”

You had to fight the urge to let your jaw drop to the ground. Fifteen thousand years.

Amren continued, “And I do not think it is mere coincidence that emissaries from the Continent show up, requesting the refugees be returned to them only days after you show up in Velaris.”

‘Them.’ Their masters. Their owners.

Your heart fell to your stomach. How had you not heard about this? You’d been in Velaris for almost two months, and yet—Madja. She’d kept this from you. To keep you from breaking any further.

You had the vague sense that Amren was speaking to you. But you couldn’t hear. Couldn’t think beyond the roaring in your head. Hundreds of half-fae and humans alike have sought refuge in Velaris. They fought and bled for their freedom, only for it to potentially be stripped away again?

Images flooded your mind, from your time spent in the slave camps of Vallahan. Half-fae and humans of all ages, broken and abused. The Overseers; faces full of wrath and disgust and hatred.

Your ears rang with the cracking of whips. The screams of the dying. Your own screams, as you were chained to that post and beaten and—

“Y/n.”

You remembered the smell of blood. The smell of rotting flesh, as your dead kin laid in the sun for days before being put into unmarked graves.

“Y/n.”

You snapped back into reality, knees almost buckling at what you saw. The room looked as though someone had ripped it apart. Now-tattered books, strewn across the floor, wooden shelves and tables in splinters.

Amren, who you were almost certain never showed any surprise, was wide-eyed as she observed you. Upon meeting your eyes, she said, “That’s one way to do it.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Wind and lightning. Though you saw none of it, felt none of it. But Amren swore it surrounded you in those moments, as your mind took you to places you never wanted to be again.

Sometimes, emotion can drive one’s power, Amren had said. We’ll learn to draw it out without it.

When you demanded an explanation as to what Rhysand and his Inner Circle planned on doing in regards to the emissaries from the Continent, Amren merely invited you to the next meeting. Which wouldn’t be for another week.

In the hours after you left, you’d tried over and over again to summon your power. You failed, miserably. So, you spent the rest of your evening at the Infirmary.

At least you were good for something.

Madja left you to your own devices, allowing you to tend to several patients—faerie and human alike; most of whom needed minor fixes. Fevers, muscle pain, nausea.

You worked and worked until the events of that morning were an afterthought. Until all you had to worry about was tending to each patient, and their needs.

Just one more patient for the evening, and then you could—

“Hello,” the spymaster of the Night Court greeted with a smile. He looked tired, more than what he usually seemed. Exhausted, even.

“Azriel. Are you alright?” You internally scolded yourself as the question came out. Obviously he wasn’t, if he was at the Infirmary.

Azriel smiled again. “I’m fine. I’ve been having headaches.”

“For how long?”

Azriel chuckled. “Centuries.”

“And you’re just now choosing to be treated for them?”

“They were manageable, before.”

“How long ago did they begin worsening?”

“About two months ago.” Azriel explained everything to you: the frequency of the headaches, the location, pain levels.

You left for a few minutes, returning a small tin. Azriel quirked a brow as you handed it to him, before opening it, revealing the salve inside. “This is supposed to help?” He sounded skeptical.

“Yes. It has peppermint and rosemary; both are effective at alleviating headaches.”

Azriel still didn’t seem convinced.

“Here, let me…” You dipped two fingers into the salve. Without thinking, you began gently rubbing it into his temples.

Azriel stiffened at first, but relaxed within seconds. A small sound came out of him, almost a purr. You smiled to yourself, continuing to apply the salve. “You’ll do this every morning and night, just for a few minutes.”

Azriel nodded in response. He looked almost offended as you pulled away, as though he wanted you to keep going. “Thank you,” he murmured.

“You might also consider getting enough sleep. Lack of rest will absolutely trigger headaches,” you said.

A smirk from Azriel. “How would you know if I get enough sleep?”

You smiled. “Takes one to know one.”

Azriel’s hazel eyes raked over your form. Something buried within you sang at the gesture, but you shoved it away, clearing your throat. “Is there anything else?”

“I don’t think so,” he replied, before standing.

Mother above, did he tower over you. He stood less than a foot away, now. Close enough that you had to tilt your head back to meet his eyes.

“Amren said you put on quite the show this morning,” Azriel said, his voice a bit lower than before.

“Did she?”

Azriel hummed. “The living room was no longer livable, when I arrived home this afternoon.”

Your face flushed. Azriel’s amusement increased at the sight of it. “It’s alright,” he said with a chuckle. “Amren and Cassian have torn apart entire buildings over mild disputes. You’ll fit right in.”

You opened your mouth to reply, but stopped short as one of Azriel’s shadows snaked up your arm, twirling around your hair; a gentle caress.

It was Azriel’s turn to flush. “I’m sorry.”

You grinned. “No need to apologize. I think they like me.”

Azriel studied you, the smallest smile gracing his lips. “Most people fear them.”

“There’s nothing to fear about them,” you replied simply. “They’re apart of you.”

“They are. Always will be.” The shadows slithered away, returning behind his shoulders. Azriel bowed his head in thanks. “Thank you for the salve.”

Azriel left before you could say anything more.

#acotar #a court of thorns and roses #acotar headcanon #acotar fanfiction #acomaf #female reader #azriel x reader #azriel acotar #Azriel #shadowsinger #spymaster #acosf #acowar #acofas

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imagine-a-life-like-this · 3 months

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Accidentally In Enemies : Prologue (S.CB)

Word Count : 1.5k

Warnings : break up, heartbreak, swearing, food

She doubled checked her outfit in the mirror, tousling her hair and then smoothing it out again, unsure of the look she wants to go for. Reapplies her lip gloss and gives her reflection a smile before taking a deep breath, and exiting the washroom, walking back to the table where she was waiting for her boyfriend.

He was running late, as per usual, but she tried not to let it bother her. She scrolled on her phone to distract her, glancing up every time she heard the bell above the door ding, hoping it’ll be San walking in, but it never was. Ten minutes. Fifteen. Thirty. One hour. She looked through their texts, but it was clear as day that he wasn’t showing up.

Sighing, she slid her phone into her purse, and stood from the table, ready to go back home and cry. Overthink everything. Wonder if San still loves her. If he ever loved her. Reread past texts where he was being cute, trying to hold on to the little of him she has left. She shut her eyes, trying not to cry right there in the café, taking deep breaths, focusing on her breathing, grounding herself. She just wants the San from the start of their relationship back.

“I’m sorry I’m late.” San said sheepishly, making her open her eyes, staring at the man in front of her, wondering if she was hallucinating. “Actually I’ve been pacing in front for a while.” She can barely hear what he’s saying, just taking all of him in. It’s been weeks since he’s stood in front of her like this. “I’ll get us something to drink. Just your usual?” She slowly nodded as she sat back down.

But when San came back, placing her drink in front of her, doubts filled her mind once again. This wasn’t her usual. This wasn’t even close to her usual. He got her confused with someone else, and she wanted to say something. Yell at him. Cry. Scream. But when he asked if he got her order right, she just smiled and nodded, holding the drink in her hands, and taking a sip. San smiled back at her, but it didn’t quite meet his eyes.

He took a deep breath before speaking again. “I think we should break up.” It was as if ice cold water spilled all over her. Her eyes were wide as she stared at him, wishing, praying, hoping, that she heard him wrong. But with the sorry look in his eyes, she knew.

“Yeah.” She replied. That’s all she could muster. Sobs were crawling up her throat, but she kept swallowing them down. It felt like swallowing knives. Knives that were freshly sharpened, ripped from her back, and forced down her throat. Tears were stinging her eyes as if she was sprayed in the face with lemon juice.

She thought of this day many times. Pictured herself being the one to say those words. Letting go so she could heal, find someone that would make time for her. But every time she sat across from him, the words on the tip of her tongue, begging to be said, to be heard, she would swallow them down, replace them with an I missed you and a smile.

“I know it’ll take time, but I hope we can be friends in the future. I wish you the best, Y/n.” Her name rolling off his tongue was like the final punch. She hated the sound of it. Hated that it meant this was really over. She wanted to change her name. It didn’t sound right coming from him. After years of baby and my love her name just didn’t sound right.

She didn’t even notice when he stood up and left, staring down at the drink that didn’t feel like hers. The order he has memorized wasn’t hers. It used to be hers, at the start. The beginning. But this was the end. Things change at the end. She wanted to toss the drink. Find San and throw it at him. Throw it at a wall. But all she could do was stare at it, wondering who drinks this. Every time she heard the order be called, she looked at who picked it up, wondering which of these girls stole San’s heart.

So lost in her own little world, she didn’t even realize when someone sat across from her. “Trying something new?” He chuckled, pointing at the drink he knows she doesn’t drink. A hot drink that’s long gone cold. But when he sees San scrawled across the cup, he shakes his head. Fucking idiot. He thinks to himself, pushing away from the table and going to the counter.

When the drink is taken from her hands, replaced by her favourite, she glances up to see Changbin. She looks between him and drink as he takes a seat, sipping on his own coffee, telling her to just drink this instead. He was so nonchalant about it she forgot about the hatred she had for him, sipping the all too familiar drink, trying not to think of why Changbin knows her order but San doesn’t.

They sat there in silence, sipping on their drinks. Changbin wrote some lyrics in his lyric book while Y/n sat there, staring off into space, trying to make sense of everything. Trying to process everything that happened.

People came and went. Hours passed. The sun set. It wasn’t until it was nearing closing time that Changbin snapped her out of her trance, telling her he’d walk her home. He took her bag from her, and began walking towards the door, glancing behind him to make sure she was following. He slid his hand in hers to make sure he wouldn’t lose her.

“Why are we here?” She asked when she realized he took her to the diner instead of her place. Food was already in front of her. Once again, Changbin knew her exact order. She wonders if San would know. He brought her here all the time back when they first started dating. She got the same thing every time. But it was the same with the café. And he forgot that. How does Changbin know things that San should? It was as if they switched places.

“We sat at the café for hours. I’m starving so I’m sure you are too. Just eat. I’ll bring you home after.” She wanted to ask why he was being nice to her. After years of torment and teasing. She’s at her most vulnerable, perfect for him to tease, but he hasn’t said a single word. He paid for her coffee and her food. Walked her home, waited until she was inside before leaving.

She didn’t know that it broke his heart to see her so broken. Had no idea he was in the café when San broke up with her. He wanted to follow him out of the café, ask what his problem was. Because he couldn’t fathom letting someone like her go. Just walking away from her like she was nothing. Nothing more than dirt on his shoe. Something he can wipe away and continue on.

Because to Changbin, Y/n was like a tattoo. Beautiful. Stunning. A piece of art. Permanent. He could remove her, but it would hurt more than getting her. She was someone to admire, someone to treat with care, someone to show off. When he looked at her, he was reminded of their past, all the memories of him tripping over himself, stumbling over his words and saying the wrong thing. But he also got to admire her beauty. Trace the outline of her with his eyes. He had every part of her memorized. He could draw her with his eyes closed.

Every scar, mole, freckle, birthmark. The different ways her hair lays. Her smile. The way her eyes crinkle when her smile is wide. How her eyes close when she laughs. Her pout when she’s thinking. The way she bites the end of her pen when she’s stuck on something. Tongue in cheek when she’s concentrating. How her head tilts to one side when she’s processing something someone said. He’s memorized it all.

The look on her face today as he sat across from her. The tears that so desperately wanted to fall, but she didn’t let them. The hard swallows while she tried not to sob. A far away look in her eyes as she stared at a coffee that wasn’t meant for her. Chewing her lip without realizing. How broken her voice sounded when she finally spoke to him. He wouldn’t forget a single second. He wishes he could. Hated seeing her so broken, so vulnerable. But he has a degree in Y/n-ology. Trained in memorizing every piece of her; the good and the bad.

She was so caught up in the break up, and he was so caught up in her, that neither noticed the familiar face watching them from afar. Smiling to himself knowing that she would be in good hands. Knowing that someone better than him would take care of her. She would thank him one day. When she realizes that her heart has belonged to Changbin this entire time.

back to masterlist

@mxnsxngie @maeleelee @turtledove824

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heyidkyay · 2 months

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And I'm petrified of being alone, now |

Part Fifteen

Matty Healy x reader

Summary: She’s just trying to get by, really. What with being a single parent to her four year old son whilst simultaneously trying to kick start a successful career as a radio presenter. She’s got everything she’s ever wanted though, friends close by, a mum who’s merely a phone call away, and of course her baby boy. What else is there to wish for? But then, it’s not long before her relatively normal life gets upended and turned on its head, and she’s suddenly forced to deal with situations she’s never even thought to imagine.

What happens when one mention of a certain controversial singer on her show sends a flood of unexpected challenges her way?

Authors Note: Honestly loved writing this one! Lots of tension, so many emotions! First scene has a few flashbacks in italics so watch out! Hope you enjoy x

> Last update: look back here if you'd like!

Masterlist

A list of things I remember about last night:

George buying a fan a bottle of champagne.. then four more for the table. He’d been six shots in and feeling more than a little generous.

Matty and I out in the smoking area, whispering back and forth, then giggling as we tried to knick a lighter from the back pocket of this big burly bloke trying to chat up the blonde beside us.

Hann leaving early but with smiles for all of us and the promise of seeing Adi and I again soon!

Finn’s text saying that Teddy was fast asleep and all fine- an utter reassurance not just to me, but seemingly Matty too, who’d cooed over the picture I’d received alongside it.

Matty dragging me out onto the dance floor when a certain song had come on, his hands on my waist, mine tangled in his hair, the lights bright, the music loud..

The last round of shots, or one of?

Ross standing on a table??

Adi then slipping out with Ross- note to self, text Adi!!

And then…

Then the cab ride home!

But, I supposed it wasn’t headed home, or at least not mine, because now that I thought about it, dizzying images of awkward fumbles in the dark, searching for a light switch, hastily turned into a terrible attempt at trying to scrounge up some food, only a little less drunk than what we’d been when we’d left the club. But then even those soon spun and fluttered away, moving onto heavy hands and heated looks…

I froze, taking in the unfamiliar feel of the bed sheets beneath me and the weight of an arm thrown around my waist. How suddenly the skin beneath it felt hot at the realisation of its touch. I allowed my wide eyes to wander, holding my breath, the remnants of sleep quickly slipping from me as worry overwhelmed it. I saw the cemented walls, the soft hues, the sunlight which flickered in through the far window.

I didn’t know this place, but at the same time I felt as though I did.

I let my eyes fall close again, only briefly, when I finally allowed myself a moment to breathe, inhaling slowly so as to not stir the man settled behind me.

Fuck.

And that was all that would come to mind because I was panicking now. It felt like I had been dropped into a black hole head first, or some other kind of alternate reality- or maybe even five years in the past! Because this couldn’t be happening. It had to be a dream.

But my thoughts kept on betraying me.

“Don’t run from me.” He whispered in the dim light of his kitchen as his fingers skittered over the length of my jaw, gently coercing me into meeting his gaze once again.

We’d been making toast, he’d only had a spoonful or so of butter left but had latched onto the idea the second we’d walked through the front door, the cab having not long left us. He’d pulled jams and spreads from high cupboards to goad me into it too, and I could do nothing but stand there and watch on, perfectly content and with a permanent smile etched into my face.

He’d patted the countertop beside him not long after finding a new loaf of white bread in the tin, gesturing me on round to sit on its top whilst he got to work.

“What do you fancy?” He’d asked me, plopping a slice into his sleek toaster, one which looked a decade newer than my own.

“You decide.” I had gambled, happy to just watch him laugh whilst he worked, licking his thumb free of chocolate and swearing under his breath when the butter finally ran dry.

On the plate I’d then been handed, sat four sections, each one a different spread to the other. He’d grinned up at me when he had passed it over and had watched on as I’d chuckled and picked a slice up.

“Blueberry, fine choice.” He’d hummed, his drawl deep and tinged with a faint hint of amusement. I’d shrugged, sheepish for some reason, and licked at the corner of my mouth to swipe the crumbs away from the bite I had just taken.

“Didn’t even know it existed.” I’d told him truthfully, taking another bite before reaching out to have him try.

His movements had been careful at that, as though he’d been surprised by the offer, but then he’d let me feed him and had grinned around the sweet taste.

“Good?” I’d asked him, already moving to withdraw my hand before his fingers caught around my wrist. I'd blinked, confused and slightly startled by the suddenness of the gesture, but his hold hadn’t been harsh or hurtful, merely just that, a hold.

He had nodded at me in answer to my question, but then he’d taken the bitten slice from my grasp to place down somewhere on the counter.

“Matty?” I'd heard myself say.

He’d merely stepped on closer, “You have something.” His voice gruff.

He had lifted his free hand up towards my face, the other still caught on mine, and let the pad of his thumb brush away the tiniest piece of jam my cheek had caught. I’d felt my breath catch at the motion, somewhere in the very back of my throat, and then swallowed thickly at the sight of him placing the same finger into his mouth, sucking it clean.

I’d looked away, feeling the fierce rush of alcohol and embarrassment heat my face.

“Don’t run from me.”

His fingers still touched me now, even as he slept on, completely oblivious to the chaos that was my mind, the world that had continued on around us.

What would they say? What would they think?

Slowly, I forced myself to start moving, unable to continue lying in a bed that wasn’t my own. I hated myself a little for the fact that it was his, something deep inside of me knowing that this would’ve been so much easier had it simply been a stranger.

I lifted his hand from around my waist first, ever so careful not to have him stir, then silently slipped from between the sheets, my legs sliding out first before I willed my torso to follow.

I picked up the first thing I saw from off of the floor, the white shirt he’d been wearing the night before, and pulled it on over my shoulders. My eyes skittered about the rest of the space, taking in everything that made up Matty’s room whilst simultaneously trying to find the dress I’d arrived in the night before.

“I don’t think anyone has ever made me feel like you do.” He murmured into the space between us, my legs pressed against the counter top and dangling either side of his hips, his fingers grasped my chin, mine cuffed somewhere around his wrist.

