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#but i was here looking forward to finally seeing her again this summer and the plans made like last Dec
dangermousie · 17 hours
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Found the novel Tender Light is based on and am reading the last chapter.
She had lost hope in that town and that century, but because she loved him, she found true warmth and humanity for herself.
And the ending! The ending is behind read more because so spoilery. But god, neither of them trapped in that fucking town by the end is GLORIOUS in and of itself!
Zhou Luo closed the door and looked at her across the huge office. The turbulent emotions suddenly subsided, and his heart calmed down in an instant, as if he had finally arrived at the harbor after wandering for many years.
Nanya heard the sound of the door closing and said, "Put the things on the table. Who is coming to see me?"
Zhou Luo said nothing, smiled and stared at her.
Nanya finally looked back, her eyes widened for a moment, looking frightened, just like what she saw when he lay on the counter and woke up from the dream of white butterflies. Her hands were still hanging on the cheongsam.
Just like before, she slowly retracted her hand and gently curved her lips: "Are you here?"
The eyes are glued together, showing longing, regret, forgiveness, and attachment.
Zhou Luo stepped forward and walked towards her step by step. She stood there waiting for him.
She waited for him to come to her, but she did not refuse his arrival or push away his dusty figure. She looked up at him, slightly tearful, and smiled at him.
So grateful and so loved.
Zhou Luo also had tears in his eyes, but also smiled and said, "Xiaoya, you see, when I grow up, I still haven't forgotten you."
Eight years passed by and he finally caught up with her.
"Xiaoya, look, I've grown up and still love you. - How wonderful. You are still so young, but I am old. It's wonderful." He lowered his head, tapped her forehead with a single He held her cheek with his hand and asked softly, "Do you agree?"
Nanya was still trembling slightly and couldn't say anything else. Finally she spoke and asked: "Zhou Luo, would you like some tea?"
Just like before.
"Okay." He smiled with tears in his eyes.
She turned around and pulled him to the wooden table. Zhou Luo sat down and saw a faded colored paper pinwheel stuck in a small porcelain vase at the corner of the table.
Nanya boiled water.
Zhou Luo said: "It's been a long time since I read a poem to you. Let's read one today."
Nanya said: "Whose?"
Zhou Luo said: "Haizi."
And she laughed.
When the water boiled, Nanya set up the clay pot and porcelain cups, washed the tea, boiled the tea, and brewed the tea, slowly coming in like flowing clouds and flowing water.
She was making tea and he was reading poetry:
"Be a happy man from tomorrow on/ Feed the horses, chop wood, and travel around the world/ From tomorrow on, care about food and vegetables/ I have a house facing the sea and the flowers are blooming in spring/ From tomorrow onwards, communicate with every relative/ Tell them my happiness/ That happy lightning told me/ I will tell everyone/ Give every river and every mountain a warm name/ Stranger, I also bless you/ May you have a bright future/ May your lover eventually get married/ May you be happy in this world/ I just want to face the sea and see the flowers blooming in spring."
After he finished reading, he handed her the letterhead in his hand. She took out the key and opened a small drawer. A pile of letterheads filled with poems lay there. She put the piece of letterhead back where it should be.
Everything seems to be back to that year again.
That summer afternoon, there was plenty of sunshine.
You smile at me and say nothing.
It feels like I have been waiting for a whole century for this.
God, even in terrible MTL, this is beyond gorgeous AAAAAAAA!!!!
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It's an interesting feeling to be told that somebody has gender envy of you. But like. In a cis way. As in, stated before i started fucking around with my own gender. And then when i start fucking around with my own, i still get that same response and then i realize that it's in a nonbinary woman way. And then seeing their own progress and literally noticing the inspiration taken. And honestly, it's nice to see. I'm glad that she's taking my gender and manipulating it in a way that works for her. And then the reaction of a very masc look i have and they're just there, jealous as all hell that i can just flip between the two without issue. And honestly, I saw a few pics of them a bit ago and I think she's done it too now. It's a thing that made me feel better about that. Because even when i do have a more masc look, i still think i look incredibly feminine but I'll take it.
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natalievoncatte · 19 days
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Lena squared herself up after she stepped from the elevator.
This has taken considerable work. She’d had to arrange for her absence from boarding school to go unnoticed, or at least, unremarked upon. If Lillian got wind of her running away, she’d have been skinned alive. Perhaps literally. Since her adoptive father’s death, she’d actually looked forward to school, and to being away from Lillian’s abuse. Lex was now the only thing keeping her from Lena, and Lex was preoccupied with his project.
Her brother had been away for school for some time, but they had summers off together at least. When Lex took over the company when he turned 21, he grew distant and aloof, spending more time with his friend Clark or at work than with family.
With his absence came Lillian.
Still, she had managed to build a support network. Frank, her bodyguard-slash-driver was Lex’s man, but he was useful. Lena had spent months buttering him up to participate in her plan: she needed wheels.
In the meantime she’d acquired blackmail material. The head master at the school gave her a broad latitude after she implied that she might expose certain proclivities of his. That gave her the time away she needed. She’d carefully negotiated a higher allowance from Lex in exchange for accelerating her studies in anticipation of beginning her undergraduate studies at sixteen, which was a triviality for her anyway.
Lena walked down the hall, heart pounding against the backpack clutched to her chest. Each step felt heavy, alive with portent.
She could turn back now. She could turn her back now.
What if she was wrong? Paranoid, addled, as crazy as her mother, just like Lillian said? What if she was about to not only blow up her whole life, but slander her brother. If this went sideways, she didn’t know what exactly would happened to her, but Lillian had once, while tipsy on whisky from Lionel’s stash, told Lena that if not for Lex, she’d have Lena garroted with piano wire and buried on the estate, and like any bag of trash, no one would notice she’d been disposed of.
When she told Lex, her hands shook like leaves. He looked at her for a long cold moment and she worried that he’d slap her or scream or throw her out of the house, but he simply said, “I’ll talk to her about it.”
He did. She never made another threat.
He also brought her a wooden box, ornate and polished. Lex sat next to Lena and opened the box, showing her the contents, lying on red velvet. A five shot snub nose revolver and two speedloaders.
“I’ll teach you how to use this,” Lex said, grimly. “I know you’re smart enough to know if you need to. If anyone tries to harm you, kill them. I’ll clean it up.”
Lena had been terrified of it for months, even as she enjoyed the shooting lessons from Lex, given in a remote part of the estate near a burbling creek, the shots cracking the morning peace and shaking dew from leaves.
She had the gun in her backpack, and her hands were shaking.
The other contents of her bag were a weapon far more devastating. She was about to fire it and she’d have to accept the consequences.
Finally, she stood outside the door. Apartment 18B. The name on the lease was Lois Lane, but according to Lena’s reconnaissance, Clark Kent had been living with her virtually full time for the last six months, not long after something changed in his relationship with Lena’s brother.
Lena’s hand hung before the door for a good minute before she knocked, weekly. She hadn’t considered what might happen if they were simply not home. Her legs felt watery and her eyes burned. She knocked again. She was committed now.
The door swung open and Lois Lane stood before her. She was beautiful in an understated way, obscured by limp hair in a chaotic bun, rumpled clothes, and the stink of coffee on her breath.
“Who- what? Kid, what do you want?”
“I need to see Clark Kent. Is he here?”
“Who’s asking?”
“Lena Luthor.”
There was a gust of wind behind her, and Kent stepped into view.
“Lena?” said Clark. “Lex’s little sister? What are you doing here?”
Lena’s throat went tight. She swallowed hard, and as she anticipated, his demeanor changed. He softened. He craned forward slightly, studying her intently, and his brows shot up when looked at her bag.
He was checking her vital signs and he’d spotted the gun. In the bag.
“He knows you’re Superman,” Lena choked out, “and he’s going to kill you.”
Lois glanced at Clark with a stunned, stunned wide expression. Then, she grabbed Lena and yanked her inside, slamming the door. Lena squeaked.