“It’s fucking maddening.” He continued on in the hushed tone he'd adopted, though no one was around to hear him had he spoken any louder, “I keep pulling away when I feel I get too close, scared you might push me away completely. ‘Cause what would I do then? Where would that leave me?”

I could feel the blood rushing in my ears and the way that my hands would surely shake if they weren’t already clinging to him. “I don’t understand, Matty.”

He smiled at me and I watched the way his eyes trailed their way across my face. I’d always liked his eyes. “I know. And that’s what kills me, ‘cause I don’t reckon you’ll ever think I’m enough.”

Enough.

It threw me.

“You’re enough, what on Earth are you on about? Of course you’re enough.”

He shook his head at me ever so softly, with a sad smile this time around, whilst I dipped my own head to be nearer to his, wanting him to believe me. Willing him to.

“Matty-”

I was ripped away from the memory by the shuffling of sheets and stood in horror, barefoot in the middle of his bedroom, as the bed creaked with a slight movement. I held my breath, hands clutching at the buttons of the gaping shirt.

He sniffed unhappily, hands searching as he turned, but then was lured back into sleep.

I gave a stuttered exhale, heart pounding so hard it should’ve surely hurt, before continuing on with my search. I didn’t get too far though, not with my shaking hands and laboured breaths, the anxiety of it all overwhelming me now.

I could feel the pricking of tears that welled in my eyes, the stinging tingle of my nose as I fought not to cry. Why? The only question worth repeating, over and over and over. Why the fuck had I gone and fucked this all up?

“Mouse?”

My head shot up, startled by the suddenness of his voice and the realisation that I’d cowered into the wooden chair sat on the wall nearest to the window. Matty shifted in the sheets, sleep clouding his mind before I choked on a questionable sob and he was all but tumbling his way on over to me, catching on bed linens and fumbling across the floor.

“I need you to know, okay?” He whispered to me in the quiet of the kitchen, his wary face now cradled in the palms of my hands whilst his soft eyes stared back at me, mirroring an emotion I felt but couldn’t quite recall. “‘Cause, I don’t reckon I could say this whilst sober.”

“Know what, Matty?”

My fingers dug into the skin of my arms.

“Mouse, you hearin’ me?”

His voice sounded so different now, laced with a gruff edge I’d only ever heard during late night phone calls when he’d stayed too late at the studio and wanted company. There was an urgency to his tone now.

“Squeaks, just lemme know what I can do.” Matty rushed out, his face wrinkled with worry whilst his hands faltered, unsure whether or not to touch. “Please.”

Another sob ripped its way through me.

“I’m sorry.” I told him in earnest, crying hard enough now that I had to have been gasping to breathe, “I’m sorry, I, I just- I don’t know what to do now. I’m sorry, Matty. So sorry.”

He didn’t reply, didn’t say a word actually. Just moved to cradle me close, wrapping his arms around my shoulders as though that would hold me together, his body shielding my head from the rest of the world.

“I’m sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry for.” Matty murmured, so much like he had the night before but only sadder now. “Nothing at all.”

–

She was embarrassed. That much he knew.

Could feel the way she shied away from him now that she had calmed, still hidden away in his arms. He hated himself for it. He wanted to hate what had gone down last night too, but couldn’t bring himself to. What good would it do him now? Hate, always so stuck on it.

“Mouse.” He called out to her softly, after the quiet had been stretched and pulled far too thin. He swallowed thickly, “Let’s make some tea, yeah?”

He must've surprised her with his response because she glanced up at him almost unconsciously, but as soon as their eyes met hers were quick to dart away again.

She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out, stare trained on the farthest wall. Matty licked at his bottom lip, still crouching in his position by the chair he had in the corner, moving his hands to now gently rest them by the knobs of her knees.

He’d never been good at shit like this. Comfort.

He always got stuck in this place between panic and unease, forced to commit to empathising with another person and suspending his own agenda. It made him feel like he needed to make things better then and there, if only to save himself the strain of dealing with emotions.

That, and his mind was still so bleary due to the abrupt wake up, his heart still clenched to the point of exertion due to the spear of anxiety she’d propelled right through him.

“We can talk there, alright? Just, don’t leave just yet. Please?”

He felt bad for even asking her to stay but he knew her far too well, could see how desperate she was to run now, to escape her feelings and everything that had brought this moment to an abrupt head.

“Please?” Matty repeated even softer than he had before and was thankful when she finally nodded, a small thing he might not have seen had he blinked, but a nod nonetheless. “Okay.” He breathed out, something in him settling now that he knew she wouldn’t be making a run for the hills, “Okay, I’ll get a start on it then. You can have a look through them drawers over there, yeah? Find something, whatever, I don’t mind.”

He saw the bob of her throat as she swallowed and lingered on the motion until she nodded again.

By the time he’d made it out into the kitchen he was all but kicking himself, cursing as he tried to keep his temper in check. Of all the things he could have fucking done last night, why did he have to go and fuck the one good thing in his life up? She’d never fucking forgive him for this, even if she realised what had actually gone down and not what she’d just conjured up in that pretty little head of hers.

Matty channelled his regret and sorrowful mood into hammering a pair of teabags into two empty mugs, figuring it to be the only way he could vent without banging everything about. He flicked on the kettle and moved to the fridge to pull the milk out, listening to it begin to boil instead of the stuttering of his pulse.

He only realised he’d been glaring a hole into the tiled wall when the thing finally whistled and the soft pad of shuffling feet echoed across the kitchen floor. Matty couldn’t help the way his head turned to find her.

“Hungry?” He asked, rubbing at his eyes, and although his voice was barely above a murmur it still felt too loud. She simply shook her head. Which was just as well really, he didn’t think he could even stomach this brew the way he was strung so tight.

He dipped his chin in retort, ringing the two tea bags out before turning back to face her again. He paused when he found that her eyes were locked on the counter she’d been sat on the night before, Matty’s mind immediately flashed back to the skin of her thighs beneath his hands, the dip of her waist, the gentleness she’d held his face with, both the longing and sadness in her eyes when she told him he was enough.

He had wanted to scoff then, now even, but he’d never do that to her. If she thought he was worth even a fraction of the attention she gave him, then he’d take it. He was selfish in that regard, and couldn’t afford to waste anything she gifted him.

Christ, he sounded like a proper nut. How’d he let himself get so fucking gone on this girl?

Truthfully, he hadn’t even realised the depth of it until right then.

And now he had to be an actual grown-up and sort out the mess he’d made of things before he even got a chance to try to riffle through his messy array of feelings and their slow rising alarm bells. Another time- another day, even.

Matty cleared his throat as gently he took the seat beside her on the trio of barstools he had lined up on one side of his kitchen island, then faltered slightly, “Um, you good here or you wanna like, move to the settee or somethin’?”

She shook her head, hands careful as she moved to cradle the mug he’d just slid on over to her. He noticed how she moved her gaze from the counter down to the milky brew when he sat.

“Right,” He muttered, “alright.”

It was stupid, to feel so fucking incompetent then. In a moment he really should have been able to find the right words. Because Matty, somehow, had run out of things to say. And it was an accomplishment in itself, that he had to note, he wasn’t one to ever really be at a loss for words. But then again, Mouse was the biggest anomaly he’d faced so far.

He cleared his throat again and decided to just sip at his tea, noting that it was nicer than the usual scalding hot coffee he’d gulp down on his way out each morning.

Mouse went to open her mouth again, he saw the movement just out of the corner of his eye, and Matty already knew what she was going to say.

“Don’t,” He rushed out, though not unkindly. “No need for sorries, yeah?”

Her jaw snapped swiftly shut and she huddled in on herself slightly, staring back into the swirl of her brew. Matty immediately felt guilty.

He licked at his lower lip, feeling a cut there beneath his tongue just as a silence settled once more, one that was all the more suffocating.

He figured he’d best just get it over with, because at least then he’d be put out of the itching longing he had to end the quiet.

“I just,” He immediately paused, noting the way she had tilted her chin towards him at the sound of his voice, he coughed lightly then tried again. “Last night,” She tensed, and God, he had to steel himself further at that, “Nothing happened, alright? Well, yeah, I mean, fuck. Shit happened, but like we didn’t have sex or anything, I wouldn’t do that to you, Squeaks. You were drunk. It’d be a shitty move, yeah? So, just, if that’s what you’ve been worrying about, then..”

Matty glanced over at her wearily, internally wincing at the fucking stumble he’d made of things there, he found that her head was better turned towards him now, although her eyes still remained low. He watched her lips part, then quiver as though she was unsure of her response.

He let her have a minute.

“You were drunk, too.”

It didn’t sound like an accusation but felt a little like one. Still, he kept his head. “Not enough to not remember.”

The skin between her brows knitted, Matty could practically see the whirl of her many moving thoughts.

“I was naked.”

It took all his strength not to splutter at that, because he’d been trying his fucking hardest not to linger too much on that fact. Or how the sight of her in his clothes, even now, sent something stirring through his gut.

“Yeah,” Once again clearing his throat, Matty took another stilted breath, “Though to be fair, you’d had a shower then fell asleep like that after I said I’d be quick about mine.”

His eyes flickered outwards, unable to look at her then, thinking back to the sight she’d made all sprawled out on his bed, face softened by sleep and the duvet pulled over most of her waist.

“I didn’t see much,” He felt the need to add, because she was obviously a little torn up about it from the way she was wringing her hands, and knew for a fact that Mouse had a shit fucking perception of herself too. The way she breezily commented on her body and the scars that marred her face gave way to that fact, although most wouldn’t pick up on it, and he had realised quite early on that she didn’t either. Matty supposed he must have his rehab therapist to thank for that little enlightenment.

He chuckled lightly when the image of her rippled to the forefront of his mind, clinging to the duvet with a strength no unconscious person should probably have. “You practically cocooned yourself in the covers anyway, threw a proper fit when I tried to steal some of it back.”

She smiled then, a tiny thing, mind, but a smile nonetheless. And that alone at least eased his mind a little bit.

“Thinking back, I probably should’ve just slept in the guest room but I was almost dead to the world. Sorry.” He was sincere in his apology, it’d been a misstep on his part, he just hadn’t been thinking. Hadn’t expected her to react so badly either.

“No need.” She said then, her voice a little more confident now as she mimicked his earlier words, “I shouldn’t, well, I shouldn’t have just assumed.”

Matty rolled his eyes and finally chanced a glance back over at her, so very pleased to see her looking back. Even then in that moment, after a right scare, fucking sobbing her heart out, and only just having woken up, she looked blinding.

He didn’t know if he had ever described a girl quite like that, or anyone really. But it felt too true to not shine a light to.

He internally chastised himself again- did ageing make you soppy or some shit? The fuck was he on.

“Yes, you should have. I’d’ve done the same, anyone would’ve.” He chuckled instead, loving the way her sheepish smile only curved up on the one side. “Least now we know you’d be fuckin’ mortified if I ever tried anything on.” He tried to joke, but it fell flat.

Squeaks swivelled her seat round to knock her knees against his own, then wrapped her cold feet around his ankle, “I was- I just haven’t, you know..” Matty arched a single brow, still rather pleased with their newfound position, his eyes lingering on the way her borrowed shirt slipped down to expose the majority of her collarbone. “.. slept with anyone in a while, and yeah, I don’t know, I wouldn’t want to go and ruin anything we have with a drunken mistake.”

Matty’s heart faltered. Felt it fucking implode and then shrivel up inside his chest. Mistake.

He fought hard to keep his mask in place, smiling away. He sipped at his brew to keep the sudden sickness that jilted his stomach at bay then patched his bleeding heart back up. “How long’s a while?” He teased, smirking felt easier than a smile anyway.

It was her turn to roll her eyes at him then, laughing softly when she retracted her gaze, though their legs stayed intertwined.

“I don’t really know.”

“Yes, you do.” Matty laughed, having none of it, “Come on, a couple months?” She kept quiet, “A year?”

He frowned when she began to chew on her bottom lip, fighting the urge to reach out and stop her. “Two?”

“Six.” She answered him, probably tired of the guessing game.

“Six.” Matty murmured, reeling at the information. Six years. He’d fucking explode, “Is that even healthy?”

Squeaks was so quick in the way her hand shot out to swat him, “It’s fine, you dickhead! And besides, I just meant properly, you know? Like, there’s been a few quick passings but nothing, nothing like that.”

“Wow.”

“Don’t be a prick about it!” She immediately retorted to his breathy reply, obviously a little embarrassed and annoyed. “I have a toddler! And I’m always so fucking busy! I don’t even have the time to think about it!”

“Sounds like what you need is to get laid, babe.”

He snorted when she wacked him again, purposely ignoring the thoughts of her and him, drunken mistake.

“Leave off!”

“Fine then, I will for now.” Matty laughed, rubbing at his bicep, she continued to glare. “You want breakfast then? Or lunch now, I ‘spose. Can order in.”

Her knee knocked against his once more. Goosebumps trailed the length of his skin.

“Need to be back to pick up Teds from the nursery but yeah, lunch sounds nice.” She smiled, and for a second Matty was frozen in that very moment, content to just watch her smile at him like that forever.

Nice nice nice.

–

“I can’t believe you’re actually doing this.” I said, my tone almost scolding, but I’d been unable to flat out deny Matty of his request to come and help me pick Teddy up from school. I’d spent the rest of the day at his place, been given an actual tour, eaten some good food, and thankfully had been able to avoid any more awkward conversations pertaining to our wake up call that morning.

“What? You said I could!” He sounded almost petulant. “Besides, it’ll be lowkey, I have my hat, a hood. No one will know! Also, I’m not that important. Don’t reckon many four year olds are listening to Sex on the drive home.”

I snorted but my mind still flashed to memories of only hours earlier. My cheeks pinked. “First- lowkey, really? Aren’t we too old to be saying that? And second, that hat is the same fucking hat you haven’t taken off since Christmas!”

“Before Christmas, actually.” Matty said snidely, smirking all the while, even as he ducked to avoid the swat of my hand. “And anyway, I love this hat, so kindly fuck off.”

“Charmin’.”

Matty spent the rest of the walk to Teddy’s nursery singing This Charming Man whilst my mind lingered on his words. Claims of how he loved the small, insignificant gift Teddy and I had handed him.

By the time we made it past the school gates, we’d been nudging shoulders and grazing hands most of the walk, so wrapped up in one another that I didn’t even realise I’d forgotten my phone somewhere until I patted down my pockets in the playground.

“Shit.” I muttered.

Matty, still blissfully unaware of my sudden circumstance and humming softly, kept on surveying the small school. “Yeah, the mural could use a bit of work but I think it’s meant to look shit, you know. Reckon the kids probably did it.”

Furrowing my forehead at his words, I then peered up at him, “No, I forgot my phone.”

Realisation dawned but then he shrugged, as if it were no big deal, “It’s probably still at mine, you use it this morning?”

I shook my head, feeling panicked now, which was stupid because it was just a phone. But, it also housed most of the things I considered important in my life; my work contacts, documents, notes, and To Do’s; Teddy’s doctors and dentist and school’s numbers; all the memories I’d made in the last few months that I had yet to save onto my icloud or hard drive; and pictures of Matty and I, as well as the rest of the guys too, but also our texts and little messages on Twitter and Instagram.

Losing it? I hated the very thought.

“No, I haven't touched it since last night. Could’ve left it at the club, or in the cab, or the-”

Matty’s hands came to cradle my shoulders, making me pause, and I realised he’d moved to stand before me, looking down at my pinched expression with a small smile. “You’re stressing, just take a breath. Alright? We’ll find it, ‘cause I’m sure it's back at mine anyway, but if not, then we can get it blocked and whatnot, try to get a new one before tomorrow.”

I forced myself to suck in a breath, still reeling from the feeling of my heart dropping to my arse. “Yeah, yeah I know, it’s just-”

“One of them things.” He finished with a knowing smile, hands squeezing my shoulders briefly before he wrapped me up in a hug. “Stressin’ won’t help and will only have Teds all wound up when he sees, yeah? We’ll sort it.”

His words ebbed my every worry just for a moment, I took another breath and let my arms find his waist, returning the hug and enjoying the way he settled his chin atop my head.

“Okay.” I whispered into the edge of his coat, smiling when he squeezed me tight and then pulled away, “Sorry.”

Matty rolled his eyes at me, “Shut up.”

I chuckled to myself, shoving my hands into my pockets to keep from reaching out again and instead glanced about the rest of the playground. Most of the mums were here now and that panic that had subsided only a second ago almost came back in full force when I noticed how intensely they were watching me, or rather, Matty and I.

Carefully, I pivoted behind Matty, keeping my back to the gated fence which enclosed the school, but also forcing Matty to turn confusedly after me, his own back now facing the rest of the watchers.

“What the fuck are you doing?” He snorted with a bemused sort of frown, “Hiding?”

“Maybe.”

That had been the wrong thing to say because Matty nearly turned to glance back around, I reached out to stop him, hand encasing his elbow. “Don’t, alright? There’s a shit ton of mums just watching us. Got eyes like hawks or something.”

Matty merely blinked back at me before laughing, “You’re for real? Come on, they can’t be that bad.”

He went to turn again, only this time I couldn’t stop him. “Matty!” I called in a hissed whisper and he was quick to spin back around, face a little shocked.

“You reckon they’ll close in on us? I dunno if I can outrun them.”

I spluttered out an unexpected laugh, “I hope not. They usually hate me.”

Matty’s frown was quick to make a reappearance, “What, why?”

Shrugging, I glanced over his right shoulder, “You want a list? I’m a young mum, single, my kid doesn’t know his dad, I look like this, I don’t have a normal job or stay at home to take care of him, and sometimes Teds gets picked up by Finn or Adi, I don’t attend their stupid little-”

“Fuckin’ hell, alright I get it.” Matty said, his hand reaching out for my elbow just to slow me on my rant. “What a bunch of cunts.”

I forced a smile, “Yeah, well. Just another part of my life.”

Matty pulled a strange face at that, but before I could begin to decipher it, the classroom doors were opening and I was quick to step forward. Matty lingered behind me, keeping his hood up.

A few kids were called when Miss Sparks spotted certain parents and she did the same for Teddy when she saw me and smiled. “Teddy, your mum’s here!”

It only took a minute or so before Teddy came stumbling out with his backpack thrown over one shoulder and his hair a messy mass of curls. I grinned at the sight of him and picked him up when he hurried to grab at my legs, “Heya, little man. Good day?”

Teddy nodded in my arms, opening his mouth to tell me all about it when he peered over my shoulder and paused, his eyes lit up at the face he found there. “Matty!” Teddy all but squealed, immediately wriggling in my hold to make an escape towards the man.

Matty laughed, his eyes wide and dancing with warmth as he held out his arms for Teddy to jump on into. I rolled my eyes at the exchange but couldn’t help the way my whole being radiated with the beaming smile I wore.

“Alright, monster?” Matty greeted him, settling Teddy on his hip once he was done playfully swinging him about a bit. “How was nursery, hey?”

Teddy was still so awed by Matty’s appearance at his school, of all places, that he was eager to tell the man literally everything about his day. It was only once we’d managed to make a quick exit out of one of the side gates, that Teddy finally asked, “How’d you get here, Matty?”

Matty merely grinned and wiggled his eyebrows at the boy, “Magic.”

With a wrinkled nose, Teddy giggled, “Matty!”

“Alright, alright, jheeze.” Matty relented, all too easily, “I annoyed your mum into letting me come pick you up, didn’t I?”

Teddy looked at me with that, as though I’d gone and put all of the stars into the night sky. “Ta, mama!”

I shook my head at him fondly, leaning in to press a kiss to my baby’s cheek. “You hungry?” I asked him, instead of focusing on the entire scenario at hand, how Teddy seemed to cling to Matty and how entirely charmed Matty was by the boy. They appeared so close in that moment, it made me notice just how different Teddy’s reactions to Matty were to that of Finn’s, a man who had always been a constant in Teddy’s life.

The thought sent me spiralling down a rabbit hole, but thankfully before I could fall any further Teddy was nodding happily and Matty was making a suggestion, “Dinner at mine then?”

Teddy seemed thrilled with the idea but I merely raised a brow at Matty, “What ever will we make with your one egg and half a dozen jams?”

“Toast?” Matty grinned, enjoying the eye roll he received in return as he leaned in to laugh with Teddy. He looked back to me after a moment, “Could head to the shops if you wanna cook, or just order in.”

I pursed my lips, “Would you be able to?”

“To what?” Matty frowned.

I looked ahead as I clarified, “Get some shopping.”

It was his turn to roll his eyes then, nudging his elbow against mine, “Yes, you muppet.” He shook his head when he glanced back at Teddy, feigning a huff that made the toddler giggle, “What do you want then, little man?”

“Ghetti.”

Matty could only blink.

–

By the time we’d made a quick whip around the local Waitrose (because Matty lives in an affluent area and not because he’s ‘pretentious’, he’d like to claim) and back to his, we’d been pictured more than a dozen times.

Although, we’d only found this out when I’d finally caught sight of my phone, wedged between Matty’s bed-frame and the mattress, and managed to charge it. In between then and now, I had roped Matty into helping me cook whilst Teddy worked at the counter doing today’s reading.

“B-ah.” Matty carefully sounded out, still wearing one of the mock aprons Ross had apparently gifted him one Christmas, it was frilly, pink and had ‘This girl loves meat’ written in a pretty font. My own was of a similar fashion, only the words ‘Always use protection’ were warped across its front. “B-ah-guh.” He said once more, leaning up against the counter by Teddy.

“Bag!” Teddy exclaimed excitedly and looked practically giddy when Matty loudly cheered for him.

“Go on, mate! Knew you could do it.” Matty complimented, grinning down at Teddy before ruffling his hair and pulling him into a one armed hug. “Let’s see if we can get the next one before your mum’s done with the spaghetti, yeah?”

Teddy was all too happy to agree, something I slightly resented seeing as he whinged and moaned whenever I asked. But it was nice to see him enjoying his homework for once, a concept that was still so mad to me considering the kid was four.

“‘Bout five minutes to boil now,” I told them as I wiped my hands on a nearby tea towel. My phone finally powered on then and so I moved about the counter to grab at it, not wanting to miss any important notifications. Adi and I had a guest on the show this week and had yet to be filled in on the requirements needed.

Only, before I could even pick the thing up, it started buzzing like mad with hundreds of notifications.

With wide eyes I turned to glance over at Matty, who had paused in his helping of Teddy and was already staring back at me. I blinked and then went to pick the thing up, even as it continued to buzz, but Matty was now moving too, “No, wait.”

I shook my head, wanting to know what the hell was happening, but Matty had been closer, quicker, and was already reaching out to grab it. “Let me look first.”

“Matty.” I huffed, annoyed, but the man didn’t relent. Actually his expression only worsened as he scrolled through the thousands of alerts on my phone. “Matty! What’s the fucks going on?”

“Bad word!”

I winced, then turned to look over my shoulder, “Sorry, Teds, won’t do it again. No chocolate for me tonight, yeah?” My toddler nodded sternly, it made me smile before I glanced back at Matty who’s mood had obviously soured. He tossed the phone back down onto the counter and went to leave the kitchen, I could only assume to look for his own, “Oi!” I admonished, but he just shook his head, seemingly muddled.

“Sorry. Just- gimme a sec.”

I watched as he left, Teddy eyes latched onto him too before he turned back to face me, “Sad Matty?” He asked and I gave him another small smile.

“Not sure, baby. But he’ll be okay in a second.” Or at least I hoped. Teddy took it though and nodded, already going back to his work, though he kept looking over at the door every few seconds.

I forced my shoulders to drop, knowing the tension would only wreak havoc on my back come bed tonight, and took a careful step towards my phone.

It had stopped pinging so incessantly now, but the odd notification still came through.

[HOMESCREEN] 17:18 Twitter now Trending.. Notifications.. Instagram now Open to view News 1m Matty Healy's new budding romance?

My heart stopped. It was all there, us dancing at the club, getting into the cab, Matty at his front gate this morning with the food delivery driver, us walking to pick up Teddy, the hug we'd shared in the playground, Matty holding a bundle that could have only been Teddy in an aisle at the shops- thankfully his face was hidden, the only saving grace of it all. But still, it all looked so convincing.

We were definitely in deep shit.

“Squeaks?”

My head snapped up to find Matty standing over by the counter, his body tense but a gentle hand holding Teddy’s own, the horror I felt must’ve shown on my face because he winced.

“We’ve gotta talk.”

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razorblade180-heated · 11 months

Text

A Talk

Jaune:Weiss, I would like to discuss something with you.

Weiss:*reading* I’m listening. You find another mission to take?

Jaune:Nah. I…wanted to talk about our sex life.

Weiss:….*slowly puts down book* What?

Jaune:We never really discuss it. We just go with the flow. Like if I’m satisfying you.

Weiss:*blushes* I promise you that I’ve never once faked a noise with you. Wait, am I slacking!?

Jaune:N- well…no. I wouldn’t say that.

Weiss:I don’t like that hesitation! What exactly does that mean.

Jaune:My hips have been getting a little tired.

Weiss:…Ah, I see. So you wanna do it less?

Jaune:Interesting how you’re not bringing out topping as a solution!

Weiss:Look! I…sigh it’s a little embarrassing at times.

Jaune:How is it any more embarrassing than anything else I do to you?

Weiss:*crimson* It’s hard to keep focus….

Jaune:*red* I don’t know how but you made that response kinda cute.

Weiss:Hush!

Jaune:Anyways, I didn’t start this conversation for that specifically. I wanted to know what other ways I could do better or try.

Weiss:What brought this on all of a sudden.

Jaune:To be honest, it’s still a little surreal you and I are together to begin with. *rubs head* I wanna do my best for you.

Weiss:(And he calls me cute…) First, I hope you realize I’m not the kind of person to lose interest just because the sex isn’t as phenomenal as it could be all the time, or even occasionally. There’s a thousand other reasons why I adore you Jaune Arc.

Jaune:That’s nice to hear. Not that I doubted there weren’t any. Still, I’d like to know you better. I won’t judge you.

Weiss:….*looks away* Well, I wouldn’t be upset if you were more aggressive or even strict. I’m not as delicate as I look; you know that.

Jaune:Aggressive how?

Weiss:You know…desire wise. I don’t mind if you’re a little impatient or brutish. *bright red* I could handle that just fine. *looks at him* You better actually give me advice too! It’s frustrating saying all of this.

Jaune:I like it when you’re honest.

Weiss:That’s even more embarrassing and frustrating!

Jaune:But you’re so beautiful when you’re like that. *smiles* It feels good knowing you’re loving it.

Weiss:Well you could also stand to be more confident, hmph! You literally have me in bed. Trust me, the difficult part is over. I can tell you overthink at times; though I guess that’s kept you alive in life.

Jaune:Anything in particular you wanted to…experiment with?

Weiss:Jaune!

Jaune:Like I said, won’t judge. I’m open to ideas.

Weiss could feel her face heating up. She slowly stepped toward Jaune and took his hand. Weiss raised it up for her cheek to rest in. Weiss looked at him with need as she gradually dragged his hand down to her neck to gently squeeze.

Weiss:I’m only going to say this once so you better pay attention.

Jaune:….

Weiss:…..Own me. Make me want to do nearly anything. I don’t need control; not when I’m safe with you.

Jaune:Weiss….

Weiss:I know that might sound a little much but-

Her heart leapt out of her chest as Jaune pulled her in quickly with a rough kiss that silenced her. His right arm kept her waist against his while his left held one of her wrist. A brief separation allowed her to catch her breath and clear head as he went back in for another.

Weiss:T-Timeout!

Jaune:Hmmm?

Weiss:Good start; amazing even. But I have to go to lunch in like fifteen minutes.

Jaune:Yang is always late.

Weiss:It’s with Winter.

Jaune:…That’s a little bit more serious. *rests head on her*

Weiss:Heh, sorry. What happened to this being a talk?

Jaune:I wasn’t expecting you to say something so…honest. How could I not want you right now?

Weiss:*flustered*…Well, we can pick up after I get back? Maybe try and show some of the things we’re interested in.

He was trying not to look pouty, which Weiss found adorable. His arms reluctantly left her body to both of their dismay. Weiss saw her blushing boyfriend lean back in. As she tilted her head up to meet his kiss, a tiny squeak left her lips when Jaune chose to bite the crook of her neck instead, gently kissing the newly made mark afterwards. Weiss instantly covered it, stunned from the surprise move as Jaune started to fix her collar and put her braid over her shoulders to cover it.

Jaune:Can’t say I entirely understand what you mean by “owning” but consider that proof you’re mine.

Weiss:…*inhales* Okay.

Weiss:*hurries out the door*

Jaune: *covers face* (Maybe that was too much?)

xxxxxxx

Weiss:(AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH) *reaches restaurant*

Winter:Weiss! *waves* Trying something new?

Weiss:Hm!?!

Winter:*points* Your hair.

Weiss:Oh, yeah. *inhales*…Yeah

#rwby #weiss schnee #jaune arc #winter schnee #rwby whiteknight

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acourtofinkandpapyrus · 6 months

Text

A Flower with Petals of Flame: Part Sixteen (Eris x Reader)

Warnings: Blood. LOTS OF BLOOD, murder, Amarantha

Part Fifteen Part seventeen

Tag list: @esposadomd

Don't worry, I won't kill Eris. Heheheh

“Hello Y/N. You know, I was quite surprised when my soldiers told me that there was a purple eyed illyrian female staying with them, but here you are.”

I ground my teeth. I had never met her in the flesh, but I would be a bad leader if I couldn’t recognise the female that kept most of Prythian locked under a mountain for years.

“Amarantha, how good to finally meet you.” I croon, sliding a dagger into my hand discreetly. “You know, I was wondering where you went after you died, maybe you’d like to clear that up for me?”

Eris’s face was a mask of stone as he stood straight, acting as if he didn’t have a knife at his throat.

“Y/N, whatever she wants, don’t give it to her.” Eris said, his voice stoney even as the bond tugged at my heart frantically.

He was afraid.

He was afraid I would get hurt.

Stupid male, doesn’t he realize I could obliterate this female in an instant? The only problem was that he would probably die no matter how I went about it.

Amarantha let out a low chuckle. “That’s a nice idea, but from what I’ve seen, she’s not going anywhere without you.” She crooned into Eris’s ear, and I saw drops of blood forming where the knife was pressing into his skin.

“If you hurt him, I will obliterate you.” I snarl, my magic bubbling in response to my rage.

Amarantha studies me for a moment. “You know, I was like you not that long ago. Hopelessly in love with a male. Then I realized something.”

My heart threatened to beat out of my chest as she tilted the knife a tiny bit, making Eris wince as more blood droplets started to form.

“All males are the same. This world is beyond help.” She grins at me. “But we both know that there are so many more. That there is basically limitless potential, limitless potential for anyone who wants it.”

Her tone is a bit manic, and Eris has a bit of a look of confusion on his face.

But I had heard this spiel before. I had heard myself spouting something similar after the Asteri found me.

The only difference is that I cared about the cost, found out about the downsides of dimensional travel and blanched.

Because there will always be people out there that will use that opportunity to destroy and conquer.

And I was quickly seeing that Amarantha was just that.

“Did the Asteri tell you about the whole eating souls thing? You know, once they’re done with you, they’re just going to kill you and take it all.” I say, hoping I can stall until Lucian, or Tamlin, or anyone found us here and killed this bitch.

She just smiled at me, as if I was a clueless child. “You act all tough, as if you aren’t still just the little girl that was killed, and she was still only the next best thing.”

My teeth grind. “How about you let him go and I show you exactly what the next best thing can do?” I ask, grinning at her.

She cackled. “Oh no. Very simply, what I want is you to know that I’m going to tear down your brother, and everyone he cares about, until only you and him are left, and I’m going to watch you two tear eachother apart.”

She shoves him away, winnowing away as I rush to catch him.

He grabs on to me, holding me close to him. “You should have run away.” he whispers into my hair, cradling me close to him.

I don’t let go, but I do say, “Like hell. You know you wouldn’t have run away if the positions were reversed.”

He holds me tighter. “No, but you weren't there under the mountain. She is a monster.”

I had heard enough to know that those fifty years had been a living hell for all of Prythian, so I don’t argue the point anymore.

“We need to go check and see who’s alive.” I say after a while, both of us sitting in the grass, Eris’s neck already perfectly healed.

He looked reluctant. “Do you think that’s a good idea?” He asked, pushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

The mating bond pulled tight between us, waiting for one of us to speak of its presence.

Now wasn’t the time.

“Good idea or no, it’s the right thing to do.” Say, pulling away gently and standing up, looking out on the field of corpses, the grass of the spring court running red with blood.

He joins me, but I can see the worry creasing his brow. Nonetheless, he follows me as I walk into the bloody scene.

They were all gone. There was not a sign of life.

Eris and my gazes locked. Had Lucian been here?

I ran the rest of the way to the manor, running through the already open doors into the horror show that was the inside of the Manor.

I had spent a couple months here with Tamlin and Lucian, helping them bring people back, helping bring this whole place back.

Amarantha had left a bloody trail to the throne rooms, and I paused in the hallway, not wanting to enter the doorway.

Eris came up beside me, taking my hand in his. “You don’t have to go in if you don’t want to. I can look for both of us.”

Despite the gore and horror around us, my heart warmed slightly. He knew how I felt, and was willing to face whatever was in there for me.

I shake my head slightly. “Together?”

He nodded.

“Together.”

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nerdzzone · 1 year

Text

Eyes Open Wide

Summary: After spending their lives as ‘just friends’, Chris and Madeline decide they want to be more.

Part of the Back To You series

Note: I think this is probably one of my favourite chapters so please let me know what you think about it!

-----

March 2011

To say that Chris was confused would be an understatement.

He tried to focus on the rhythm of his footsteps and the sound of his feet hitting the sidewalk beneath them, but nothing could pull his attention away from the thoughts bouncing around his mind. He knew he didn’t have long - the show ended almost fifteen minutes ago and he’d promised to meet her in the lobby not long after - but the theatre had felt suffocating and he needed some fresh air if he had any hope of making sense of his thoughts.

He was in love with Madeline.

The realization had hit him as he watched her float across the stage earlier that evening. It was her first performance as one of the American Ballet Theatre’s principal dancers and he’d been bursting with pride from the moment he walked into the theatre before the show. When she came out on stage and he felt his heart swell at the sight of her, he’d thought maybe it was just that - adoration and admiration that she’d achieved what she’d been working so hard for - but when the feeling seemed to grow and the endearment he felt seemed almost overwhelming, he couldn’t shake the idea that it was more than he first thought.

At the start of that year he’d decided to take his personal life more seriously. He didn’t want any more messy flings or casual relationships, he wanted to find someone that he could share his life with and start a family with. That decision had made most of his romantic endeavours pretty unsatisyfing so - if he was being honest - his first thought was that he was just a little too sexually frustrated. Madeline was beautiful and the years of intensive dance training had left her with a very toned and tight body and even though there’d never been anything but friendship between them he was still a man and would’ve had to be blind to not notice how attractive she was. He assumed that the way she stretched and pliéd across the stage in her skin tight leotard was just too much for him in his pent up state, but by the time they reached the intermission and he had a quiet moment to catch his breath, he realized that what he was feeling was deeper than just an attraction.

He was in love.

It made perfect sense and as the idea began to take root in his mind it seemed so obvious, but he couldn’t figure out why something that had been so clearly in front of him for most of his life could be so blindsiding.