“How do you know that? Lex knows? Did he tell you? What do you mean he wants to kill Clark?”
“Hey,” Clark said, crouching beside Lena to bring himself to her level, resting a comforting hand on her slight shoulder. “Take a breath, Lena. You’re safe here.”
In Lena’s plan, she was going to begin explaining, starting with how she deduced his identity and lay out what she discovered in his files. That was her plan, but no plan survived first contact with the enemy.
Lena began to sob.
Superman knelt beside her and removed his glasses, and enveloped Lena Luthor in a warm, protective hug. She sobbed harder, burying her face in his shoulder.
“Jesus Christ,” Lois whispered.
She drew the gun out of the bag and checked it with professional, practiced familiarity, dumping the shells into her hand.
“I think she’s telling the truth.”
Clark nodded.
Over the next hour, Lena was swept to Lois’s big couch and sat in the middle while the pair sat on either side of her. When she was hungry, Clark went out to get her favorite guilty pleasure meal, a big greasy burger and fries, and a milkshake too. Between bites, she explained everything, telling them about her brother’s insane plan to turn the sun red.
They believed it all. Lena had receipts.
Eventually, Lena was exhausted, everything had been said, and she sat with dull shock on the couch and stared at the black mirror of a blank television set, marveling at how small and helpless she looked, like a drowned rat.
“Why don’t you lay down for a while?” Lois said, gently. “Here, I’ll put something on the TV for you.”
Lena didn’t make it ten minutes in before she was asleep, curled tightly on one end of the couch with a pillow under her head.
She woke sometime later. It was dark now and she heard voices on the far side of the apartment.
“I called Bruce. He said he’s in, and he’s bringing reinforcements. I’m going to try to get a Green Lantern on board. We have to move fast. Nevermind me, if Lex does this, millions of innocent people will die. We’ll have to move fast.”
“What about the girl?” said Lois. “She can’t go home now. We have to get her somewhere safe.”
“I have to get you both somewhere safe. I should probably come up with a reason to get the building evacuated. One Lex realizes he’s been caught out, he’ll come after both of you.”
“You’re right.”
“I want you to go out,” said Clark. “Make it look like you’re heading out to a convenience store. Bruce is sending Alfred to pick you up, he should be here in an hour. I have somewhere else in mind for Lena.”
“Where?”
“It’s better if I don’t tell you, just in case.”
When he emerged from the back bedroom, Clark Kent was resplendent, clothed in the persona of Superman.
“Lena?” he said, gently. “We have to go. I’ll take you somewhere safe, where your brother won’t find you.”
Lois joined him. “You’re going to put on some of my clothes, and I’m going to check your hair. You can’t take anything with you. Lex Luthor might have been tracking you the entire time.”
Lena’s stomach dropped. What if she was right? That might be a move Lex would play, tracking Lena so that he could use her against his enemy. Lex had become cold, single minded. Lena was wondering how long it would be until she was disposable.
“Okay,” said Lena.
“I’m going to have to fly you.”
Lena did as she was told. She put on an outfit that belonged to Lois, a hilariously oversized Gotham U sweatshirt and leggings. When it was time, Superman bundled her up in his cape.
“I’m scared of heights.”
“I would never drop you,” he said.
Lena screamed when he took off. She was glad for the cape, glad she couldn’t see the ground. She curled up around him and pressed her eyes tightly closed, wondering exactly how fast they were going.
The landing came surprisingly fast. He’d alighted on the grassy lawn of a lovely beach house. Lena smelled something baking and heard voices inside. Clark knocked on the door.
A girl, a little older than Lena, opened the door. Golden curls spilled over her muscular shoulders, and she wore an oversized pair of glasses that did nothing to dull the endless depths of her blue eyes. There was something profoundly sad behind the curiosity in those eyes. She looked at Lena with mild confusion.
Lena stared back. There was a wild stirring in her stomach, and she shifted uneasily on her feet.
Then, the girl addressed Clark in a rapid, clipped, and utterly strange sounding language.
It hit Lena like a shockwave.
They were speaking Kryptonian.
“Lena,” said Superman, turning to her. “This is Kara Zor-El, my cousin. The last daughter of Krypton.”
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hedgehog-moss · 10 months
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I found a nice plant in a bog last year, like a reed with a tuft of very soft cotton at the top (bless you English, I just looked up "plant that grows in a bog and looks like cotton" and the English language replied "bog cotton, duh") (in French it's called linaigrette, which should be a small bird), and I was very charmed by the look of it and decided to try to pirate it so I would have some on my land. I plucked one fluffy reed and kept it on my windowsill so I wouldn't forget to return.
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Of course, when I returned a few days later with a shovel and a bucket, I couldn't find the bog cotton again. Or the bog. It was a small swamp-y area in a very vast plateau with few landmarks, so it's possible I got turned around, but also, things tend to disappear around here sometimes, like the footpath that leads to the stream, only to reappear a few weeks later. I very much felt like I was in the correct location and the bog wasn't, but okay. Since I didn't trust myself to tell the normal reeds from the cotton-y ones in other seasons, I decided I'd come back around the same time next year.
I've had the linaigrette in my egg spiral in the kitchen this whole time as a memento, and I finally resumed my quest today. I left my car in the exact same spot where I'd left it the previous two times, just before the road gets squiggly for no apparent reason:
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I climbed the hill and behind it were just miles and miles of estives (summer cow pastures) with sometimes a barn here and there with a mobile milking parlour. My plan was to follow every rivulet I came across, since I was looking for a watery area.
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I picked a barn as a landmark to find my car again, and off we went.
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Finding reeds wasn't difficult, but none of them had cotton tufts...
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Pandolf was extremely aware that we were looking for something, but he wasn't sure what. Here he is digging in the mud with his paw, looking invested in this treasure hunt.
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Sometimes he would stop with one paw poised in the air and his whole body pointed forwards like an English setter who just smelled a pheasant in a Heywood Hardy painting and it was always for cow herds. If I squinted and squinted I could be sure to find a cow on the horizon, the size of an ant—I think Pan was a bit disappointed when he realised I never followed up on the cows he smelled, and it probably wasn't cows we were looking for.
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(zoom x400 in case you can't see this cow standing apart from her herd like a sentinel)
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I tried to amuse him by giving him little challenges here and there, like climbing on big rocks because he likes rocks. He likes being congratulated even more, though, and if I didn't insist that he actually climb on the rock he would just sort of run towards it and push himself off of it like a swimmer doing a flip turn at the wall to run back to me even faster (for pats). (Had to turn off the sound in the video because the wind was loud, so I subtitled our dialogue)
Some challenges he politely declined to do. I like how despite being very eager to please he sometimes gives me very clear "no thank you"s when I tell him to do something that sounds absurd to him. We found a little waterfall that went down a slope like a mud toboggan and I said "down!" to tell him to slide down that thing and he was like
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Our strategy of following water paid off, because look what we found eventually!!
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I had a very hard time digging up one clump of reeds with some roots; the bog was holding on to its cotton for dear life. Every time I opened a hole in the mud with my shovel with a horrible sucking noise, the bog would immediately close on itself again with an even stronger vacuum. It also tried to eat my boots, repeatedly. When I moved around the reeds I was trying to steal I had to take my foot out of my boot, stand on one leg like a heron and put the tip of my shovel under the sole of the boot to pry it up. But after maybe 20min of effort, the bog finally let go of one muddy clump of reeds in a loud, dejected SLURP and I was able to put it in my bucket. It was about 10x heavier than I expected so the walk back to my car was slow!
(One thing to keep in mind if you're going to wrestle a swamp for half an hour, is that you're going to end up looking and smelling like a swamp creature. I had to stop at the post office to send a parcel and I really regretted not doing it earlier. It's funny because the post office lady is always like "no, don't worry, come in!! <3" when you show up on rainy days apologising for your muddy shoes, but when I arrived today and asked her from the entrance if I should just throw my parcel at her rather than go in, with my socks making a pitiful plop-plop sound in my boots as I walked, and mud freckles all over my face from aggressive shovelling, and overall looking like a gravedigger, she took one look at me and went "... yes, throw it.")