They’d always had a connection. They seemed to understand each other in a way that no one else did and he found that time with her always kept him centered. He favoured her opinion above almost anyone else’s and he knew that he’d always been a little too protective of her as the thought of anyone causing her any kind of pain got under his skin in a way that few other things could. He’d always told himself that it was just brotherly affection, but now that the thought of it being more had slipped by whatever defense mechanism his brain had created to protect the status quo of their relationship, it was undeniable.

There was nothing brotherly about the way he wanted her or the visions that were playing through his mind like a torturous slideshow. Visions of her curled up on the couch pressed against his side. Or of his arm resting around her waist, letting everyone know that she was his. Or of her stretched out in his bed, tangled up in his sheets. His imagination was running wild and he was grateful for a distraction when he reached the florist that he’d spotted on his way to the theatre earlier that day.

The feel of the door’s cool glass window under his hand as he pushed it open helped snap him out of his thoughts as he focused on the current task he faced. Putting his feelings aside, she’d nailed her performance. He knew that she could be her own harshest critic and he knew that she’d put a lot of pressure on herself as it had been her first performance in such a leading role, but even though he’d had the distraction of wrestling with his feelings, Chris knew without a doubt that she’d performed flawlessly. Flowers seemed a little overdone and far less than she deserved, but Chris made sure to pick out the best bunch of roses he could find before a quick glance at his watch had him practically running back to the theatre.

Hey! Where are you? I hope you didn’t leave without saying goodbye!

The text came in from Madeline just as he was opening the door to the lobby, but he heard her calling out for him before he had the time to answer. He turned towards her voice and felt his heartbeat stutter as he caught sight of her standing with her parents, her tights and leotard changed for a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt despite the stage make-up that still graced her features.

“I guess you guys beat me to the flowers,” Chris observed as he walked over to their group, gesturing at the bouquet already in her arms. “But you were so good, I had to get you something.”

Any progress he’d made with gathering his thoughts was shattered as soon as she’d flashed him a smile as the pure joy on her face almost knocked the breath right out of him. He stood stunned as she handed the flowers that she was already holding over to her mother and threw herself into his arms. The feel of her wrapping herself around his waist and the familiar smell of her favourite hairspray pulled him back into the moment as she spoke.

“Thank you,” she murmured against his chest, lingering in his embrace for a moment longer than he would have expected, but not nearly as long as he would have liked before she stepped away and took the gift from his hand. “Did you like the show?”

“I loved it! You were amazing!”

“You really thought so? I was so nervous, I was worried the audience would be able to see how bad my legs were shaking.”

“Nah, you looked like a total pro.”

He could see her practically melt with relief at his assurance, but as she threw a barrage of other questions at him about what he thought of various moments of the show, Chris came to another realization.

It wasn’t the time to share his feelings.

When he’d first accepted how he felt, he’d had a desperate urgency to tell her. He needed to know if she felt the same and the thought of how much time they’d wasted if she did filled him with panic. He didn’t want to waste another minute, but as he stood in front of her and soaked up her bubbling excitement, he knew it wasn’t the right time for the conversation he wanted to have.

That night was about her and her accomplishments and he didn’t want to steal even a spec of her well-earned spotlight.

There was also the chance that his confession wouldn’t be very well received and he didn’t want anything to put a damper on the triumph she was feeling or the gleeful smile on her face. So, he shelved his racing thoughts for the time being and answered all her questions - doing his best to convey just how incredible her performance had been - until a happy sigh fell from her lips.

“I’m really proud of myself…”

The words were soft - almost like she was afraid to admit it - and Chris rushed to agree.

“You should be,” he insisted as her parents echoed his sentiment. “You deserve this and we’re all really proud of you.”

“Thank you, Chris.”

Her eyes grew glassy as she spoke and as she looked up at him from under her dark, painted lashes the words ‘I love you’ were on the tip of his tongue as the feeling welled up inside him the same way that it had when he was watching her on stage. He had to practically bite his lip to stop the confession from slipping out and he was grateful when her dad’s voice pulled Madeline’s gaze away.

“What are your plans tonight, Chris?” Greg chimed in. “We’re going to get some food if you’d like to join us?”

It was a tempting offer, but while Chris was eager to spend as much time with Madeline as possible, he worried that he wouldn't be able to keep his newfound feelings under wraps if he lingered too much longer.

“I wish I could, but I’ve gotta leave early in the morning so I should probably have an early night.” It wasn’t entirely a lie, but even though he did have a flight to catch he knew that sleep wouldn't be coming easily with all the thoughts bouncing around in his head. However, he turned his attention back to Madeline as he thought about when he would next be able to see her. “We start filming The Avengers in about a month. If I’m back in town in a few weeks, could we hang out before then?”

The question caught Madeline off guard as she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

“Of course,” she assured him, her tone making the words sound more like she’d intended to say ‘duh’ than the polite words she’d chosen. “I’ll probably have rehearsals or training, but I’ll be here.”

“Great,” Chris smiled, pulling her into another hug. “Congratulations, Maddie. I’ll see you soon.”

He felt Madeline’s arm that wasn’t holding her flowers slide back around his waist and squeeze him tight. It took more strength than he was proud to admit, but he eventually managed to pull himself away from her and say goodnight to their little group before dragging himself towards the door, feeling like he was leaving his heart right there in Madeline’s hands.

April 2011

Something was wrong with Chris.

Madeline didn’t know what it was, but there was something strange about how he was behaving.

Even with their busy schedules, they usually checked in every couple days. It wasn’t always a full conversation, but they would regularly exchange texts even if it was just mundane things or silly comments about their day. However, since Chris had left New York Madeline had barely heard from him. He always answered her messages eventually, but sometimes it took him several days and he hardly ever initiated a conversation.

She knew it was weak evidence which was why she hadn’t brought her concerns to anyone else, but she had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that something was bothering him - something that he didn’t want to talk about - and his behaviour when he arrived at her apartment once he returned to New York did nothing to ease her worries.

“Hi,” she smiled, opening the door. “You’re early.”

“Yeah,” he nodded as he dropped his bag by the door and strode into the living room. “I was gonna check in to my hotel, but I wanted to come here first.”

The nervous energy radiating off of him had Madeline on high alert and the way he began pacing around her living room only added to her tension.

“Is everything okay?”

Her question caught Chris’ attention, but didn’t stop his movement and she snuck past him to sit on the edge of her couch.

“Yeah, I think so,” he nodded when he finally paused and shoved his hands in his pockets as if he was trying to make himself as small as possible. “Well, I hope so. I mean, everything’s fine right now, but I hope it stays that way.”

His anxiety was obvious and had Madeline’s stomach in knots as she hoped that she would be able to offer him some kind of comfort once he finally got whatever was clearly bothering him off his chest.

“You’re making me a little nervous, Chris,” she informed him gently, not wanting her concern to add to his stress levels. “Do you wanna tell me what’s going on?”

His only acknowledgement of her question was a firm nod before he returned to his task of wearing a hole in her floor with his pacing. Knowing that it was often better to give him the space to gather his thoughts than to hound him for answers, Madeline simply watched patiently for a few moments until he paused again and lifted his eyes to meet hers for the first time since he’d arrived.

“Are you seeing anyone right now?”

His blunt and seemingly out of nowhere question left Madeline even more baffled than before as she struggled to make sense of all his odd behaviour.

“Like, romantically?”

“Yeah, like a boyfriend or whatever.”

“No,” Madeline shook her head. “I’ve been spending almost all my time training since the fall when I heard that the principal dancer spot was up for grabs and then when I got it, I wanted to make sure I really proved myself. I haven’t really had time for dating.”

It was more of an in depth explanation than she thought Chris might have expected, but she was too busy trying to puzzle out what could possibly be going on with him to worry about being concise.

“Okay, great. Well, that’s good.”

His shoulders dropped in relief, but his words seemed to be said more to himself than to Madeline and she was growing desperate for some answers.

“Why? What does that have to do with anything?”

Her question had Chris stopping in his tracks as he scoffed out a laugh.

“A lot, it has everything to with this conversation we’re about to have,” Chris informed her, taking in a deep breath before finally blurting out what was really on his mind. “Because I’m in love with you.”

His words hung in the air between them as Madeline sat in stunned silence.

She’d wanted to hear those words for so long. She’d spent so many years wishing for it to happen and spent countless hours daydreaming about it, but now it was happening she was so shocked that all she could do was stare at him with her jaw hanging open. There was a flicker of excitement somewhere deep in her stomach, but she’d managed to get herself so convinced that it was an impossible reality that the doubts immediately crept in and her blood ran cold.

“Is this a prank?”

The anxious look of anticipation on Chris’ face shifted into one of shock.

“What?”

“Did Scott put you up to this?” Madeline questioned. “Because it’s not funny, Chris.”

As the potential humiliation hung above her, Madeline felt tears well up in her eyes. Chris must have noticed them too as he suddenly moved from where he’d seemed to be frozen in place and rushed to sit beside her.

“No, I promise that’s not what’s going on,” he assured her. “I haven’t told anyone about this, I didn’t wanna tell anyone until I know if you’re gonna turn me down or not.”

Suddenly unable to meet his eye, Madeline looked down at her lap as she nodded her head, needing a moment to process what he’d just told her.

It felt unbelievable. She couldn’t help but wonder if she was dreaming. Or if maybe she’d slipped on her way to the door to let him in and she was currently hallucinating due to a head injury. Because both of those theories seemed more realistic than the thought of him actually confessing his love for her.

However, as he slid his hand over to rest it on top of hers, the warmth of his touch had her unable to deny it was real. She hesitated - still uneasy and worried that she’d misunderstood - but as she thought back to the look of tortured apprehension on his face as he announced his love, she knew there was merit to what he was saying.

As she took a moment to steady herself, she flipped her hand to press her palm against his and relished the strange yet comforting feeling of their interlaced fingers before lifting her gaze to meet his.

“I’d never turn you down,” she admitted, the shake in her voice giving away her nerves. “Because I feel the same way.”

His eyes widened and she imagined that the expression of shock on his face probably mirrored her initial reaction as it looked as if he hadn’t expected her to reciprocate her feelings.

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Madeline nodded, the corners of her lips lifting into a smile as the reality of the situation began to sink in. “I’ve been in love with you for a long time. A really, really long time.”

The sound that fell from Chris’ lips after hearing those words could only be described as a giggle and he hung his head for a moment before collapsing back against the cushions behind him. The anxiety he’d felt when he entered her apartment had clearly shifted into relief and his hand slipped out of Madeline’s grasp as he lifted it to rub his face before flashing her a grin.

“Oh, man,” he chuckled. “I really thought you were gonna laugh me right out of here.”

Madeline shook her head, almost offended by that assumption.

“No way. Even if I didn’t feel the same way, I would never have laughed at you or let it come between us.”

“Yeah?” Chris smirked. “So why did you never mention how you felt?”

The question earned a laugh and a shrug of Madeline’s shoulders as she knew the point he was trying to make.

“Because I was worried you would laugh at me and it would ruin our friendship,” she admitted. “But you never gave me even a hint of a sign!”

“Neither did you,” Chris pointed out. “But I really only had this epiphany a few weeks ago on your opening night. If you’ve felt like this for a while, I dunno how you’ve handled it because I felt like I was gonna explode tryin’ to keep it in.”

“Yeah, I noticed from the way you just barged into my apartment like you were about to tell me you murdered somebody or something,” Madeline teased, but as Chris chuckled and the sound caused a familiar fluttering in her heart, it also had the knots tightening back up in her stomach. “So, where do we go from here?”

“Well,” Chris shrugged. “I’d really like to take you on a date.”

The ear to ear grin that his suggestion put on her face had Madeline’s cheeks starting to ache in the best possible way and she wondered if she should pinch herself to make sure that she wasn’t dreaming.

“I’d really like that too.”

“Tonight? Do you have any rehearsals?”

“No, I don’t. I’m free tonight.”

“Perfect,” Chris nodded, as he quickly pulled himself off of the couch until he was standing in front of her. “I’ve gotta go check in and all that, but I’ll pick you up around six?”

Madeline nodded as Chris held out a hand to help her to her feet before pulling her in his arms. The energy between them was still a little uncertain as both of them tried to get their minds around the revelation that they’d had, but they took a moment to enjoy the calm they felt as they stood wrapped up in each other’s embrace. However, much sooner than Madeline would have liked, Chris dragged himself away and with the same chaotic, hurricane inspired energy that he’d entered her apartment with, he shouted a goodbye and disappeared as fast as he’d arrived.

Madeline spent the rest of the afternoon in a daze.

She’d felt almost giddy when Chris had left, but the more time that passed the more her doubts began to take over again. She couldn’t shake the thought that somehow she might have misunderstood him. That she would open the door to greet him later just to find out that she’d gotten it wrong and he hadn’t meant what he’d said. That still made more sense to her than the fact that after the years of pining away for him, she was finally getting what she’d always wanted.

It didn’t help that she was going through the turmoil alone.

She’d debated calling Scott for some kind of explanation or guidance, but if Chris was telling the truth about keeping his feelings to himself then she didn’t want to be the one to break the news. She also debated calling her mother, but she knew that there were no secrets between her and Chris’ mom and she didn’t want the news to spread before they’d had more time to figure out what was going on. So, she persevered with nothing but her own thoughts and tried not to let her anxiety ruin the moment that she’d been waiting for since she was old enough to realize the depth of her feelings for Chris.

By the time he buzzed her apartment and she was headed downstairs to meet him, she was shaking with nerves. However, the comforting familiarity of the smile on his face as she walked out of her apartment building’s lobby helped put her at ease.

“Hi,” he greeted her, pushing away from the wall he’d been leaning on as soon as he saw her. “Wow, you look amazing.”

His words filled her with relief as she’d spent more time than she wanted to admit agonizing over her outfit. She’d been tempted to message him to find out more about their plans, but her fear that he’d come to his senses and cancel completely stopped her from picking up the phone. She’d eventually settled on a short white dress paired with sneakers to keep it casual and a light coat to keep her warm in the evening spring air.

“Thanks,” she matched his smile. “I wasn’t sure where we’d be going so I was worried that I’d be overdressed.”

“No, definitely not. You look great.”

There was an air of awkwardness between them that Madeline wasn’t used to with Chris, but the edge of nervousness in his voice had her relieved that she wasn’t the only one thrown off by their new dynamic. Desperately trying to remember how she used to act around him, she slid her hands into the pockets of her jacket as she fidgeted under his gaze.

“So, where are we going?”

Her question seemed to snap Chris into action as his eyes left her outfit and lifted to meet hers.

“How does Italian sound?” He asked. “I made us a reservation, but if you’re in the mood for something else then I can think of something else.”

“Italian sounds perfect,” Madeline assured him. “Can we walk or should we get a cab?”

“We can walk,” Chris shrugged. “Shouldn’t take long, if you don’t mind.”

It was strange how - despite knowing each other their entire lives - their earlier conversation had suddenly left them with the social skills of two people meeting for the first time.

Madeline was used to Chris showing up at her apartment and demanding that she accompany him to whatever restaurant he’d been missing while he was out of town. He always made her walk regardless of how many hours she’d spent dancing that day or how sore her muscles were and she usually complained the entire time - whether it was three blocks or ten - and made fun of him for being too cheap for a cab despite his new life as a Hollywood superstar.

Now, they seemed to be walking on eggshells around each other. Madeline was determined to break the ice, but she cringed at the first question that came out of her mouth as they made their way down the sidewalk.

“It’s really warm today, isn’t it?”

They were far beyond talking about the weather, but Madeline couldn’t think of anything else to say that wasn’t a long rambled list of questions about how or why he’d suddenly decided he was in love with her.

“Is it?” Chris smiled. “After being in L.A. for the last few weeks, it feels like it’s freezing here.”

“I forgot that you’re a California boy now,” Madeline teased. “But compared to a couple of weeks ago, it’s really warm here now.”

“That’s the nice thing about coming back to the East coast,” Chris mused. “I prefer somewhere with actual seasons.”

“Me too. I couldn’t live in L.A. with its endless summer.” Madeline’s observation didn’t draw much of a response from Chris and her stomach started churning as a silence fell between them. They made it another block before Madeline couldn’t take the awkwardness any longer and blurted out another question. “Chris, this is weird, isn’t it?”

Biting her lip, she looked up at him and braced for him to breathe a sigh of relief, agree with her and take back everything he’d said, but his response was far different than she anticipated. His eyes widening in surprise, he quickly shook his head.

“No, no, it’s not!” His insistence felt forced and untrue and a sigh fell from his lips. “Okay, it’s a little weird, I’m sorry. I just really didn’t expect today to go the way that it did, I didn’t think this far ahead.”

Madeline knew that Chris wasn’t always as confident and self-assured as the persona that he tried to present to the world, but his shyness in that moment tugged at her heart. They were in it together now - both of them had said things that couldn’t easily be taken back - and they had to muddle through the mess they’d created as a team. Their walking had slowed when she’d put forth the question, but feeling a sudden rush of courage, she slipped her hand into his.

“I wasn’t expecting any of this to happen today so I’m definitely a little shocked by it all,” she admitted as they settled back into their pace. “But I think we just need to relax. We’re just hanging out, right?”

The fact that their hands were now clasped as Madeline leaned against his arm made it clear that it was a little more than that, but she felt Chris’ shoulders drop as his tension eased and he squeezed her hand as he nodded his head.

“Yeah, you’re right,” he agreed. “Sorry, I’m just tryin’ to quiet all the noise in my brain.”

“You don’t need to be sorry,” Madeline assured him. “Trust me, I get it. I spent most of the afternoon trying to convince myself that I hadn’t hallucinated our entire conversation.”

She heard a soft chuckle slip from Chris’ lips and the sound had her unable to hold back a smile.

“I don’t blame you for that one, it was a little more chaotic than I’d planned on it being.”

“Oh, really? Did you have some big romantic plan?”

“Nah, I didn’t really have any plan at all,” he admitted. “Every time I tried to think about what I would say I got so nervous that I didn't think I’d be able to do it at all, but I thought even if I was just winging it I would have been able to come up with something better than what I did.”

“To be honest, I don’t think it would have mattered how you told me. I would have been shocked either way,” Madeline admitted, hoping that a reminder of her own confession would put him at ease. “I really have felt the same way about you for almost as long as I can remember, but I never thought you’d think of me that way.”

Chris led her around a corner and onto another street as he glanced down at her, his eyes skimming over her face as if he was searching for any sign of a lie.

“I can’t wrap my head around that,” Chris mused. “It never crossed my mind that you might already feel the same, I thought I’d have to convince you to give me a chance.”

“I guess I got a little too good at hiding how I feel, but I never wanted to make you uncomfortable.”

“Well, that’s much more respectable than my strategy,” Chris commended her. “Bursting into your apartment on the edge of a panic attack and practically screaming it at you could have definitely made things uncomfortable.”

“I dunno, I’m pretty used to your dramatics by now,” Madeline teased. “And one of us had to take the plunge so I’m glad that you told me despite the slightly insane delivery.”

There was a smile on her face as she spoke, but as Chris chuckled and led her around another corner with the assurance that they were almost there, her smile faltered slightly.

“Chris, I only know one Italian restaurant on this street and it’s way out of my price range.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Chris shrugged. “I asked you out, it’s on me.”

“It does matter though,” she insisted. “Captain America isn’t out yet, it might be a total flop and I don’t want you to be in debt because you took me out to dinner.”

She tried to keep her tone light and teasing, but she couldn’t deny the twinge of guilt in her stomach. Her promotion had come with a decent pay rise, but being a ballerina hadn’t always been a particularly lucrative career and living in New York had always been expensive. Restaurants like the one they were walking towards were not somewhere she would usually even consider dining and she didn’t want Chris to waste his money just to impress her.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” His words were laced with sarcasm as he bumped his hip against hers. “But even if Captain America flops, I can afford one dinner here - especially if it means making a good impression on you.”

He shot her a wink that had her cheeks heating up and silenced her protests as he opened the door to the restaurant. She watched as he discreetly gave his name and followed him as he was led to a table near the back, choosing to sit with his back to the door to hide his identity if anyone happened to notice them. From her seat, Madeline had a good view of the place and - food aside - she could see why it was as expensive as it was. With the exquisite decor and impeccably dressed waiters, she knew it wasn’t the type of place that they usually went to and while it was unnecessary, she was touched that Chris was putting in so much effort to make it special.

Chris ordered a bottle of red wine for them to share and Madeline glanced over the menu, trying her best to ignore the prices. She didn’t want any further protests about the cost to be taken as doubt of his financial security and when the waiter returned with their wine and to take their orders, she picked a pasta dish in the middle of the price range to avoid the argument that she knew would ensue if she went for the cheaper option of a salad.

When they were finally alone once again, Chris raised his glass.

“Cheers,” he smiled, waiting for Madeline to copy his action with a smile of her own. “To new beginnings.”

Clinking their glasses together as they toasted before taking a sip, Madeline let the rich, full-bodied wine float on her tongue for a moment before letting his words segue her into the question that had been on her mind all afternoon.

“Speaking of new beginnings, we’ve established that I’ve been pining away for you for a long time,” she started. “But you said you had an epiphany just a few weeks ago so I guess I’m just wondering what sparked that?”

“I don’t really know,” Chris admitted. “It just hit me when I was watching you dance. I think I’ve been in love with you for a long time, but I was too stupid to see it.”

“You’re not stupid, it’s a complicated situation.”

“Yeah, but you’ve always been super important to me,” Chris continued. “I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting to figure it all out and things were different between us even when we were kids. I was always making sure that Ma invited you to everything we did because I just felt this need to be around you and it hasn’t ever gone away. I think about you all the time and you’re always at the top of my list of people I want to see. I can’t believe it took me so long to figure out why.”

He looked a little sheepish as he finished talking, but his words had Madeline feeling so full of love that she thought her heart might burst.

“I’ve always known we had something special,” Madeline agreed, reaching out to rest her hand on his where it rested on the table. “I think that’s why I was too scared to tell you how I felt in case it ruined our friendship. I was so worried that you’d be creeped out and I’d lose you forever and being your friend seemed better than nothing.”

“That’s not gonna happen,” he assured her. “Even if this doesn’t work out, I think we can be mature enough to stay friends.”

“I hope so,” Madeline smiled. “Because you’re, like, my safety blanket. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Chris nodded, but as he flipped his hand to intertwine their fingers again as they had earlier that day, Madeline noticed a worried look had crossed his face.

“I have to leave soon though,” he reminded her. “I’d love to stay longer, but I’m leaving at the end of the week to start filming.”

“I know, but that’s okay,” Madeline shrugged. “I’ll miss you like I always do, but maybe I can come and visit you? May and June are a little busy for me, but I could probably come for a weekend and after our June performances wrap up then I’ll be free for at least six weeks.”

She’d already thought about it as she was getting ready for their date, but a blush rose on her cheeks as she realized how eager sounded. Chris, however, didn’t seem to notice as her words softened the anxious tension in his jaw.

“Great, that sounds perfect. I’ll check my filming schedule and we can make some plans, I might be able to sneak back here for a few days too.”

It was comforting to know that Chris was as desperate to stay connected as she was, but the way his brow stayed furrowed as if he was deep in thought told Madeline there was more he wanted to say. She rubbed her thumb against his skin and waited to see if he would come clean, but after a few more moments of silence she tentatively prompted him to open up.

“You look worried.”

He seemed a little caught off guard by her observation, but after another moment of thought he let out a sigh.

“I guess I am,” he admitted. “You know how anxious I was about taking on the role of Captain America and a lot of that was because of some of the less positive ways such a big role could change my life. If we give this a shot then you’ll be dragged into it all too.”

Madeline felt a pang of relief that his concern wasn’t due to any second thoughts and shrugged her shoulders.

“I don’t care about that. I’ve already kinda been dragged into it with the fans you have now. They’re always curious about who I am or fishing for information because they assume we have some kind of history together. I can handle it.”

“But it could get a lot worse so I get it if you want to take some time to think it over.”

“I don’t,” Madeline insisted, her voice firm and leaving no room for him to argue. “I don’t need any time to think this over, I’ve been thinking it over for years. If you want this then so do I.”

“I do want it,” Chris assured her, squeezing her hand. “But if it gets too much at any point, you’ve gotta tell me.”

Madeline nodded and promised she would, but she was relieved to see their food arriving at the table and used the interruption to transition the conversation to things that made Chris look less stressed.

They talked about how excited he was to get back to work, she gushed about how thrilled she was to complete her first set of performances as a principal dancer, they chatted about their families and what everyone was up to and by the time they were done eating the awkward tension that had hung around them at the start of the date had vanished completely. Time flew by as they were wrapped up in each other as it always did when they were together and it wasn’t until they were walking with their arms linked back to Madeline’s apartment when they broached the subject of what would happen next.

“Thank you for dinner,” Madeline murmured, leaning against him for warmth in the cool evening air. “I appreciate you taking me somewhere so nice, but I hope you know me well enough to know that I don’t need fancy restaurants to impress me.”

“I know,” Chris nodded. “I just wanted to do something kinda special to mark the moment.”

“That’s really sweet,” Madeline smiled, feeling a twinge of nervousness as she forced the next words out of her mouth. “I found a really cute place the other day that’s a little more our style so maybe I can plan our next date?”

“Sure, how about tomorrow?"

His question had the breath she’d been holding - braced for the rejection that she couldn’t shake away her fear of - puffing from her lips with a laugh.

“Tomorrow?” She giggled. “Aren’t you supposed to play it cool and wait at least three days to text me again?”

“I think we’re a little past that,” Chris chuckled. “And we’ve gotta make up for lost time so I’m free tomorrow if you are.”

His eagerness was encouraging and considering he had to leave at the end of the week, Madeline was happy to make the most of the time they had.

“I have training tomorrow night,” she informed him. “But I’m free in the afternoon if you’re okay with a lunch date.”

“Absolutely,” he agreed with no hesitation. “I have no plans for most of the time I’m here so I’ll take as much time with you as you’re willing to give me.”

The sincerity in his voice had Madeline melting with relief as she felt the same way. Their new situation still felt so precarious - as if it could all be taken away any minute as fast as it had happened - and she felt the urge to stay close to him even more than she usually did.

“Perfect,” Madeline smiled as they reached her apartment building and their goodbye loomed over them. “The place is close to the dance studio, but I’ll text you the address in the morning.”

She slipped her arm away from his to reach into her purse for her keys and couldn’t help but wonder how the night would end. She was hoping desperately for a goodnight kiss, but as she lingered by the door waiting for him to make a move, she quickly began to lose hope.

“Well, thanks again,” she smiled, feeling the earlier awkwardness creeping back in. “I had a really nice time.”

Chris flashed her a smile of his own and she felt her heartbeat pick up speed as he moved closer towards her. She was sure that it was the moment she’d been waiting for, but disappointment washed over her like an icy cold wave as he murmured a soft ‘me too’ and pulled her into his arms for a hug.

By the time Madeline got to the dance studio the following evening, she was feeling disheartened.

She’d had another wonderful date with Chris and everything seemed to be going well, but he’d left her at the door of the studio with nothing but a hug once again. Other than the new addition of handholding, the shift in their relationship really wasn’t that noticeable and Madeline couldn't help but wonder why - if he was in love with her - he wouldn’t be as desperate for more as she was.

Her heart felt heavy in her chest as she went through the motions of changing from her date clothes into something more appropriate for the hours of dance ahead of her and she was relieved that she’d be able to bury herself into something that always helped clear her mind. Nothing helped her escape her problems like going through the familiar motions of ballet until her muscles were burning with exhaustion.

However, the deep sigh that fell from her lips as she pushed open the door to the studio she’d be training in that night hindered her attempts to run away from her troubles as it drew the attention of her friend.

“Hey,” Heidi called over from where she was stretching across the room. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Madeline nodded, walking over to join her in front of the mirror. “I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

It was a simple question, but it left Madeline feeling very conflicted. She felt like she was in desperate need of advice and keeping Chris’ confession to herself for the last twenty-fours had been a struggle, but she also didn’t want to share the news if it was all about to crumble out from underneath her. She debated her options for a brief moment before the clear concern on Heidi’s face won her over and she began to spill her tale of woe.

“I’m okay,” she assured her. “But I went on a date today, and last night.”

Heidi bit back a smile as Madeline’s vague explanation had her raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, that totally explains why you look like someone just ruined your life.” Her tone was sarcastic, but Madeline wasn’t entirely sure she was wrong. “Who was your date with?”

“My friend Chris.”

There was a moment of silence as Heidi gave Madeline a very suspicious look before posing another question.

“Your friend Chris? The one that most people know as the actor Chris Evans?”

“Yep, that’s the one.”

“Oh my god, Maddie! Good for you, he’s seriously hot!” The enthusiasm in her response had a reluctant smile sliding onto Madeline’s face despite the turmoil she was feeling. “But I still don’t understand why that news has you looking so sad…”

“It’s gonna sound so stupid when I say it out loud,” Madeline warned her. “You’ll think I'm an idiot.”

“I won’t, I promise.”

Madeline bit her lip as she leaned into the stretch she was doing, hoping to hide the rising blush in her cheeks.

“Because he hasn’t kissed me yet.” She blurted out her explanation, but quickly followed it up with a rundown of how their dates had come to be to give Heidi a little more context before she got to the root of what was bothering her. “It just feels like nothing has really changed. Our dates were nice, but nothing we didn’t do as friends other than a little extra hand holding. It seems weird.”

Taking a moment to take it all in, Heidi nodded understandingly until she lifted her shoulders in a shrug.

“Maybe he just wants to take it slow? You know, maybe he doesn’t want to make any big moves and really cross that line until he’s really sure that he’s figured out his feelings.”

“I think that’s what I’m worried about,” Madeline admitted. “He sounded so sure of himself when he told me how he was feeling, but he did say he only realized a few weeks ago so now I feel like he’s changed his mind after spending time with me.”

“I bet that’s not the problem,” Heidi insisted. “It’s not like he’s never spent time with you before, he already knows you pretty well.”

“Exactly, what else would he need to figure out?”

“I don’t know, but it’s a big step to cross that line and really become more than just friends. He could be following your lead and waiting for you to make a move.”

As the idea had Madeline’s stomach twisting in knots, her brow furrowed with displeasure.

“Why would he do that?”

“Well, he already put himself out there by sharing his feelings in the first place, right? Maybe he’s waiting for you to make the next move to show that you’re really on the same page.”

“But I’ve already told him that we’re on the same page and that I’ve been in love with him for years.”

“Yeah, but showing is different to telling,” Heidi pointed out. “When are you seeing him again?”

“Tomorrow,” Madeline sighed. “And probably on Friday too, but he leaves Friday night to start working on his next movie.”

“Okay, so when you see him tomorrow why don’t you kiss him and see what happens?”

Again, just the thought of being so bold had Madeline almost overwhelmed by anxiety.

“Because, what if I try and he just pushes me away.”

“I have a pretty good feeling that he won’t, but if he does then at least you have your answer,” Heidi shrugged. “Then he’ll leave to go back to work and by the time you see him again the dust will have settled and you can pretend it all never happened.”

Madeline swallowed hard as she blinked back the tears that were suddenly swimming in her eyes. It felt like an all too real possibility and she wasn’t sure it was something she could handle.

“That would break my heart,” she admitted. “I love him so much.”

“I know, sweetheart, and if it happens I’ll be here for you,” Heidi assured her, pulling her into a hug. “But that’s, like, the worst case scenario. I’m almost a thousand percent sure that he’ll be all over you once you give him the green light.”

Her confidence in that statement pulled a giggled from Madeline as she felt some of her tension ease. It did seem a little unlikely that Chris would have changed his mind so quickly after he seemed so sincere when he told her how he felt. Their dates had gone well - there were no major hiccups or issues that should have made him backtrack - and the fact that Heidi didn’t seem to think she should give up and run away had her feeling slightly less hopeless than she had when she’d arrived in the studio.

Once her feeling of dread had been dampened and the other dancers arrived, Madeline let herself get lost in their training. She pushed herself until there was no room in her mind to think about anything other than the task at hand and the time away from her thoughts left her with much more clarity. Heidi was right. She needed to have a little faith in Chris’ feelings, but making a move and being rejected was better than letting him leave town with everything still feeling so uncertain.

Heading back out the door of the dance studio, she felt far more centered than she had when she’d arrived and she had a fierce determination to end her date with Chris the next day with more than just a hug.

Staring at the woman across the table from him, Chris felt like a complete idiot.

He couldn’t believe how blind he’d been for so many years or how it was possible that he hadn’t realized what had been right in front of him for his entire life. Every smile, every giggle, every happy sigh that fell from her lips had his heart fluttering in his chest and it left him stunned that he hadn’t let himself fully appreciate all the warmth and joy she brought to his life. She’d been with him through the tough times when he struggled in auditions and felt like his career was going nowhere, she’d been there for his parents’ divorce when his whole idea of his perfect family was shattered, she’d always been a source of calm when his anxiety reared its ugly head. She was the person he went to when he needed to feel safe. She understood him better than almost anyone outside of his family. He really couldn’t believe that it had taken him so long to understand the depth of his feelings for her.

He was also still scratching his head about how he got lucky enough for her to feel the same way. He thought there were two options when he got to her apartment earlier that week - she would either completely reject him and want nothing to do with his newly discovered feelings or be neutral and willing to be convinced - but he didn’t even entertain the idea that his admission would be met by Madeline’s own confession of love. She was funny, kind, intelligent, feisty and absolutely gorgeous. She was passionate about her goals and dedicated enough to be achieving some of her biggest dreams before she was even thirty. He had no idea what he’d done to be worthy of her love, but he was grateful to have it and willing to do anything to show her that she wasn’t making a mistake by giving him a shot.

Because he was completely head over heels for her.

Everything about her seemed to stoke the new fire that was burning inside him and her flirtatious mood was driving him wild. Maybe it was the cocktails she was sipping on or just the comfort they’d slipped into after their first couple of dates, but she couldn’t seem to keep her hands to herself. They’d always had a very physical relationship - all their time spent together as kids had shattered some of the spatial boundaries that many adult friendships had - but there was something different about it after what they’d both shared and the way she kept rubbing her foot against his leg under the table was proving to be very distracting.

However, her tactile mood did put him at ease. He’d been dying to kiss her since the moment he’d stormed into her apartment, but he was worried about pushing her too far too fast. He knew it was quite a bomb that he’d dropped by announcing his feelings so out of the blue and he didn’t want to overwhelm her. The lingering fear of rejection was also a contributing factor because it had taken more courage than he thought he had to confess how he felt and if Madeline had just been swept up in the moment, but turned him down when he really tried to make a move then he wasn’t sure he could handle the pain that would cause him.

He knew he needed to seal the deal before he left - especially since he didn’t know exactly when he would see her again - and the affection she was showing him was giving him the confidence he needed to finally cross that line.

It wasn’t until they were walking back towards Madeline’s apartment that Chris felt the nerves begin to creep back in. He’d been so close to breaking through that last line between friendship and more when he’d dropped her off at the dance studio the day before, but he’d chickened out at the last minute. He was determined not to make the same mistake again, but he could feel the anxious thoughts creeping into his mind.

“So,” Madeline interrupted his thoughts as they turned onto her block, arms linked once again. “What time is your flight tomorrow?”

“Late afternoon, I think.” Chris sighed as the thought of leaving her now had him feeling quite morose. “But we could get breakfast if you’re not dancing?”

“No, I’ll be dancing in the afternoon so that’s perfect.”