The good news is, I didn't get lost returning from the swamp to my car, and had no trouble finding my barn-landmark again, and there were new animals there, a nice mule with a retinue of small ponies.
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She was friendly at first but then soured on me when I refused to let her sniff and maybe taste the reeds I'd had so much trouble digging up, and then she wouldn't let me approach her ponies.
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One of the ponies approached Pandolf, and I told him to stand still—we've been working on "reste là !" (stay there) for a while and it's hard because he's so friendly and exuberant, so I was very proud of him when he stood there frozen as a marble statue, waiting for the pony to come closer. The pony ended up stopping at a prudent distance and stretching his neck out to try and sniff Pandolf, it was very cute.
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That's the end of the quest for bog cotton! Here it is now, transplanted to the swamp-y part of my pasture, I hope it'll like it here.
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moonlightspencie · 28 days
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darling, i fancy you
Description: James Potter is in his second year of university. He's with his friends, having the time of his life! His only problem... a horrible, evil, beautiful, wonderful girl who doesn't seem to return the feelings he's developing for her. His dramatics and flirtatious antics usually work. He just can't quite figure out how to hook this girl.
Pairing: James Potter x Reader
Warnings: drinking, idiots to lovers, reader is described as american in one line because what is fanfiction if not a bit of self-service on occasion
Word Count: 8.2k
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Coming into his second year of university was supposed to be fun. He was no longer jittery or nervous about classes since he’d already been there and done that for a full year. Besides, he was James Potter. Of course he had gotten down the routines like they were nothing to him. It was easy as pie. Now, as he brimming with confidence, he was looking forward to seeing old friends, and meeting new ones. It seemed bright and exciting: and it was, so far! 
Until his second day.
James walked into his final Thursday afternoon class and sat in a seat near the front. He might enjoy goofing off here and there, but he’d be damned if he was going to do any less than stellar in his classes. The class filled fairly quickly, seats being taken all around him. He barely noticed when a girl sat in the seat next to him as he pulled out a notebook and a pen. Until he turned with a small smile that melted off his face as quickly as it arrived. 
“Great,” he grumbled under his breath. 
She looked in the direction of the utterance curiously, blissfully unaware that one of the last few open seats, and the one she just had to choose, was right next to James Potter. 
“Perfect,” she muttered bitterly, shaking her head. “I suppose you’re going to try to get me to convince my roommate to fall in love with you again, yeah?”
“Not after last time.”
She scoffed a laugh. “Oh, yeah? Why’s that?”
“Because you’re selfish and don’t care about the happiness and general wellbeing of others.”
“Right. As if your happiness should be my number one priority,” she rolled her eyes. “You’re insufferable.”
James turned his head to her abruptly, feeling quite put off that she’d say such a thing. Him, insufferable? He thought it might do her some good to do a bit of self reflection, and had told her as much last year. It didn’t do any good, obviously, considering she was still just as irritating as ever. 
“She’s dating someone anyway. So you’re out of luck,” she said, seeming quite pleased with herself. 
James was annoyed again. “Dating someone? Great. That could’ve been me if you weren’t so horrible, and now I’ve got to wait until they inevitably break up to—”
“She’s dating a girl, so good luck with that plan of yours, Potter.”
James blinked in surprise. He supposed he never exactly saw Lily with a boy before. But… But he liked her so she couldn’t possibly be interested in girls. What a silly notion, he thought. 
“You’re sure?”
She stared at him for a moment. “Uh… yeah. Pretty sure.”
James hummed in thought. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t know until summer,” she shrugged. “She came out to me shortly before she told me she’d been asked out by her current girlfriend.”
“How odd.”
“Excuse me?” she asked, looking at him with a bewildered expression. 
His eyes widened. “No! Not like that. I just… I didn’t realize. I just assumed—”
“Careful how you phrase things, maybe,” she said, looking at him a little suspiciously. 
He nodded quickly. “Right.”
He fell silent for a moment. A few blissful seconds that she basked in. Until he opened his mouth again.
“I just…” he said, then sighed. He thought for a couple seconds. “I don’t think I’ve ever not been able to win someone over before. And this seems pretty bleak for me, doesn’t it?” 
She snorted a laugh, nodding. “Yeah. More than bleak, I’d say.”
James smiled a little, then internally scolded himself. There was no reason to laugh at a joke a girl like her made. How terrible. He was better than that. He straightened in his seat, determined to ignore her now that he really had no use for her with his precious Lily too far out of reach for even him to pull in, all things considered. He pouted for a bit, feeling terribly sorry for himself as the class started. He took his notes, of course, but not without sighing every five minutes or so. 
“Can you cut that out?” 
James looked offended again, glancing at the girl. 
“Cut what out?” he whispered back. 
“The constant sighing. It’s irritating.”
“I’m upset.”
She rolled her eyes, going back to taking notes. He fell silent, but only for a few seconds. 
“You try finding out the girl you’re in love with is gay.”
“For me, that would actually work out.”
James rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean.”
“Get over it,” she said after a beat. 
He glared at her, then went back to his notes. Again, really only for a few seconds. 
“Wait. Are you gay, too?”
“So what if I am? That’s not really your business, is it?” 
“I— Maybe not. But I’m curious,” James said, looking at her. 
“Stop talking.”
“I just wanna know.”
“You sound like a child,” she sighed, exasperated. “You’re distracting me.”
James gave her one more sour look before turning back to his notes. He was feeling quite annoyed now. Maybe it wasn’t necessarily ‘his business’ what her sexuality was, but he couldn’t help but be curious. Why was that his fault? He couldn’t quite figure it out. He waited until the class ended this time to turn to her again. 
“I don’t mean to intrude—”
“I’m sure you will, though,” she stated. 
James sighed. “You’re so difficult. I’m only curious. I don’t mean anything by it.”
She huffed a breath, then looked at him straight on. He raised his brows in question, hoping she might answer if he tried looking innocent enough. She shook her head. 
“It’s a bit of a rude question, you know?”
“How?” he asked, feeling a little offended. 
“It’s personal.”
“Well I—“ James started to argue, though his voice died. His eye twitched slightly as he thought about it for a few seconds. “Okay. I guess… I guess that makes sense. I just thought it was, like, knowing your hair color or something like that.”
“Personally, it’s something I usually only discuss with my friends. Not with a strange boy who I’ve only spoken to when he decided he liked my roommate.”
“That’s mean.”
“We aren’t friends.”
“It’s still mean,” James said, standing up with his bag. 
She did the same. 
“It’s honest.”
James pouted a little. “I’m only trying to make conversation.”
She looked at him for a moment, and he looked right back, his hand on the strap of his bag. He quirked a brow when she was silent for a second. 
“I’ll see you around,” she said at last, not unkindly, but definitely not in a friendly manner. 
Of course, James had to relay this ridiculous interaction to his roommates when he got back to his flat. He sprawled out on the couch, his hand flipping off the side to touch the floor and his cheek pressed against the cushions. 
“She’s evil. There’s something in her that isn’t right. I’m sure of it.”
Sirius furrowed his brow. He’d been hearing about James’s plights with this woman since last year. It always seemed that his buttons got pushed so easily by her, and Sirius couldn’t help but wonder how on earth James kept getting himself into these situations
He sighed softly, leaning back into the armchair to the left of James, a hand running through his long, dark hair before settling over his face.
 “You’ve been dramatic plenty of times before, Prongs, but this might be a new height you’ve climbed to,” Sirius said, his voice slightly muffled through his hand. 
“Mm. Not quite evil to keep that sort of thing to yourself. I don’t run around campus advertising that I’m queer,” Remus added, walking into the living room with a cup of tea. 