The way she squeezed his arm a little tighter as she spoke had him looking down at her to see her gazing right back up at him.

“What?” He asked, a soft smile sliding onto his face.

“I don’t want you to go…” Her words were soft and her eyes widened as they slipped out of her mouth as if she hadn’t meant to say them out loud. “I mean, I’m so happy for you and excited that you get to work on such a big project, but I wish you’d be closer.”

“Me too,” Chris agreed. “But we’ll make it work.”

“But they film lots of movies in New York, I don’t understand why they can’t just film it all here instead.”

The pout that slid onto her face earned a chuckle from Chris as they stopped outside her building.

“I dunno either, but I don’t think I have quite enough sway yet to get them to change it for me.”

“Can’t have the Avengers without Captain America,” Madeline pointed out. “I think it’s worth a shot.”

She slipped away from him to dig through her purse for her keys and Chris immediately missed the warmth of her body against his. As their goodbye drew closer, he knew what he needed to do, but the doubts in his head were holding him back. He felt frozen where he stood with his hands in his pockets until he noticed her watching him - keys in her hand - with an expectant look on her face.

Moving closer, he slipped his arms around her as he had at the end of their previous dates and he felt her tense slightly before she lifted her arms, wrapping them around his neck to pull him close. She felt so good, she smelt good, everything about her just made him want her more and he leaned back enough to glance down at her. It seemed the expectant look on her face had shifted into disappointment and that had Chris unsure of his next move. The hug was lingering, dragging on longer than seemed reasonable and he knew he had to act quickly, but in his panic his insecurities took hold and he felt his earlier bravery slipping away.

He dipped his head, aiming to press a kiss against her cheek, but a shift of her head had him catching the corner of her lips instead. Even that was enough to have his heart racing, but as he tried to pull away, he felt Madeline’s hand on the back of his neck holding him in place.

“Please…”

It was hardly more than a whimper, but Chris knew what she was asking for and the simple word filled him with courage. He needed no further prompting to lean back in and press his lips against hers and her immediate response pushed any doubt from his mind.

Feeling a spark seemed like such a cliche, but it was really the only way Chris could think to describe the moment. The rush of love and desire he felt had his grip tightening on her waist as her hand slid up to his hair as if both of them were desperate to be as close to each other as physically possible. He felt consumed by her like he would crumble if she ever pulled herself out of his arms and when she broke the kiss to catch a much needed breath the sight of her slightly swollen lips had him unable to resist diving back in for more.

Neither of them were sure how much time had passed as they stood on the doorstep of her building completely lost in each other. The need to stay connected had them both too wound up to even think of walking away, but as Chris struggled to find the willpower to force out a ‘goodnight’, Madeline had another suggestion.

“Do you wanna stay here?” She asked as she fought to catch her breath. “If we’re meeting up in the morning anyway you may as well save yourself a cab ride.”

Her reasoning had a smirk sliding onto Chris’ face, but he was too relieved by the offer to make fun of her ulterior motives.

“I like the way you think. I’d love to stay.”

Madeline flashed him a grin before stealing another quick kiss and slipping out of his arms. She found her keys on the ground where they’d slipped from her hands in their frenzy and hurried to unlock the door, leading him through the hallways until they reached her apartment where they spent the rest of the night exploring all the things they’d missed out on in the years they’d wasted pretending to be just friends.

Tags: @maggotzombie @moonlacebeam @mizzzpink @flowery-mess @flowerjewels@hockeychick10 @partypoison00 @theladybiers @sidepieces @patzammit @sparkledfirecracker @mytbel0st @denisemarieangelina @elrw24 @findthebeautyinbreakdowns @trottae17 @annvail @rach2602 @sarahdonald87 @firephotogrl74 @ourfinest-hour @k-evans-writes

#chris evans #chris evans fic #chris evans fanfiction #chris evans fanfic #chris evans fan fiction #back to you

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moviecritc · 4 days

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part 2, from the start ⋆ oscar piastri series

pairing: oscar piastri x driver!oc (named Margo Castello)

tropes: childhood friends to lovers

summary: margo gets ready for the FIA event in Baku, meeting eyes with oscar for the first time in years

warnings: none

a/n: english is not my first language, sorry for the mistakes and poor storytelling.

masterlist | wattpad | letterboxd

part 2 of the from the start series

She had arrived in London the previous afternoon. It was already past one in the afternoon, and she had just woken up to a row of replicas of her trophies won in that championship, because the real ones had been kept by the team, to place on their shelf. She knew going to London wasn't a great idea, because in a few days she would have to rush to Baku for the FIA gala. But it was where she had her flat and her dog, a white chihuahua named McLovin, whom she hadn't seen in months.

She made herself breakfast; now that she had a bit of freedom to eat and drink what she wanted, she felt quite liberated. She had always struggled to stick to a diet, although now she was faced with the fear of eating something she shouldn't.

While having breakfast, she took a look at the Alfa Romeo profile. There were a few days left before they announced her as a driver for the 2024 season, along with her teammate, Zhou Guanyu.

She couldn't even believe it yet. After almost fifteen years in the industry, she was finally going to reach where she had been wanting to get for so long: Formula 1. She had given it her all and she had made it. She had fulfilled her dream, and that generated a strange sensation in her body. Plus, her best friend would also be around the paddock, as a reserve driver at Ferrari.

The only problem she saw was Oscar. Oscar fucking Piastri. Almost two years without exchanging a word or seeing each other. Sometimes Margo wondered what had gone through Oscar's mind the day he decided to leave her on read and stop seeing her stories, although he continued to follow her, probably to avoid causing a stir on social media.

But it burned inside her that her former best friend had become a complete stranger overnight. She tried not to talk about it with her friends; she was supposed to have gotten over it, she had cried a little for him, out of frustration, and had moved on with her life. But deep down, she still wanted to confront him and scream at him: Why?

・🫧・

Baku

She had jet lag, a lot of jet lag, but she still went to have breakfast with Zel and Théo Pourchaire. The three of them had achieved the top three positions in the championship and were in Baku to collect their prizes at the FIA gala.

"You showed up!" Zel exclaimed upon seeing her. They greeted each other with a kiss on the cheek, and then she fist-bumped Théo.

He had been her biggest competitor that season; because of him, several races had become more challenging, although not enough for her to lose the championship. Also, now that the season was over and they weren't working anymore, Théo was back to being the French guy who crashed into her in go-karts.

"Good morning to you too," she said to Zel, with a slight glare, although she quickly changed it to a calm smile.

"Isn't it amazing that we're here?" Théo commented, putting both hands on the table, with a glint of excitement in his eyes.

"Yeah," Zel agreed, before adding, "although I think Margo is a little nervous."

Margo, who was in the middle of a yawn, shut her mouth instantly.

"Why would I be?" she questioned, pointing to herself.

"Because of Oscar," Zel spoke, in a whisper.

Margo rolled her eyes exaggeratedly; Oscar would also be at the gala, to collect his Rookie of the Year award, even though it was the second time he had won it.

"Whatever," was all she said.

"Don't deny it!" Zel emphasized, with all the excitement in the world.

Théo looked at Margo with a curious look; she shook her head slightly to prevent him from asking questions she didn't feel like answering.

"Zel, I just want to pick up my trophy, celebrate it, and go back to London with my dog and my mom," Margo nodded, pressing her lips together.

"Aw, well," Zel made a face, taking a sip of her coffee.

Margo watched as her agent entered the dining room and walked to their table. "Girls, you need to start getting ready now."

They looked at each other and then at Théo with a little pity for leaving him alone. But he wrinkled his nose a bit and told them not to worry, that he would go to his room in a while.

Margo was the first to shower; meanwhile, the dresses for the gala had arrived, and the makeup artists would come in an hour. When she came out, Zel was lying on the bed on a video call with Logan.

"Logan! Tell your girlfriend to stop messing around and come help me!" Zel laughed, and Logan laughed a little too.

"We'll talk later, okay?" Zel said, blowing a kiss to the camera. "Bye, love."

"Bye, beautiful," came from the phone.

They hung up, and Zel got up under Margo's curious gaze.

"Why haven't you guys said 'I love you' to each other yet?" she asked.

Zel shrugged. "Can I help you with the dress?"

Margo didn't dwell on that question any longer, and they started getting ready. Her stylist had brought her a pink satin dress with a slit in the leg and white gloves. Zel had opted for a sleeveless white dress with black details and a bit of flare. They felt like complete princesses.

"Look at us, the next Alfa Romeo driver and the next Ferrari reserve driver," Zel said as they looked at themselves in the mirror.

Margo took a couple of photos in the mirror, with them posing. "I can't believe we'll be in Formula 1 next year."

"I can't believe you're going to reunite with Oscar," Zel said, with total excitement.

Margo rolled her eyes unpleasantly and left the bathroom. Shortly after, the makeup artists arrived, and they left them looking beautiful. Margo sent her mother a few photos of Jezebel and herself.

While waiting for the car to pick them up, they stayed in the room watching episodes of Community. It had been Margo's favorite series since she was little, and whenever she was a bit nervous, any episode of Community would calm her down, at least for twenty-one minutes.

The car arrived to pick them up very punctually; Théo met them in the elevator and praised their outfits. In the car, Margo's hands were already sweating; it would be her first contact with the Formula 1 champions that year. Margo had vague memories of watching Max Verstappen debut in the Australian Grand Prix in 2014, and since then, he had become her favorite. Knowing that she was going to compete against him after so long seemed like an incredible madness.

There were cameras everywhere, although they weren't the ones that the journalists wanted to take more photos of. All the journalists were waiting for the three Formula 1 champions to arrive, so Margo felt like the flashes of their cameras were only out of pure compassion.

First, on the small red carpet, they posed separately, but Margo quickly waved them to come closer, and Zel and Théo joined her, and they posed together.

Margo slightly turned her head to the left, exchanging glances with Oscar Piastri by mistake. Two years without seeing each other, and there he was, in a suit and waiting to pose after them. They looked at each other for a moment, and Margo could see a hint of a smile in Oscar's expression. She remained completely serious and turned her gaze back to the front, showing a smile that was now fake.

"Look. Oscar is on the carpet," Zel said, after leaving the camera area. She looked back again, but this time he didn't turn. He seemed a bit overwhelmed by the cameras, but she forced herself not to care.

Margo made an unpleasant face. "I don't care."

"Sure," Zel said, pursing her lips.

"I'm serious, damn it. I come to pick up my award and I'm leaving," Margo declared, putting her hands on her hips. "No, wait. I pick up my award and I'm going to the PREMA party to drink."

Zel burst out laughing, and when she turned around, Margo locked eyes with Oscar again, biting the inside of her cheek.

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ijustreallylovethem · 9 months

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can you write a mark and elle angst but with a happy ending? Maybe something where emma just decides to make a move in mark at a party so she goes and kisses him when she knows elle can see and elle tries to run out of the house obviously angry and upset (with emma not mark) so mark runs after her thinking she’s pissed at him. But when he finally catches up to her he’s trying to explain how it was all emma and he tried pushing her away as soon as she kissed him and he’s freaking out because he thinks elle is going to break up with him because of this but Elle’s just like hey I trust you and I know it wasn’t your fault. I know you would never do that. Then he walks her home and they make love

it’s a week after emma tries to sit next to elle in class. mark had been playing beer pong with ethan and elle was talking to a few of her friends. they could still see each other, only being about fifteen feet away. the boys lost by only one cup and accepted their defeat, walking away from the table. elle noticed them stop a few feet away from the table and talk for a moment, but she knew mark would make his way over when he was done.

ethan patted mark on the back and walked away and then mark was looking up at elle with a smile. he started walking over to her but was stopped when someone stepped in front of him. elle’s jaw dropped as emma pulled mark down by his neck and kissed him. mark was surprised, but pushed her away from him.

“what the fuck?”

“i haven’t seen you in so long! how was your summer? here by yourself?”

“no, i’m here with my girlfriend.” at the mention of elle, mark looked up to find that she was no longer standing with her friends. emma was saying something about how she thought they broke up over the summer but mark walked away, searching around the house. he made his way outside and a quick sweep of the front yard had his eyes meeting her figure. he sighs, glad that she’s still here, and makes his way over to her. when he reaches her, she turns and starts walking down the sidewalk, him following closely behind. “elle, listen-“

“mark-“

“no please, i didn’t even know she was here. she just showed up and kissed me and i pushed her away, i promise. i would never-

“mark! i know, i saw the whole thing.”

“oh. are you mad?” he saw her clench her fist.

“not at you.” he let out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding.

“oh thank god. why did you leave then?”

“it was either leave or punch her right in the face, and i feel like you get in enough fights for the both of us, so i left.” he couldn’t help the smile that formed on his lips at her words.

“if you would’ve punched her i probably wouldn’t have stopped you,” he told her, causing her to roll her eyes.

“yeah, because she deserves it.” now he’s laughing.

“yeah, she kinda does.” they turn and walk up the sidewalk to the front door of the house mark shared with the other juniors, elle waiting for mark to unlock the door.

“is it weird if i ask you to brush your teeth before you kiss me?” she asked as they walked in.

“no. she tried to immediately stick her tongue in my mouth. it feel like my mouth was assaulted.” elle’s face screwed up in disgust.

“ew, yeah, go brush. and throw away your toothbrush after.”

“yes ma’am.” he gave her a little salute, walking into the bathroom as elle kept going down the hallway to his room.

“come and find me when you’re done,” she said with a small smirk, one that mark mirrored as he grabbed the toothpaste, repeating his words under his breath.

#raegan talks about blurbs #mark estapa #mark x elle

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butterflies-and-blades · 4 months

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Session 23: Unexpected

We moved outside, and with the little guidance we had been given, we quickly found a temple that matched the vibe we were after: a white marble structure with four columns along the face of the building. At the top of each column resided a single torch that flickered with glowing green flames that were oddly reminiscent of Verca's eye when it flares in that odd way it does sometimes. However, when Verca caught up with Talo and me--we had somehow gotten ahead of him--, the torches turned blue. We asked if he saw, but he somehow hadn't caught the change.

There was no door to the temple, just a large opening in the marble that faced the street. We followed Verca inside. The temple was silent and empty--aside from our intrusion. Without saying anything to us, Talo moved deeper inside, looking around. I stayed put and called out, "Hello?" seeing if there were any attendants in earshot.

A tall, cloaked figure stepped out of the shadows that clung to the back of the room. "What business have ye?" asked a masculine voice beneath the hood. Purple smoke rose from an unseen mouth. Talo paused, intrigue clear in their now wide eyes and lightly tilted head.

Verca asked about the temple's meeting policy.

The figure told us we had to wish to go. A decrepit hand reached out form the cloak, palm up. The attendant asked for a payment in exchange for whatever meeting we were after. None of the other temples had made us pay to meet with their gods. The request left a sour taste in the back of my throat. I wondered if the requirement of payment to worship that was why no one seemed to come to this temple--at least not anymore.

Talo handed over a Gold Piece first. Verca and I awkwardly complied shortly after. The man retracted his hand with his earnings and told us to follow as he turned toward a hall that branched out to the side.

During the walk, Talo said out of nowhere, aloud, "Well...it sort of happens to me," followed by the unpredictable green wisps. I had to assume they had been conversing telepathically with the man in private considering his own wisps.

"I've been like this the entire time I've been here," he replied simply, then paused at the top of a dark stairwell and looked at all of us. "Follow along. You don't want to get lost on the trip."

We all pushed ahead, swallowed by dark stone and shadow until the floor eventually evened out.

"Watch your step; this is the most dangerous part. I don't want any of you to fall in," the attendant said. Despite his words, he did not sound particularly concerned about our safety. I could almost hear the grin behind his hood.

Ahead of us, a narrow pathway--no more than five feet wide, ran ahead as far as I could see. On either side, hands reached out of a cavernous void. They were a mismatched collection of skeletal and flesh and something entirely different. I cast Light on my scythe so people could better see where they were walking.

"I don't want anyone joining them ahead of schedule," the man said. "Follow if you wish," and he kept going. Each of his steps were silent, and his body didn't move with the rhythm of a someone mid stride. There was a smoothness that was much more akin to floating.

As we carefully followed his lead, I stayed at the head of our little group. Occasionally, I looked back to check on Verca, keeping an eye on how he was doing. Each time, he seemed relatively fine, but I also knew how hard it could be to get a solid read on him at times.

The on-the-surface endless path eventually did end, coming up to a massive set of wooden double doors--about thirty feet tall and fifteen feet wide. At their center, a crest was carved into the wood. The image showed a three headed dog with glowing red eyes.

"End of the ride for you. Do as you wish, and good luck on your trip back," said our guide, chuckling faintly to himself as he faded into nothing. Which was weird, but there was not a lot of time to focus on that.

Verca moved to the front of our line and stepped forward to try pushing the doors open, but he was interrupted by one of the hands along the walkway that grabbed at his ankle. Verca fell onto his stomach, and the hand tried to drag him into the abyss.

I dove for his wrist, trying to keep him from falling over the edge, even though I knew I had never been particularly strong. I had to try something, and that was all I could think to do in the moment. And while I kept a hold on Verca, I felt the floor slide beneath by stomach. We were both being pulled.

Thinking quickly, Talo enlarged Verca--breaking the hand's grip--and dropped the spell so that he could get back up on the narrow platform.

"Run. Now," Verca ordered, and we all rushed through the--luckily unlocked--doors that opened as soon as we touched them.

We spilled into a home office space that was surprisingly small for how grand the doors had been. There wasn't much decor aside from the sturdy wooden desk situated at the center of the room and the fireplace nestled into a side wall. The flames danced through shades of blue, red, green, and gold.

Behind the desk sat a man with slicked back black hair, head down with his attention fully locked onto whatever he was working on. He wore a crisp black jacket with a blue shirt underneath. The shirt collar and wrists poked out beyond the jacket, exposing a white trim that broke up all the blue and black.

Not looking up, the man asked, "What do you want?"

I looked to Verca and said his name, letting him take the lead here.

The man's head shot up. "How do you know that name?"

Talo and I frowned, and we both said that was his name, pointing to Verca.

The man waved a hand, dismissing the desk and rushing toward Verca--arms spread wide as if preparing for a hug. It only took a few steps for the tall man to cover the comparatively small space, but in that time, Verca's mantle from the day we met flared and whipped to life in a nonexistent breeze. Stars blinked awake across the dark fabric.

The instant the man touched Verca, there was a burst of light, and the figure was pushed back. A pained grimace clearly pulled at his face as he tried to regather himself.

I half stepped in front of Verca--more concerned about him than the man--, my grip tightening around my scythe to the point that my hand hurt through my glove. I didn't know what was going on, but I wasn't going to allow him to be hurt by complacency.

In a transformation reminiscent of when Thanatos fell away to Hel, I watched the man turn into something else, piece by piece, until we were staring down someone new: a man with a skeletal head with broad antlers who sat in the air like it was his chair.

Wielding a new voice, this figure asked us our names. My grip around the scythe intensified--as did the stinging pain that now climbed my arm--, and I hesitated to answer, remembering Da's old warnings about names.

Before I gave an answer, he compared me to Hel. Similarly, he also implied that the two of us had met before--as well as "the others," including the man whom he had just replaced in the room. Like with Hel, I had no recollection of whatever he meant.

We eventually gave our names, and in exchange he finally introduced himself as "Arawn, god of the dead punisher and judge of the Feywild." From there, the conversation became a difficult to follow whirlwind of new information.

Arawn alluded to there being things that Verca also did not know, and then vaguely explained that his mother had done something to keep Verca hidden from "him," presumably the now missing entity who was originally in the room--likely Hades considering the temple we were at, but it felt rude to assume who people were without proper introductions. To be more specific, Arawn had said, "Whatever your mother put in effect to hid you from him is still in effect."

For the first time, we also learned that Verca had only been ten years old when she died.

More directed at Verca, Arawn said that he had told Verca a story at some early point in time about his father and his mother hiding Verca from "us'--presumably referencing gods like Arawn and Hades from what I could gather. In doing so, she had dipped Verca in "Nyx herself."

Talo asked more about Nyx. Arawn explained it as "darkness, the night sky, almost the primordial sense of nature" that came "before us gods."

From there, the conversation moved towards our original reason for coming to the temple. Talo asked about the thing that Verca seemed to have unleashed.

Arawn paused. "That's complicated." And with a flash of green, he was gone, leaving just the three of us in the office.

Using that break, I tried to check on Verca. Understandably, he was still processing--both the information about his mom and the change to his mantle. In an attempt to help, I threw out the idea of asking Dad about it once we get back to the cabin since he always had a thing for stars when I was younger.

A column of blue fire erupted in the center of the room. The original dark-haired man stood at the center of the pillar once it faded. He claimed that it was decided he would be "the one to discuss the giant Verca unleashed." That was the first time we heard that this had anything to do with giants, which made this all feel much more momentous than it had before--and we had already been treating it as something rather serious.

The man seemed to want to use his time for other matters than dealing with us, yet he was stuck with our company for the time being regardless--although he did comment that it was nice to see Verca and me again.

After being asked for more details about what happened, Verca recounted the events of his dream, detailing the shifting statues and the spear he took. The man before us had a rather pointed reaction when told which one the statue had ultimately landed on.

The conversation was momentarily interrupted by an apparent argument between the man and Arawn--which we could only hear one side of since Arawn had yet to return. I assumed that the argument meant the two men did not get along, but likely-Hades shook his head and said that was not the case; although he did add with a brief squint of his eyes that Arawn was "a little close" to his husband.

The god explained that each of the giants were tied to an entity. This one, the purple eyed one, was linked to him and time. The boil-covered giant was entwined with a person who Arawn had given a spear to, and the third giant--which Hades implied was linked with ice was associated with a person deemed "not important."

We were told not to let them out.

"I thought they were already released?" I asked, confused.

He pointed toward the ground and asked us if we had heard of the Nine Hells. Personally, I had not, but the rest of the group had some level of recognition. "Well, there's a tenth." We had to go there to stop them from getting out completely.

While we were there, he also wanted to improve Verca's mantle but worried that touching Verca again would have another negative reaction. We suggested that Verca simply take it off, which seemed to work. Hades touched the mantle, bathing it in blue flames reminiscent of when he had returned to the office.

It somehow came up that Verca also had something going on with a phoenix, which did not go over well with the man. He informed us to kill a blue phoenix if we ever see one. After giving us another glance, he retracted that statement and told us to run because it would almost definitely kill us at this point in time.

Before he left, we also narrowly managed to acquire a diamond from in exchange for having to pay to come down here. Based on his reaction to that fact, the attendant is not supposed to take a fee anymore.

The large double doors opened, showing the main room of the temple on the other side.

"Oh, on your way out, don't look back. Bye!" Hades called out from behind us as we left.

Leaving the temple, we passed the attendant. Without pausing, I said, "He says to stop making people pay." An odd groaning sound was the only response.

Between visiting three temples--and what happened during those visits--we were going to take some time to ourselves before we did anything else productive. In this case, that meant stopping in literally the first bar we could find and all getting drinks. Not knowing much about what drinks were available, I just asked for something sweet.

Talo downed their drink in a single motion. Verca and I intended to sip ours, but Talo telepathically startling the barkeep from across the building and causing him to break something prompted us to swiftly finish ours and run out before we could be told to pay for the damages. My cheeks were warm for a while after that.

We found an inn with a washroom--I was not going to be able to rest with dried blood in my hair and we could not go to the cabin like that or Dad would have a fit--and purchased our standard two rooms for the night.

A bit clumsily, as the world was a bit slow to respond to my motions, I tried to wash my hair. Another set of hands joined mine in working through the knots. Verca was there. "Your hair is so soft," he said. I felt my already tingling cheeks flare further.

He asked me about my reaction to Hel's interest in him. It was difficult to find the right words to describe the way my chest had bubbled and tightened in response to how she approached him.

His hand brushed my ear, and the alcohol-induced blur at the edges of my vision cleared like a fog blown away in the wind as I jolted upright.

"I think I would have felt the same if someone had been like that with you," he said and stood up, leaving me to finish washing my hair on my own.

I sat in a maze of my own thoughts that I was not sure what to do with for the rest of my bath.

Once cleaned and mostly dry, I paused outside of Talo's room. Gently, I knocked and was let inside. I had thought over what I wanted to ask them, but still was not confident in how to the words out.

"Do you mind if I ask you a question?" I pulled at the edges of my gloves.

"Not at all," Talo said. Their face was open and kind.

"You have a boyfriend," I hesitantly started. "How did you know that you liked him? Or that he liked you?"

Talo explained that they didn't really anything until after Faunsel started flirting with them and proposed they have sex. Something hard and spikey lodged itself in my stomach. Thoughts of Sala and the disgust she had left me with.

Talo called Faunsel sweet and said that he made them feel warm and that it was hard to think around him. Verca was warm.

The conversation moved in a direction I hadn't meant for it after that. We talked about Sala. The impact she had. How ridiculous I felt for being so affected in the ways I was when she had caused much worse.

I thanked Talo for their time and went back to the room I was sharing with Verca, expecting him to already be asleep. Instead, he was standing a few feet in front of the door. "If it helps, I like you, too," he said. He turned toward his bed so quickly after that that I wasn't sure if I saw that smirk he often carried around or not.

"What do you mean? You can't just say that!" I said, rushing after him.

Apparently, he had been getting bits of the conversation telepathically from Talo's end. I froze, processing what had been said. I couldn't string any words together.

"You're beautiful." Verca had told me that before, but this was the first time that it settled over me in the way that I think he meant it.

"I...I think I like you, too," I said. It was awkward. He had already said it in response, but I had never actually said it to him and felt the need to actually put it to words.

He raised an eyebrow. "You think?"

I wanted to cut out my tongue and bury it. "No, that's not what I mean. I just was trying to find the words, and this was all very unexpected, and I am struggling with what to say..." I trailed off, curtaining my face behind my hands to stop my rambling.

Peaking between my fingers, I saw him smile, and that calmed the rising pressure in my chest.

"Everything is at your pace," he said, voice warm and serious. It was not a mixture I often encountered. But it dislodged that spiked ball that had found its way into me while talking with Talo. I brought my hands down. "And I am still going to ask sixteen times before and after kissing you for the first time."

His smile was contagious.

Without saying much else, we went to bed.

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kariachi · 2 years

Text

Some au-brand Osmobeast because because.

A meet-cute and its build-up.

“What’s the stakes?” Tracey turned to her sister, who raised her hands in surrender. There’d be no help there. She bit her lip, humming, as she considered the matter on her own, face splitting into a sharp grin after a few long moments.

“Molly and I,” she said, “are in town for an art exhibition our cousin is in. On 39th I think-”

“Forty-ninth,” Molly cut in.

“Thanks. If I win, you have to go and ooh and ahh over his work.” Raising a bow, Gar turned to Vic. He shrugged.

“Doesn’t seem like much in the way of stakes.” The grin didn’t so much as move.

“You’re famous,” she explained, “if people even think you’re into his work, it’ll get more attention.” Well, that certainly made sense, taking advantage to bolster their cousin’s career. He could get behind that.

“Okay, but if I win that’s two-hundred to Johns Hopkins.” If anything Tracey grinned wider, her sister smiling beside her. Yeah, he definitely was liking these people.

“Deal,” she said, turning towards the bar proper. “Could we get two Red Eyes over here, please?”

Gar woke up with the hangover from hell, back in his room at the Tower. Fuck, he needed to do something with his ceiling so it’d be less bright. Desert night scene or something maybe. He’d decide after coffee and some fucking aspirin. Rolling out of bed, still in last night’s clothes, he dragged himself out of his room and headed for the kitchen.

Vic was waiting for him with coffee, some cinnamon rolls, and a shit-eating grin.

“What the fuck happened last night,” Gar muttered as he sat down, going for the coffee like it was life itself.

“You got into a drinking contest with a tourist.” He glared at his so-called best friend.

“After that.”

“You lost miserably.” Fucking motherfucker.

“Man, it feels like my skull is in four pieces, stop with the smartassery.” Chuckling, Vic pushed the cinnamon rolls closer to him.

“They promised to donate to Johns Hopkins anyway, as long as you kept up your end of the bargain. Then I dragged your semi-conscious ass home.”

“Thank you.” Yeah, yeah, there’d been a bargain. The woman- Tracey, her name’d been Tracey, nice woman- was gonna make a donation and he… Sighing, Gar took another long drag of coffee with a frown. “I don’t even like art.”

“Well, you’re gonna have to learn to fake it,” Vic said, pulling out his phone. “I found the place for you, you’ve got until five Friday to figure it out.”

“You showed up.”

“You don’t have to sound surprised.” Tracey just laughed at him, and he couldn’t entirely blame her. He’d never been to an art exhibition, never felt any desire to attend, he found museums boring and couldn’t imagine this being any better. Dick’d had to give him a crash course in these things, and he still felt like he stuck out like a sore thumb.

But then, that was vaguely the point, wasn’t it?

“Sorry,” she said, “family’s had a history with less-than-reliable heroes. Fuck, we got a call from one of Kev’s buddies fifteen minutes ago claiming an emergency with his girlfriend. You’ll find her talking to Molly over by the oil paintings.” Snorting, Gar shook his head. Hero or no- and he idly wondered who exactly it was giving these nice people trouble- some people were just flakes like that.

“Well, I keep my promises,” he said. “Now where’s this art I’m supposed to be swooning over?” According to Dick he was supposed to make it all seem casual, which he figured he could do well enough, but he still needed to know where he was heading for, what he was looking for.

“The room in the back left corner. You’ll know it when you see it, trust me.” Well, that was helpful. Still, he flashed Tracey a grin and slipped passed her to begin wandering the exhibition proper.

It was hard to keep his attention on the artwork, which felt really rude given the situation. Even after years getting his ADHD in some sort’ve line, everything was quiet and still and provided minimal stimulation to his poor brain. Yes, the art was very pretty, even if he didn’t get some of it, but would it have killed the people in charge to at least have some sort’ve music going? They even could’ve tied it in, get some nobody to do it up, but no. The other people milling about were far more interesting, and it took real effort for Gar to stick to quick words and brief conversations as he made his way around the place. It would have been far too easy to latch onto somebody and never actually follow through on his end of the bargain.

The back left room and a chunk of the space outside it were taken up with sculptures. A handful of people were wandering about, most of them chattering around a true-to-life saluki that looked to be painted wood, eyeing up the various pieces. Some in metal, some in wood, plastic, stone, from abstract shapes to near realism. There was only one that really caught Gar’s attention though. Towards the back, between a junk mosaic and an intricately carved wood serpent, one of the wall pieces was moving. It was the only thing he’d seen so far that did, an irregular shape in small red and blue gears, with a single green one being passed around the piece. For a long moment he just watched it, the rhythmic movement and quiet whirr and clicking working like a balm. The gears looked like they were made of some sort’ve stone though, and the question of whether they were or it was just some fancy artwork eventually pulling his attention from the almost hypnotic piece enough for him to chance the little plaque beneath it.

‘The Journey, Kevin Levin-Jones’. Huh, Tracey had mentioned a ‘Kev’, hadn’t she. Well, looked like she’d been right about him knowing it when he saw it. His eyes went wide as he continued reading, the plaque describing the medium as ‘steel, ruby, sapphire, and emerald’. That was about the last thing he’d expected. They were shiny, yes, but he wasn’t exactly an expect on any sort’ve rocks or gems, and who made gears out of gemstones anyway. How? Forget faking interest, he honestly wanted to applaud this guy. Though something felt familiar about it…

The gears clicked away on the wall.

The gears clicked away in his head.

“If this fucker is a pokemon fan, I swear to god-”

“Oh, let me live a little.” Gar jumped at the sudden voice behind him- how the fuck did he get snuck up on?!- and spun to face the speaker. Three things were immediately obvious. One, he was very tall. Two, he was very handsome. Three, this obvious dork had submitted fucking fanart for an art exhibition. “They rejected my proper work for their last exhibition, this is what they get.” He couldn’t help but laugh, shaking his head.

“Dude. Still.”

“Twenty people have looked at it so far, plenty have called bullshit on the medium, but you are the first one to put it all together.” The man grinned at him, warm and bright and enough to make his heart do a little jump all on its own. “So, congrats on being the smartest bastard here.” Laughing harder, Gar straightened his back and grinned back, holding his hand out.

“Garfield Logan,” he said as they shook hands, the other man’s cool and calloused in his own.

“Kevin Levin. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

#fanfic #artsy!kevin will be pried from my cold dead hands this i vow #for non-pokemon-fan readers (hi angelo) ruby sapphire and emerald are the names of the first three games in pokemon's 3rd gen #and the plot of all the games is the journey the player takes around that gen's region #kevin literally got salty over being rejected and submitted abstract fanart for the next just to be a shit #was surprised as everyone else when the bastards actually *liked* that one

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donteatthefishtacos · 2 years

Note

Barneston "I'd feel much better if you'd let me walk you home." if you don’t mind <3

Okay! Got a little ditty for this one, I know it's July but consider... I wanted to do a Christmas themed one.

Anyway.

Barneston - fluff prompt - 1,122 words

Becky, Tom learned, lived in a little one story house just a block or two off the downtown square of Hatchetfield. Tom hadn’t stopped smiling since he’d met up with her in the parking lot of the Presbyterian church. The whole street was closed down for the four blocks that made up downtown for the Holiday vendors’ market. Despite the cold early December night there was a flush to his face that had emerged when he’d found himself watching her reaction to the annual tree lighting ceremony rather than watching the tree itself, and it hadn’t left him since.

At some point during the evening her gloved hand slipped into his while they walked through the various booths. They stopped at a food truck for hot chocolates and a funnel cake they split between the two of them, and he thought his heart might give out when she reached up to brush the powdered sugar from his beard. There was a band playing at the far end of the square from where they had started, on a small wooden stage. Tom thought he recognized the song, a suspicion that was confirmed when Becky’s laugh rang out loud and long beside him.

“Oh God,” she exclaimed, “do you remember how many times I had to practice this song to be able to get it right in the play?”

Tom’s eyes snapped down to hers, and the tune Becky was humming brought back a crystal clear memory in his mind. Becky in a costume night dress trying to remember the words to the Sound of Music classic, My Favorite Things.

Tom laughed and wrapped his arm around Becky’s shoulders, who went willingly into his embrace. “I remember,” he muttered after a moment, wishing he had the courage to close the gap and kiss her when he watched the lights around them dance over her face. “What was it you kept saying? 'When the dog fights'?”

Becky laughed again and buried her face in his chest. She gave a slightly embarrassed groan into his chest. “I wish it had been,” she answered when she pulled back to meet his gaze again. “At least that makes sense,” still, though, she smiled happily at him and Tom found himself wondering at how so much time had passed, in so many ways, she was just the same as she had been. “I kept saying ‘When the dog bikes’ instead of ‘When the dog bites’, and it took me til the week before the show to get all the words straight.”

He could tell the evening was getting later, and colder, as their breath hung in the air between them, tangling together in a wispy fog. He chanced a glance down at his watch. Tom looked back at her to find her gaze had drifted down to it, too.

“Do you need to get back?,” she asked quietly, much quieter than she had been moments before.

“Yeah, in about ten minutes probably,” he answered softly, though he was eager to see Tim, leaving Becky to do it wasn’t really ideal either. “Tim will want me to tell him good night, even at Gram’s house.”

Becky patted his chest a time or two. “Well I’ll leave you to it,” she muttered and stepped back slightly out of his embrace. Already he missed the contact.