Remus settled on the ground near Sirius’s chair, leaning his back into the arm of it as he stretched his long legs out. He did plan on doing so on the couch, but it seemed that James had beaten him to it with his dramatics. 
“That’s not what I mean,” James groans. “It’s how she acted. I don’t care if she keeps that to herself, but she didn’t have to be so mean to me. It’s like she delights in making me feel stupid.”
Peter laughed from the chair across the way from Sirius’s. “It’s not always hard to do.”
James scowled at the boy, but before he could say something back, Sirius sighed loudly. 
“James. Just back off of the girl.”
James turned to Sirius. “What do you mean?”
“If you ignore her, she’ll ignore you.”
“How do you know?”
“Because she probably finds you just as irritating as you find her,” Remus says pointedly. 
“You guys are supposed to be on my side,” James says.
His friends all exchange a look, then stare back at him. 
Sirius leans forward on his chair to come to eye-level with James. 
“James. You are like a brother to me. I love you dearly. But leave the poor girl alone before she hits you.”
James buried his face in the couch cushion and groaned loudly in protest. Maybe they were right, but he didn’t have to like it. He knew he was being dramatic and probably a bit annoying, but he couldn’t help it. He hadn’t met someone who got under his skin so easily in a long time, and he didn’t like it. After a few minutes, he lifted his head, looking at his friends. He didn’t like to upset them, and he was afraid if he kept this up, that he might do just that. 
“You guys want to go get dinner on me?” he offered. 
They smiled, Sirius in particular shaking his head at his friend in amusement. James felt a little better then as he scrambled off the couch. 
James’s first encounter with the girl of his dreams, who he begrudgingly accepted no longer could be, happened a few days later. He walked into a café just off of campus to get a little fuel for his first essay of the semester when he saw a familiar head of red hair. His first instinct, of course, was to rush her with a smile and that classic Potter-charm of his… but then he deflated. 
There she was: the wretched girl who had stolen his dear Lily from him. He looked sour for a moment, then sighed, shrugging it off internally. He supposed that he couldn’t really be mad since he wasn’t also a girl, so Lily wouldn’t like him no matter what. 
But if he was, he was determined he’d be very upset about the whole ordeal. 
He sat down at a table across the small coffee shop, inadvertently staring at Lily and her girlfriend. He had to admit: the girl she was dating was very pretty. And they did seem happy together. But it was still a little bit annoying. He hardly paid attention to someone approaching with his drink until he heard an unfortunately-familiar voice. 
“I would tell you that a picture would last longer, but I don’t think I can condone borderline-stalking my roommate,” the girl said, setting his latte down in front of him. 
He looked up at her in a bit of surprise. She just seemed to pop up everywhere. 
“What are you doing here?” he asked. 
She looked down at her apron, then back at him with a puzzled expression. 
“I— I work here?” she stated, shaking her head a bit. “Thought you may have gathered that from me bringing you your drink and wearing an apron.” 
He deadpanned, unamused. “I just didn’t expect to see you here is all. It’s like you’re everywhere.”
“It’s been like a week and half and we’ve seen each other twice,” she said, huffing a breath at his dramatics. “Anyway. Is there anything else you need, besides maybe a magazine or a blindfold?”
“Why would I need those?” he asked, immediately annoyed. 
She pointedly looked at Lily and her girlfriend, then back at James. He made a face of realization, then chuckled a little despite his better judgment. 
“Oh. No. I’ll stop staring, I’m just…”
She paused waiting for him to finish, but it didn’t seem like he was going to. She nodded slowly after a beat.
“Well… it’s been a pleasure as always.”
James nodded, but then he leaned forward to grab her wrist. “Wait.”
She turned around, giving him a look that told him to let go immediately. 
“Sorry,” he said quickly, dropping her wrist. “Just wanted to ask if you got that western civilization assignment done for tomorrow.” 
“Tomorrow? Tomorrow is Tuesday.”
He raised a brow. “Yeah. It’s a Tuesday-Thursday class.”
She paused, looking a little lost. “What?”
“It’s on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. The assignment is supposed to be done for tomorrow’s class.”
“You’re joking.”
James shook his head. “No. Why would I be?”
“Shit,” she sighed heavily, throwing her head back. “How hard is it to do?”
“Not hard, but it took some time.”
She groaned. “God, I feel so stupid.”
“You’re not stupid. Just forgetful, obviously,” James laughed. 
She did not look amused. “Right. Well… Fuck. Thanks for the heads up, then.”
James looked quite pleased with himself. He actually got a ‘thank you’ out of her. He nodded quickly. 
“What would you do without me?” he smirked.
She glanced at him, looking somehow even more unimpressed. James didn’t like that look. 
“I’d have missed one class. Don’t give yourself too much credit.”
James watched her walk off, feeling annoyed once again. It’s like she couldn’t help but ruin his mood every time they talked. He sipped his latte, and suddenly felt more irritated: this might have been one of the best latte’s he’d ever had, and she just had to work there. Great. 
He kept his eyes on the girl as she walked back behind the counter, getting started on whatever task came next for her. She seemed to be making some kind of drink. He watched her as she flitted around back there easily, taking note of the way she’d occasionally scrunch her nose in a weak attempt to adjust her glasses as her hands were full. He took in every detail of her outfit that he could see from the other side of the counter: a simple black t-shirt and jeans that looked annoyingly good on her. Like it wasn’t enough to be irritating all the time, she had to be pretty, too. How was he supposed to just ignore her completely? He scoffed to himself at Sirius’s stupid advice as he sipped at his drink again.
That same thought snuck into his head as she walked into class the next day, dropping into that same seat right next to him. He took note of her slightly messy hair, and the crewneck sweatshirt that hung on her a little loosely. He looked at her nails as she pulled out her laptop, smiling a little at the baby blue that was painted on them. He liked blue quite a lot. He was in the middle of looking at the minimal makeup on her face, especially the gloss on her lips, when she just had to interrupt him.
“What are you doing?” she asked, looking at him as if he’d grown a second head.
“None of your business,” he replied quite defensively.
“You’re staring at me. It feels like my business, Potter.”
He rolled his eyes. Why did she always have to be so difficult? It’s like she had fun making him feel like an idiot.
“I wasn’t staring. I was observing.”
She sighed, softly, shaking her head as she went back about her business, logging into her laptop. He tried really hard to remember what Sirius had told him and just ignore her as well as he could, but it wasn’t exactly his fault that she had a photo of herself and some guy on her computer.
“I thought you were gay?” he said curiously.
She turned her head to him slowly, and if he thought she looked at him like he was stupid before, it was nothing compared to how she looked now.
“What?” 
“I thought you said you were gay,” he clarified, though it made nothing clearer for her. He pointed at her laptop background, “but, there’s a boy with you on your computer.”
“I never said I was gay. I said it wasn’t your business if I was or not.”
“But you must not be if you have a boyfriend.”
“Ugh,” she groaned. “That’s my brother, nosey. And I’m not gay.”
“Thought you said that wasn’t my business?”
“I’m going to slap you.”
“That’s what Sirius said,” James replied, though it was mostly to himself.
She snorted once. “Your friends are telling you you’re gonna get hit by someone?”
“By you,” he corrected.
Now, this piqued her interest. She looked at him curiously.
“Your friends tell you that I am going to slap you? Why?”
“I told them we don’t really get along. Sirius thinks I should just ignore you.”
“You’re doing a shit job of it,” she laughed a little.
He wanted to be annoyed, but he couldn’t help but smile a bit back at her. She had a nice laugh. He thought to himself that maybe he’d like to hear it more. It would certainly be better than the grating sound of her always being annoyed with him.
“Can’t help it if I’m curious.”
“You can help if you’re peering over my shoulder at my personal laptop.”
“I’d hardly call it peering. Plus you have a large screen, it’s easy to see.”
She cracked another small smile against her better judgment, and decided on ignoring him the rest of the class. It didn’t work. At all.
“So…” James started up when the professor decided on padding the rest of the class time with an ‘opportunity’ to get a headstart on the next assignment. “Did you end up finishing that assignment that was due today.”