His heart hammered hard in his chest and he searched for a way to prolong this first outing with her in fifteen years. “Where’s your car?,” he asked, a little too loud, too eager. He resisted the urge to wince. “I’ll walk you to it,” he finished, a little quieter.

Becky grinned up at him, “I didn’t drive,” she answered, and she reached up to adjust the collar of his winter coat against the cold. “I live just a street over in that direction,” she told him as she gestured back toward the Presbyterian church. “I can walk.”

Even though it was Winter, it was pitch black outside and Tom felt worry build up in his gut for her. He glanced around for a few moments and looked back down at Becky. Her scarf was bundled up all the way around her neck. Her coat zipped all the way up and a pink tint to her cheeks as she gave him the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen, and suddenly he felt as protective of her as he ever had back in high school. Tom cleared his throat, “I’d feel much better if you’d let me walk you home,” he muttered in a low whisper, and his stomach dropped when her gloved hand reached out to toy with his fingers.

“I’d like that,” she responded just as quietly, and if Tom wasn’t mistaken, the blush deepened just that little bit more on her cheeks.

The walk to her house was quite short, no more than five minutes, but Tom would take all the extra time he could get. The time spent on their walk was filled with Becky giving him a rundown of the Christmas traditions at the hospital, and how she was really looking forward to the Polar Express pajama night. Tom had tried his best to not get lost in her voice and hold up his end of the conversation so he glanced down at her at his side. “Sounds cozy,” he offered, and his grin widened at the smile and nod she gave him in response.

Eventually Becky gestured at a small white house with a cheerful yellow door and shutters. “This is me,” she muttered and reached out to swing the white gate open and lead Tom up the stone walk way to the porch.

Tom looked around himself with wonder. “It looks like you,” he muttered without thinking about it, and when he looked down, Becky was already looking back with a quirked eyebrow.

“Not that you look like a house,” he went on quickly, “I just mean… it suits you.”

Becky tossed her head back in a twinkling laugh, “Oh man,” she mumbled. “I missed you.”

This time, Tom felt his eyebrows shoot up his head. “Yeah?,” he asked after a moment, his breath coming up short in his chest.

“Yeah,” she answered quietly and he felt her hand tug on one of his coat sleeves. “Now are you gonna give me a kiss so you can get home to your kid?”

Tom’s heartbeat roared in his ears, but he managed a smile before he leaned down to meet her when she pushed up on the balls of her feet. “Yep, I was gonna,” he muttered just before their lips met, and he couldn’t help but smile into the kiss when she huffed out a quiet laugh against his mouth.

#Barneston #Hatchetfield #fanfic #prompt #ember-twin

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suhnshinehaos · 2 years

Text

apartment 5c : episode 07 (part two)

synopsis : when yn’s exchange student roommates leave, they are left with the unfortunate task of finding a new place to stay. lucky for them, a room just opened up at apartment 5c, complete with the most interesting group of people they could ever hope to meet. pairing : svt 96 line x gn!reader genre/s : university au, roommates au, fluff, tiniest bit of angst (maybe), slice of life, humor

episode 07 : cram is in session

previous ➤ episode seven, part one next ➤ episode seven, part three apartment 5c ➤ masterlist

despite the fact that you had told him you were coming in, a completely shocked expression overtakes wonwoo’s face the second he sees you entering the cafe’s doors. his brows shoot straight up, lips parting ever so slightly, his hand absentmindedly going up to wave at you as if he was still trying to figure out if you were merely a figment of his imagination. he seemed so completely awestruck that you can’t help but let out a small chuckle, moving towards the table closest to the counter — the one closest to him.

the campus cup, one of the most popular coffee shops in the university, was usually filled to the brim with stressed out students and professors typing away at their laptops. but it’s surprisingly empty this particular tuesday night. well, you suppose you could blame that on the fact that the place was meant to close in less than twenty minutes.

almost immediately your senses register the light, barely there scent of brewed coffee and baked pastries, even more so when your usual order is placed in front of you before you could even set your phone on the table. looking up, you find wonwoo just a couple of feet in front of you, the look of shock that was once on his face now untraceable.

“you know my usual?” you tease, pulling the items closer to you.

wonwoo tilts his head to the side, “of course i do. you come here almost every single day, and usually during my shift.”

“you know- you should be more grateful that you have a loyal paying customer. i didn’t come here until i moved in with you guys.” you point out, bringing the mug up to your lips and taking a sip of your usual. the warmth overtakes you; it almost sounds insane, or perhaps you could just chalk it up to wishful thinking, but a small part of you could tell that it was made with a certain care.

he watches you take a sip with bated breath, even though he’s made that particular drink for you more times than he could count. wonwoo waits as you place the mug back on the table, biting the inside of his cheek in an attempt to stop himself from asking the question he wanted to ask out loud.

you shake your head, the corner of your mouth moving upwards into a small smirk, “aw- c’mon. you’ve made this for me so many times now. you know it’s good, or else i wouldn’t have kept ordering it.”

“for all i know, you could just be a creature of habit.” he shrugs his shoulders, briefly looking down at his feet before looking back at you, “but i’m glad that you like it.”

looking around the cafe, you note that nobody new has entered in the time you have been talking to him. you can’t help the wave of concern that surged through your veins, reminding you of why you showed up to the cafe in the first place.

“join me.” you speak as nonchalantly as you possibly can, gesturing to the seat in front of you.

the look of surprise returns to his face, “what?”

“take a seat, you’ve been working too hard.”

“i’m not on break yet.”

you huff, crossing your arms in front of your chest, “does it matter? we’re the only ones here and you’re closing in fifteen minutes.”

his lips part to let out another protest to your request until thunder boomed from the sky, so loud that you were sure that it almost shook the cafe walls. the suddenness of the sound startles you, causing you to flinch especially as another one soon follows it. not even five seconds after, the universe decides to grace both of you with a downpour. the sound of heavy rain hitting the concrete pavement makes your eyes grow wide. as well as wonwoo’s.

he looks back and forth between you and the window, “you happened to bring an umbrella with you…right?”

you shake your head, “did you?”

“i think we’re going to be stuck here for a while.”

from reese, with love <3 i'm really just pulling out all the cliches for the roomie chapters like- one bed? drunk kith? sharing jackets? stuck somewhere bc of rain? anyways, last part of all the roomie eps coming up and then *dun dun* love interest time hihi thank you so much for reading, i'd love to know what you think! hope you are doing well and taking care of yourself :D

#🛋 — apartment 5c!#seventeen x reader #woozi x reader #wonwoo x reader #hoshi x reader #jun x reader #seventeen imagines #seventeen fluff #seventeen smau #seventeen x you #seventeen series #svt x reader #svt imagines #svt fluff #svt smau #svt x you #svt series

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blueparadis · 3 years

Text

POV : When their heart is coated with jealousy and mind is green with envy. Part 1

ft. Tokyo Revengers [ Mikey, Draken, Sanzu, Hanma]

Type : Headcanons

Synopsis : How would they react when they're jealous? Would they express it? If yes, how? Or They aren't jealous at all. What would they do if they're jealous by your behavior towards others?

CW : angst, fluff, usage of alcohol and gun ,explicit smut,sex tease,mild foreplay.

Mikey : Mikey is the kind of guy who'll get jealous only if you deliberately try to provoke him. He gets jealous every now and then ,gets over it quickly since whenever he's insecure he just says so innocently. So, you don't get to see his jealousy in action.

Generally, on evenings he would come pick you up and you two would go for a long bike rides. He isn't punctual but he's never late when it comes to you. You waited for another fifteen minutes yet there was no sign of him. You decided to visit his house. "Wait up! y/n" , a female voice emerged. As you turned around you noticed Emma & Hina. They informed you that you were supposed to meet him after the meeting.

"Why didn't he mention that by himself? Why? Is it because I didn't meet him for a week ? ", you got lost in thoughts. You three reached the meeting arena after Hina deduced that would be the best option for you. As you scanned the area you couldn't spot him. You went straight up to Draken to know his whereabouts but he didn't have clue too. Now, this was quite a thing to worry about. To clear your head you went for a walk , besides you should show up after the meeting. Mikey doesn't like it when you're present in his gang meetings. He never let you know why and you didn't fret over it too.

As you were walking down the street, a bike blocked your way. To your disappointment it wasn't Mikey. You averted the guy He had a ponytail and was wearing a Valhalla jacket. "It's dangerous for you to be out here like this!" he spoke You paid no heed and started walking.

"I know where Mikey is, I'll drop you off at proper time" "I don't ride bikes except his" you firmly protested. "Oh god! You're so whiney just like Mikey"

Now that sentence alone let you know he didn't have a malice in his heart. You sat on his bike and grabbed his waist.

It has been an hour since you left so he dropped you off immediately since somehow he knew the meeting would be over. The meeting was empty expect a few people.

"Manjiro" you yelled. He popped out from Draken's behind. "Ahhhhh! y/n" he approached you and stood frozen seeing the guy. "I just came to drop her off! You don't have to be jealous" the guy replied letting his hair down. "y/n did you ride his bike?" Mikey enquired "Y-e-p" you said excitedly.

Mikey grabbed you by your hand and kept dragging until he reached his bike. He gestured you to sit and you both left the place. He didn't speak which was making you quite nervous. He kept accelerating until you grabbed his waist and rested your head upon his shoulders.

"Mikey, I'm fine. Don't worry. Nothing happened to me" you exclaimed with a sigh. He stopped the bike at the side of the pavement and turned his gaze to you.

"First of all, what were you doing with Baji? Secondly, you kept avoiding me for almost a week and now this?" You jumped off from the bike while he continued , "Moreover, what were you doing in my meeting ?"

You cupped his face. He immediately stopped. "Mikey are you jealous?" "No no not at all . Why would I be jeal… You didn't let him finish. You walked away but he stopped you hugging your from behind. "Okay ! Fine! I admit I was jealous. I'm jealous" he exclaimed with anger. He gently let his hands go and kissed your forehead. He cupped your face and gently stroked your cheeks and said ,"I'm always worried about you, y/n. Please be safe. I'll leave you before my life pulls yours apart"

"I know so I'll try my best to be safe just to be with you" you exclaimed as you nuzzled in his chest. Resting your head in his chest you said the unexpected, "So, Draken once told me that you'll get jealous if I go on bike-ride with someone else"

"What ? He did? Damn him! What the actual hell?"Mikey protested. You shushed him and said, "Mikey express yourself, express yourself before your emotions eat you."

He fell silent and said ,"Well, then I shall do it as my lady demands" He suddenly took you in his arms. Swirling around he said ," I missed you , I missed you so much!" , yelling at the top of his voice.

Draken : Draken's jealousy comes in buts and pieces as if to suffice your whiney nature. He's kind of aloof when it comes to jealousy. He's kind , caring and empathetic towards you yet when it comes to possessiveness it's just that he coops up in a shell.

He doesn't usually take you to their gatherings. It's not like he's afraid but it's the rarest probable scenario. Though he let you know his reasons but knowing Draken it's just not believable. He showed up early this evening. He scanned around your room and asked

"Are you busy?" "Nope but why!" "Get dressed we're going out" A pause echoed between you two. "Ahh! Ken, you need to step out so that I can get dressed" "Yes! Ofcourse I forgot since it's a totally different scenario in my home" You enquired, "Huh,where are we going Draken?" "Where always wanted to go!"

'what! What kind of answer is that. Sometimes he's so vague no no not vague he's matured for his age'

As soon as you arrived at the destination a smile spread across your face. It's their friendly gathering. So, he decided to bring you with him. He introduced you to all of them but it was getting awkward until you spotted a friendly face,Hinata Tachibana.

As you two went on gossiping it didn't take you long to blend in the gang. After a hour or so Draken told you that he'll drop you home. 'Wait ! He never does that. He never tells me to go home until I want to.' You sat behind his and grabbed his waist. He was silent.

"Draken, is everything okay?" "I'll talk when we get home" He took you to his home, for the first time. You sat after he gestured you to sit beside him leaning on the bed. "y/n, did you enjoy yourself today?" "Mmmhmmm yeah of course why not but if you're asking me like that and make a frown i take that i did something wrong, maybe" "y/n am I not enough? Don't I give you enough attention ? Why do you always ask me to take to our ground? Tell me, how can I fix this?" "There's no problem at all to fix, Ken" "You call me by my name when you're avoiding me"

"Draken, it's okay to be possessive but don't pursue those emotions so fast. Talk to me immediately. Say it when it bothers you rather than keep on thinking by your own", as your voice faded he rested his head on your shoulders.

He slowly nuzzled and started sucking in intervals. Your hands clenched the corners of bed sheet. He bit your just below your collar bone. He retreated. You noticed a prideful curve on his gleaming face exclaiming, "Looks good on you" .You abruptly went to the mirror.

"You did not just gave me a hickey. You know I love to wear off shoulder dresses" He chuckled and said, "you're gonna wear it anyway flaunting my mark."

Sanzu : Sanzu is like a snow-capped mountain. Once his cold behavior gets a slight exposure to generosity he comes in vibrant shades. He is explicitly expressive when it comes to making out as well as possessiveness.

It's been a while Sanzu didn't get alone time with you. The whole Bonten gang has gathered in their bar just to have a change of taste. So, he sent you a navy blue velvet dress zipped at the back as an invitation. You were late, enough to expect a frown upon his face. As you entered one of their staff guided you. You couldn't spot him yet you were so excited to know his reaction of your outfit he gifted.

"Can I have a dance with you?" an anonymous voice emerged. Reluctantly you agreed. It's not like he could harm you, no one can at least not when you're in Bonten base. Mikey's voice came up," There she is, Haru" Both of your eyes met. It was clear he was angry. You abruptly left the floor and ran into his arms to avoid his anger. He didn't hug you back. Sanzu sat infront of you while you sat beside Ran facing opposite to him. Every female in the bar is either a employer or a pole dancer except you. Naturally,all eyes were on you. He just couldn't handle it. He was silently watching you, your words, your lips. The bartender offered you a drink. "I didn't order this."

"It's on the house, ma'am" he exclaimed with a smile. Another anonymous face sprang up. This has gone to far. You turned your gaze towards Sanzu but he wasn't there. Your eyes couldn't believe what just happened. Sanzu was grabbing the exposed butt of a pole dancer. He looked at you and started kissing the girl in his arms maintaining the gaze with you. Your eyes widened in shock. You knew he's massively possessive but never expected this. You took the drink and went straight up to the bar table. Giving a final stare you stood on the center bar table. You started to unzip your dress. Your pale ivory skin was exposed in front of everyone. A lacy lingerie set covered your feminity. Everyone was watching you including him. You finished the drink. Sitting in cross-legged posture you pulled a gun from the case from one of their staff. Pointing it towards the pole-dancer, you turned your gaze towards Sanzu and said,

" So, you're gonna pin all your irresponsibilities on me? You couldn't proper provide time to me and you're trying to make me jealous by such petty tactics? How the hell is that my fault,babe?" A gunshot grazed your lacy thigh. The person who invited you for a dance was bleeding.

"Huh so he did notice me, so that's what it made him go crazy with jealousy." Without a second thought Sanzu grabbed you by the waist , carried you in his arms to a side room. He gently placed you on the sofa softly. "I was just so jealous of watching all those lustful eyes fixated on you" , he expressed with a breaking voice.

Placing his head on your exposed lap he continued, "I'm sorry". You started laughing watching him mewling like that. It's so unlike him. Tears swelled on your eyes as he surprisingly gazed at you.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't laugh but I stripped because I was jealous too" you exclaimed as you placed your hands on his cheek gently rubbing his scar with thumb. Sanzu's blue eyes widened. He grabbed both of your hands and placed them on sofa. He took a pause and bit one of your nipple. Your hands became fidgety. You tried to get out of his grip yet failed. He started circling his tongue and licking it in pauses.

"S-a-n-z-u, It hurts", you moaned.

He retreated and said, "Well it did hurt me too when everyone, EVERYONE could see what belonged solely to me"

"Could you please stop reminding me about my embarrassing reflexes?"

He placed his coat around you and replied with a smirk "I could if you promise to keep me awake the whole night".

Hanma : Hanma and his jealousy is an annihilating combination. He just can't control his emotions and action once he is overwhelmed with envy. It's a huge gamble whether he will take it out on you or on himself.

Hanma should up at your door unanimously. He never calls or texts before visiting but it's unusual for him to provide visits in late evening. He was wet. His face was covered with splotches of blood. No wonder he's come to your aid at this condition.

"Oh my gosh whom did you fight this time? Is he okay? You didn't hurt him too much did you?" Now why on earth you'd ask Hanma about the whereabouts of his opponents. You regretted as soon as you let those words out of your mouth. Hanma was silently taking your aid as usual but this question of yours really had a effect on him.

Grabbing your hand,he brought his face close to yours and asked "Why are you so worried about him when I'm here with you?"

"Umm well, it's just that I always worry that you don't go too far from from my reach that I wouldn't be able to save you"

His eyes widened. He tightened his grip and asked, "Are you saying you're gonna leave me if I become irredeemable?"

"No no I didn't mea-

He turned around to switch positions with you. His movements were too fast to reopen his wounds. He collapsed a bit and rested on you. He started whispering, "y/n the one thing that holds me back is your loyalty towards me. I'm not a good person. It's okay if you leave me but I'm not okay with the thought of you being with someone else. Doing all those that you do to me"

He slowly slided his hands under your waist , cupped your warm face by the other and continued ,"I might kill you for that so it's up to you whether I become irredeemable or not" .Hanma licked at the nook of your eyes. You didn't realize until then that his words scared you down to your velvet bones which almost made you cry.

You placed your hands around his shoulder and said, "I'll be always here when you need me to hold down the fork for you"

He stared at you. You approached for a kiss but he blocked you by his long slender fingers. He traced your cheeks moving on to your lips. He loves to watch you when you uncontrollably respond to his mild strokes.

He muttered ," It's a sin to be so loyal to someone like me", as he buried his lips onto yours.

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