“Clearly.”
James furrowed his brow. “Huh? How is that clear?”
“I’m a mess. I look like I just rolled out of bed, because I practically did in order to finish the assignment today before the rest of my classes. I haven’t even been in my apartment since like eight this morning.”
James still looked on in a bit of confusion, glancing over at her again, taking in her appearance. Sure, she wasn’t extremely put together, but she still looked pretty. James, ever the one to speak exactly what’s on his mind, decided on telling her that.
“I think you look really pretty today.”
She swallowed once, looking at him in a moment of mild shock. She usually wasn’t one to clam up around anyone, but she certainly was now, and James took notice.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable or anything…”
“No. No, it isn’t that. I just…” she trailed off, then shook her head. “Nevermind. Just… work on your assignment. It’s what we’re meant to be doing anyways.”
“Oh. Right. Sorry,” James nodded, feeling a little bad now that he’d apparently made her uncomfortable.
Though, as much as it was a sense of discomfort that she felt at his compliment, there was also much more to it. Not that she would ever tell him that. No, it was much worse than the normal annoyance she felt for the boy when he looked her up and down and gave her that sweet smile. It was terrible and evil and made her face a bit warm. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, his cheek smushed in his hand nearly making her smile being all the more evidence: she was developing a crush on James Potter.
James was in the process of waking up on a cold Saturday morning in early October. Usually he’d be able to pull himself out of bed somewhat easily, only really needing a good shower to get his blood pumping for the day ahead. The ‘process’ part came into play as a rare, true hangover made him feel both dizzy and like a rock stuck in bed. 
He wasn’t a stranger to a late night of drinking with his friends, or a party here and there while he was at school. Even in his highschool days, he would sometimes sneak out from under his parents’ watchful eyes with Sirius to go live it up for a night. But it rarely resulted in an actual hangover. Sometimes a headache, occasionally he’d throw up before bed, but this? This was hell on earth. He was convinced. It certainly didn’t help that he hardly remembered past drink number seven the night prior. He decided on not letting the frat boys fill his cup anymore.
After an hour of laying in bed, he finally decided that it might be time to at least try to join the world of the living. He rolled off of his mattress, shuffling into the bathroom to take a cool shower. He effectively did as much, only having to bend over the toilet bowl to empty his stomach twice! He was quite proud of himself for that, considering he felt nauseous the entirety of the shower. He stumbled back into his room, haphazardly drying off his body and hair before slipping into a sweater, jeans, and a warm coat. He slipped on his boots, grabbed his keys, and walked out the front door. He thought that maybe his favorite cafe would have something to lift his spirits and fill his now-empty stomach. He also thought that maybe a certain girl might be working. That would definitely lift his spirits.
He walked into the cafe around 11am, finding it surprisingly empty for a Saturday afternoon. He had started making a habit of visiting the place probably more often than he needed to. He knew the usual flow at this point.
He frowned when his favorite table was taken, and ended up dropping into a seat near the back by a window after he had ordered. He sat his order number marker on the table, and waited for a familiar face to show. He started to smile when he saw his coffee and a chocolate pastry being set in front of him, but it dropped as he looked up to see a less familiar man. He thanked him anyway, despite the fact that he was quite disappointed. He picked at his pastry, and sipped his drink, letting the carbs and caffeine make him feel a bit like a human being again after such a rough night. He decided to stick around for a while after he finished both, just sitting and thinking. He always liked being alone with his thoughts, but they seemed to flow a little better with the hum of something in the background. A cafe full of people did the trick for the day. After an hour or so of staring out the window, he decided he could use another cup of coffee.
He went to wait to order behind a small line of people, fiddling on his phone until he was finally called up to order next. A smile grew on his face when he saw who was taking orders now.
“Hi!” he said to her cheerily.
“Oh. James. Hi,” she said, a little surprised to see him. “What can I get you?”
“You weren’t here earlier. I got here a little past 11, and some guy brought me my drink.”
“Yeah. I just got in at 12. So… what do you want to drink?”
James ignored her question with another smile. “How long are you working today? Don’t you normally come in earlier?”
“Five hour shift today,” she said with a small sigh. “I just didn’t start early this time.”
“Oh. Well, it’s good you’re here now. I’d have hated to admit that I might have missed you when I saw you in class on Tuesday.”
She fought a smile at that, determined to remain irritated at him.
“Are you going to order? You’re kind of holding up the line.”
“Right!” he exclaimed suddenly, looking up at the menu as if he didn’t get the same thing every time.
“Do you just want your usual?”
James stilled at that. She knew his normal order? He smiled a bit to himself, trying not to seem too delighted at that fact. But he shook his head quickly, even though that’s exactly what he planned on getting.
“What’s your favorite drink?”
“I like the lavender oatmilk latte.”
“Lavender? In coffee?” He made a sour face.
“James,” she said, somewhat shortly as he dawdled. 
“I’ll have one of those, then.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yeah. But if it’s gross, I’m blaming you.”
She smirked a little as she shook her head, typing in the order.
“Alright. It’s in,” she said, nodding to the side for him to get out of the way. 
“But I didn’t pay.”
“It’s on me,” she replied. But, she continued before he could think it was too sweet, “It’ll get you out of the way faster.” 
He nodded, giving her a thanks with a shy smile. He went back to his seat, expecting that same wretched boy to come back out instead of her with his drink. Though it certainly took a long time for him to do so. Just as James was looking over his shoulder to see what was taking so long, he saw that same familiar face coming towards him with a mug of coffee. He smiled up at her as she set down the mug.
“I thought you were on the register.”
“I was.”
“But you just had to come see me, right?”
She scoffed a laugh, rolling her eyes. “Enough out of you. I came to ask about the test on Tuesday.”
“Oh?” he asked, looking down into the coffee she brought. It didn’t look gross, at the very least, but he still wasn’t sure about lavender in his coffee.
“I can’t find my notes from two weeks ago anywhere. Do you think I could borrow yours by any chance?”
“You want to borrow my notes?”
“You can be an idiot sometimes, but you’re not stupid. Unfortunately, you are actually really smart under that…” she gestures vaguely at him. “You know. Your whole vibe.”
“Hey!” he exclaimed, pouting a little.
“It’s a compliment.”
“Still mean. I thought you Americans were supposed to be nice.”
“I think you’re thinking of Canada, but I mean it in a nice way.”
He huffed a small sigh, tilting his head as he looked up at her. She tried not to look at him for too long, sure she’d start grinning for real this time. Why did he have to be so handsome? And so annoying. And ridiculously charming. She merely quirked a brow at his silent tantrum, waiting for him to speak again.
“I guess. You can have my notes, but you have to come get them from me at my apartment.”
“You can’t just email them to me?”
He smiled. “Nope. I take ‘em on paper. You can come get them.”
“It would be easier to take a photo of them.”
“I want my roommates to have to meet the girl who hates me so much anyways. They’ve been dying to properly see you without me having to point you out across campus.”
“You talk about me a lot?” she asks with a little smirk, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Enough,” he smiles at her brightly. “Come on. Just humor me.”
“I don’t have your address,” she argued weakly.
He laughed a bit at that. God, she was adorable when she was being difficult.
“Give me your phone, then.”
“What for?”
“I’m going to put my address in. And my phone number so I don’t always have to try to catch you here or in class when I want to talk to you.”
“Who says I want to talk to you?”
“I think you secretly like me.”
“I think you’re annoying.”
“I think you secretly like me, even though I’m annoying. You’re trying to tell me I’m not a delight to be around?”
She sighed softly, clinging hard onto that small sliver of irritation, even if it didn’t do much good against the boy. She pulled out her phone, unlocking it and handing it over to him. She watched as he typed in all his information, and even took a cheesy little selfie for his contact photo. 
“No, no, no…” she said, trying to take her phone back when he started messaging himself.
He put out his arm with a giddy grin, blocking her from getting the phone back as he continued on his path with the other hand.
“How else was I meant to get your number?” he giggled, hitting send and handing the device back to her. “Just wanted to make sure you wouldn’t be the only one with the option to contact me. If you were the only one of us who could text, we’d never get the ball rolling on a proper friendship.”
“Maybe I don’t want to be your friend,” she snorted once, pocketing her phone again. “You’re a nuisance.”
“I’ll see you tonight then, right?” He ignored her poor insult. “To get the notes, I mean.”
She fell quiet for a moment before begrudgingly nodding. “Yeah. I’ll see you then. When will you be home?”
“For you? All day.”
She rolled her eyes again, but she couldn’t help but fight a warmth in her cheeks as she turned to get back to work.
As it turned out, much like she was suspecting, letting James put his number in her phone, and consequently exchanging numbers, was a horrific idea. It seemed that every time she went to check her phone, even if it was the middle of the night, he had something to say. Whether it be an actual message or just a strange meme he found online, he was constantly sending her texts. She was convinced he was testing out a kind of exposure therapy. That maybe, in his head, if he kept bugging her all hours of the day she would learn not to act so annoyed by him. To his merit, he was mostly right. But it helped that she was harboring a secret crush on him to begin with.
James, on the other hand, was getting non-stop reprimands from his friends. Every time he pulled his phone out and started typing, they’d groan in annoyance, knowing exactly who he was trying to talk to.
“Mate, you’ve got to lay off the poor girl,” Remus grumbled softly, his head dropping onto the back of the couch when he clocked James texting her in the middle of a movie night with the boys. 
“I just thought she might think this movie is good. I’m recommending it,” James shrugged a little, still typing away.
“She probably doesn’t care,” Peter said casually.
“Shut up, Pete,” James huffed, setting his phone down. Though he left it up to make sure he’d see exactly when she texted back. “It’s funny. She likes funny stuff.”
“You’ve got it bad, Prongs,” Sirius shook his head as he came back into the living room from his brief excursion to the bathroom. Remus pulled him right back into his lap as he came out, hugging him tightly.
James looked at them, making a disgusted face and groaning. 
“You guys aren’t allowed to talk about me when you’re always clinging onto each other like that.”
“You’re just jealous,” Sirius smirked.
“Maybe I am! I have to watch you two cuddling all the time, all in love. It’s sickening,” James crossed his arms as he looked back at the television. “I shouldn’t have to watch that and hear about how I shouldn’t text a girl I fancy.”
Remus and Sirius shared a look. Remus then set his sights on James with a raised brow.
“So you fancy her now, do you?”
“Shut up.”
“Just saying,” Remus chuckled. “When we started the school year you said she was evil. Now you fancy her.”
“She is evil. She doesn’t like me back,” James sighed dramatically, slumping in his seat. “I don’t get it. Girls loved me in high school. Then all of a sudden we’re at uni, and the first girl I like turns out to be a lesbian and the second one thinks I’m annoying.”
“Poor boy,” Sirius cooed at his dear friend jokingly. “You’ll find one soon. Maybe she just isn’t the one for you.”
“But I want her to be! It isn’t fair. She probably doesn’t like English boys at all. I bet that’s what it is.”
“What?” Remus asked incredulously.
“She’s from the States. I bet she only likes, like… farmers or surfers or something stupid.”
That earned a laugh from his friends, brushing off his dramatics as usual. James merely pouted to himself as he watched the movie until his phone buzzed next to him. He grabbed it like his life depended on it when he saw who the notification was from, smiling like a giddy child as he read the message.
“alright. thanks for the rec, I’ll check it out :)”
He giggled a little to himself. “She sent me a smiley face! You guys think that actually made her smile? I bet it did.”
His friends merely sighed, ignoring him again since he wouldn’t have listened to their response anyways as he typed away.
“Maybe we could watch it together some time! I think my friends would really like you. They didn’t get to know you well enough last time they saw you since it was only a couple of minutes. You should come over!! :)”
He sent the message, but as soon as the excitement calmed down a smidge, he sent another message.
“If you want to, of course. I don’t want to pressure you. But I do want to hang out with you. I think you’ll like me if you decided to stop hating me lol”
“Sorry, that sounded weird”
“I just mean that we could be good friends, I think. You’re funny and cool, and I’m also funny and cool. It’s like we’re made for each other haha!”
“I don’t mean it like that. You know what I mean, yeah?”
“Fuck, mate, you writing a novel over there?” Sirius laughed with wide eyes, looking at the phone in James’s hands.
“I keep fucking up and sending weird stuff,” he groaned. “Trying to do damage control.”
“Not much damage control to do when she already talks to you in person,” Sirius retorts with a smirk.
“Shove off, Pads.”
His phone buzzed again.
“right lol. maybe sometime? do you plan on talking through the whole thing though? you tend to be a motormouth, you know lmao”
He let out a breath of relief, smiling to himself again when he saw that he didn’t screw things too badly.
“I’ll be quiet during all the important parts at least. Promise!”
He waited for a moment, staring at the screen as a little text bubble popped up almost immediately.
“maybe then, yeah. i’ll let you know next time i’m getting too happy with my peace and quiet. or the next time lils and her girlfriend are making out in front of me again”
He laughed softly, ignoring the looks he was getting from the others as he texted the girl. They were all in happy relationships, they certainly were not allowed to judge him for being excited to be speaking to somebody cute.
“Might not be much better with Sirius and Remus here, but misery loves company, right?”
“Those are two of my mates you met when you picked up those notes a while back, btw. In case you forgot their names.”
“They’re dating now.”
He waited patiently, not even paying an ounce of attention to the movie still playing. Besides, if he was going to watch it with her again some time soon, who cares if he missed a bit of it?
“good for them, they’re probably super cute together. but yeah, i’ll text you next time then”
James smiled brightly.
“Great!!! I’m looking forward to it! We can order dinner and everything.”
“But not like a date.”
“Unless you wanted it to be lol. Just kidding. We don’t have to do that.”
“But I’ll still buy dinner so you don’t go hungry.”
He waited again as the speech bottle popped up, and frowned a little when it went away. Then, there was a little heart on the first message he sent about ordering in, which, to him, felt like everything. 
She was surprised with herself when she was all nerves before going to see James and his friends for that promised movie night. Though, she quickly realized that was incredibly silly.
As she got to know James’s friends, she kind of started understanding why he talked so highly of them. She adored them, and thought it was pretty funny that they always seemed a little bit lovingly exasperated with his antics. She couldn’t help but wonder if that’s how she’d start feeling about him, or if that bothersome crush would never fade into a casual friendship.
The answer seemed to come after Sirius and Remus ran off together after dinner, and Peter left to go hang out with his girlfriend. She didn't expect to find herself opening up to the Potter boy so easily about her past, nor for him to become so serious and thoughtful when talking about his own. 
She really didn’t expect for herself to say yes to hanging out with him again. And again. And again.
It’s like he somehow found his way under her skin. She knew he was capable of such a thing from how he was easily able to bug her from their first meeting. It was exasperation at first sight. But the way he charmed his way into her heart was an entirely new kind of annoying. He was all boyish smiles, silly stories, and dramatism… and it was fucking endearing.
But their tipping point came in March. 
Much to her chagrin, they had become close friends. They spent a lot of time together, and not just in the classroom or at work. She’d become friends with his friends, and James had become friends with Lily and Marlene after he finally accepted that Lily really wouldn’t ever like him. Though, realistically, he was pretty much over that the second he realized he had feelings for someone else. That slightly-grumpy, highly caffeinated, lovely, hilarious, complaining, sweet, smart, ridiculously difficult angel of a girl. 
The girl that made him embarrass himself in front of a party full of people.
He stood with Peter and his girlfriend at a table, chatting as they started sipping on freshly made drinks. James was, admittedly, probably a few too many in. But he couldn’t always exercise impeccable self-control, he decided. So, he stood there, staring at the girl from across the room as she danced with Lily’s girlfriend Marlene with a smile on his face.
“You look ridiculous staring at her like that, mate,” Peter said to James, nudging him lightly.
“I don’t know what you mean,” James snorted, pulling his eyes away from her to smirk at his friend. “Besides, I can stare at my girl all I want.”
“Only she isn’t your girl, James,” Peter reminded him.
“I’d like her to be,” James sighed dreamily, turning his head to look at her again. But this time, a frown overtook his face. 
She was now being tapped on the shoulder by some tall, terribly handsome looking guy. James’s stomach lurched a little at the sight. What did this guy think he was doing? 
He looked on for a moment as the two talked, growing more and more frustrated. He knew they weren’t together, but that was still his girl. He knew he had to take immediate action. This couldn’t just slide without consequence. James looked around the room almost frantically, trying to figure it out. How could he get all her attention on him instead of that stupid dude hanging off her shoulder?
Aha!
He pushed his cup into Peter’s hand, ignoring his friend questioning what on earth he was doing. He walked, though it was more of a drunken stumble, to the nearest table, clambering up on top of it. He cleared his throat, looking around as more and more people started looking up at him in confusion. Perfect! An audience.
He called her name over the crowd, looking at her intently until she turned to him with wide eyes, shrugging off the other guy that was still trying to get an arm around her. He smiled brightly, though she looked less than amused, shaking her head a little at him.
“I want everyone in this room, and… and everyone forever, everywhere, to know something. I am so, stupidly, madly…” he stopped as he stumbled a little, his foot slipping off of the table’s edge in front of him. “Shit!”
He crashed to the floor, scraping his hand on something on the table as he tried to stop himself from landing too hard on the ground. He winced, both from the tumble to the ground and the pain in his hand. What the hell was so sharp on that table?
“Ow,” he muttered, not even trying to get up yet, rubbing his head a little as he felt quite dizzy.
“James!”
He squinted up with a small, pained smile as her saccharine voice reached his ears as she came rushing over. He groaned a little when she dropped on her knees in front of him, trying to look at his hand. It was bleeding a little bit.
“You’re so fucking stupid,” she mumbled, but he still noticed the worry in her eyes. It made him feel good.
“I’m drunk.”
“Clearly,” she sighed softly, then stood, reaching for his opposite hand. “Come on. Let’s go get you home.”
“I didn’t finish what I wanted–”
“You need to get to bed. You’re a mess, Jamie.”
He smiled a little more at that little nickname. He loved it when she called him that. He agreed instantly to her at that point. How could he say no?
“Okay. Lead the way, mama.”
“...Don’t call me that.”
“Mm,” he shrugged, letting her help him stand up. He hung off of her, practically using her as a human crutch. “You’re so sweet to me.”
She stayed quiet, trying to bring him out of the room of people either staring or laughing at him. It was a miracle she got him home, but she did after a lengthy battle against the sidewalks and stairs. She sat him on his bed, making him stay put as she went to get disinfectant and a bandage for his hand.
He blinked slowly, looking after her with a dopey smile as she left and returned. She sat in front of him on the bed, taking his hand in hers. He barely whined at all when she cleaned off his hand, muttering something about him being a ‘clumsy, ridiculous cunt’. He thought it was cute how she could take care of him so well while still insulting him for being an absolute idiot. He reasoned that at least he would be her idiot. 
“Sorry, love,” he mumbled when she finished up with his hand. “But you’re awfully good at this stuff. Maybe I got hurt on purpose just so you’d take care of me.”
“No, you didn’t,” she said, practically force-feeding him some water. 
He swallowed. “No, I didn’t. But I could have. I like it like this.”
“You like having your hand all fucked up, and a room full of people laughing at you?”
“I like you sitting with me like this. Giving me alllll your attention,” he giggled. “Besides, you’re really pretty when you’re concentrating. I don’t mind getting hurt if it means you’ll do that silly little thing where your tongue sticks out a bit when you’re focusing.”
“You need to go to sleep,” she said softly, fighting a smile.
“But I didn’t finish what I was gonna say on the table.”
“Too late.”
“I don’t want you to go.”
“Too bad.”
He whined. “Please? That douchebag who was all over you is gonna go right back to it if you go back to the party.”
“I’m not going back to the party. And what do you even mean? What guy?”
“The one who was on you when I got up on the table,” he pouted.
She quirked a brow. “I don’t even know that guy.”
“That’s worse! He’s gonna steal you away!” James exclaimed. “That isn’t fair. I had you first.”
She swallowed once, looking at him curiously. “What?”
“I don’t like boys looking at you or… or touching you or talking to you or anything. You were mine first. They need to back off,” he said, getting increasingly irritated. “I don’t care if you think I’m annoying or you don’t like me. Doesn’t mean some other boy gets to just… take you.”
“Slow down,” she said, grabbing his arm. “First of all, I do like you, if not evidenced by us becoming friends the past several months. Second… some dude I don’t even know isn’t gonna come along and ‘take me’. That doesn’t even make sense. Besides…”
“It does make sense! You’re so beautiful, and funny, and caring, and really mean but in a way that is super hot…”
“I don’t want to date some random frat boy, James.”
“But they want to date you!”
“Who gives a fuck?”
“I do! I love you! They shouldn’t get to butter you up and take you away from me, it isn’t fair,” he groaned, tossing himself back onto the pillows.
As a result, he didn’t see her mouth drop open at the accidental confession, nor the way her eyes widened as she looked at him. 
“You love me?”
“What?”
“You just said you love me.”
James opens his eyes, though he doesn’t look at her. “...no I didn’t.”
“You’re a shit liar, Jamie. I know what I heard.”
He winced a little. “Well… maybe I do. That’s what I was gonna say on the table, anyway.”
“So you’re brave enough to say it in front of a crowd, but you get scared to admit to it one-on-one?” She snorted a laugh.
“It’s easier to not get rejected right away when we’re around other people. Then at least I could figure out your reaction when you were still far away,” he said meekly, finally looking at her.
“You think I’d reject you?”
“Maybe? You kind of hated me when we first met.”
“And now? Who do I spend every waking moment with, dummy?”
“...me?”
She merely raised her brows, opening her hands in an ‘obviously, dumbass’ kind of gesture. He smiled at her.
“So…?” he asked vaguely.
“So… you love me, huh?”
He merely nodded, looking a little sheepish and still pretty drunk. She was thanking her lucky stars that she was still extremely tipsy as well, or else she probably would’ve passed out from nerves.
“What if I said… like, me too?”
His eyes widened. “You too?”
“Yeah.”
“You love me too? Like, also?”
“Yes, like, also,” she laughed. “I’ve honestly had a crush on you since the second day of classes this year.”
“Really?” He smiled brightly. “Ugh, you’re horrible!”
“What?” she scoffed a laugh.
“You are evil! I’ve been saying it since day one. This whole time I thought I was an idiot for liking you so much, and you had a crush on me?”
“To be fair, I really didn’t want to. You were pretty insufferable,” she chuckled, brushing some of his messy hair out of his face.
“Then what changed for me?”
“Nothing. I just started thinking all of your irritating traits were becoming irritatingly adorable.”
“You think I’m adorable?” He giggled to himself.
“Don’t push your luck, Potter.”
“Don’t call me that. I like it better when you call me Jamie.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. Makes me all soft and mushy inside.”
“You’re such a sap,” she sighed softly, leaning down over him to kiss his cheek.
He felt his cheeks heat up quickly at the sweet gesture, and even more when she didn’t pull her face away from his. He looked up at her with a soft smile. How could he not have fallen head over heels?
He leaned up slightly, glancing down at her lips before closing his eyes to let her make the first official move. He hoped she’d make that move. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach, and sparks all over his body when he felt her lips meet his for the first time. He smiled into the kiss, unable to stop himself from it.
He kissed her back, though it was admittedly sloppy with the both of them still fairly inebriated, James being even more so. But to him at the very least, it was perfect.
Against his preference, she pulled away. He pouted, as he usually did when he didn’t get as much attention from her as he’d like.
“You have to promise me something,” she said quietly.
His ears perked up. “Anything.”
“We won’t become annoying like Lily and Marls or Sirius and Remus.”
He grinned. “Does that mean you want to date me?”
“God, you’re dense,” she muttered against his lips, kissing him again with no intention of ever stopping.
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iznsfw · 5 months
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Here, Kitty, Kitty!
IZ Days of Christmas 2023: Day 2 - Miyawaki Sakura
LE SSERAFIM's Miyawaki Sakura x Male Reader Smut
6,381 words
Categories | catgirl!Sakura, petplay, KITTY CORNER
Queued this on the wrong time, sorry for the late post
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The smell of freshly sautéed food fills your nostrils. The seasoning prickles the air and your stomach rumbles even before you rise. You’d drool over the food if you didn’t open your eyes and find someone else more worthy of your adoration.
Do you need to say more? No, but you’ll go on anyway when it’s about Sakura.
Her back is turned yet your focus remains attached to her. Long brown hair sways with her movements from the restraints of a band. You wonder if she knows how many times you’ve threaded your fingers through her locks as she sleeps, or notice how your hand always goes to her hair whenever she needs comforting. Your attention’s brought to her white skin exposed by the short sleeves of her short shirt. Each lot it takes—her pretty arms, bare neck, or tiny waist—is perfect. There’s beauty even without catching sight of her face.
Of course, there’s also beauty when you see it.
Sakura turns her head. She smiles, her fine cheekbones highlighted. And it’s like falling in love with her all over again. “I knew that would wake you up.”
The food’s just the alarm clock. Sakura’s the sunshine that blinds you.
You lean forward with a playful lilt in your voice. “Are you implying that I’m greedy?”
She draws the big wooden spoon to her mouth and licks a peppered green off it. “I’m implying that I’m a great chef,” she says. She turns the stove off satisfiedly. 
Your legs feel shaky from the long commute, in which you spent a painful amount of time rushing and reaping, but they still choose the way to your girlfriend. When you wrap your arms around her, she jerks in surprise. She settles into them anyway; you’re a familiar comfort. You like how small she looks in your embrace, how you’re always entertained by the idea that you could easily pick her up and give her the biggest hug ever. 
(And other things.)
You kiss the side of her head. “Thanks for the dinner, pet.”
Sakura looks up at you with those spell-binding large eyes, reminding you again of why you chose that nickname. Pet name is a more accurate term.. She’s the tiniest thing ever that you’re pretty sure you could pick her up with just one hand, like she’s a kitten. Her small whines whenever she’s frustrated during a game or tired from work don’t help diminish the urge to call her your pet.
“It’s nothing,” she giggles. “I want you to eat well.”
“I eat enough already. Watch.” 
Seal your lips around her earlobe jokingly. Sakura shrieks. Your laughs vibrate on her skin as the feeling tickles her. Once you release her, she begins to hit you painlessly with the utensil. 
“Perv!” 
“Whoa, that wasn’t even foreplay or anything.”
Sakura’s smile reaches her ears. “Jerk,” she says. “How do I even deal with a horndog like you?”
Okay, now that’s not fair. You’re not even horny twenty-four seven. You just tend to let the memories of Sakura in a summer top and skimpy shorts linger. So her bold accusations are totally false. Nope. You’re not letting them tarnish your image. 
“You’re the one thinking dirty about it, pet,” you say, snatching the spoon from her and lifting it high. 
Her attempt to steal it draws laughs from you. She’s too small to achieve the spoon. She extends her arm up yet ends up empty-handed. Sakura huffs and crosses her arms, finally giving up.
“I know.”
Now you’re the one smiling. It surprises you how quickly she said it, almost like she’s trying to lead things somewhere. The tilt of your mouth reaches places when your cute girlfriend blushes.
“Oh?” 
“Y-you know what I meant.” 
“I actually do not.”
“Well, I won’t tell you anyway. I like it when you do the talking.”
Sakura always prioritizes you, and it often makes you feel guilty. She’s never put herself first. It’s always her taking the last turn, having the smallest half of the cake, giving what she has though it’s only enough for her. Sometimes you want to give back to her, too, and not just in the act of being her boyfriend.
“And I like it when you let me take care of you.” Open your mouth anyway when she raises the spoon to your lips. As always, her cooking is everything. 
You’d say thank you verbally, but you think you prefer grabbing her small waist and lifting her on the countertop. You prefer that squeal, too. Sakura has a funny smirk on her face. You sweep back her disheveled hair and kiss that smile you love so much.
“So let me do the listening this time. What’s going on in that pretty little head, pet?”
“Just… you.” Her legs surround your hips. “I can’t think, I can’t work. All I think about is how you’re doing.”
Sakura massages the sides of your head. You swear you can feel her love trickle from her long, thin fingers and into your mind. She’s so learned in the ways of love that you get a free lesson from her everyday. You’re still studying, but you think you’ve got the hang of it.
“I can handle myself, Sakura,” you tell her. “You’re always taking care of me, so now, I gotta be the one doing it with you.”
“There’s one way for you to take care of me…”
Sakura’s hand grasps yours, and soon she’s leading it between her legs. In turn, it leads you to notice how tiny her shorts are. The hem’s literally hugging below the centers of her cheeks, giving attention to its supple shape. It leaves no room for the imagination. Neither does her crop top. Why is she wearing such a tight shirt in the house anyway? It’s just the two of you.
Then you see the lust in her face, and the dots all connect. 
“Naughty pet.” Squeeze the cheek of her ass to feel her body tense. “What exactly are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking,” says Sakura, as she lifts her legs so you could pull her shorts off, “that you ruin me with those fingers.”
Familiar scent and a familiar sight: her drenched cunt. But you never get tired of seeing her naked or running your digits along her pink slit.
Sakura’s voice whittles into a soft breath, the kind you only hear when she sings quietly. That must be why her moans are like music to you.
Her wetness is unbelievable. In little time, your fingers are already soaked, and you haven’t even put them inside her yet. There’s no need to rush anyway. You’ll take your time playing with her.
Miyawaki Sakura is named after cherry blossoms. It only makes sense that her blush is as pink as the seasonal flowers. Her core drips as if it holds excessive dew drops. Something about the color, too. Something about her center having the same blooming beauty her face has. You stroke this southern flower. Sakura grips your forearm tightly.
Immediately, your fingertips are dripping with her juices. Each flick of your hand, like that of a magician, makes her legs shudder. That’s only one more reason to do it. Play with her clit so she responds with an expected gasp. 
“Mmh, please.” 
“Yeah?”
“M-make me cum…” Sakura’s practically salivating. The drool from her mouth is a parallel to the juices trickling from her cunt. “I need it.”
You kiss her. “I know you do.”
Your touch pierces her core. Sakura’s gasp extends, and her large cat eyes grow rounder. Your fingers move as if to beckon—as if to beckon the strongest climax from her. Of course, you can’t keep doing the same thing if you want that. Recognize this, spread her thigh apart from your forearm and pin it to the counter so you could ram your fingers in her harsher. You make sure to touch her sensitive parts in order to keep those beautiful moans floating to your ears.
You had your suspicions, but it seems now that Sakura was not wearing a bra beneath that tight excuse of a crop top. Her nipples make a print upon the fabric. It’s an invitation, really. Softness fills your palms as you squeeze and squeeze and squeeze, keeping your girlfriend on the road to her orgasm.
“Feels so good!” she says—(no, screams.) Her feet kick and the entirety of her small body tenses up. “Feels so… oh god, don’t stop!”
Your thumb toys with her nipple as your lips latch on her neck. You wouldn’t think of it. You’re here to give Sakura what she needs and wants. In fact, you’re borderline spoiling her—you don’t actually have to thrust that hard or kiss her this passionately. But when it comes to giving back to her, you admit you go a little overboard.
It’s not like anyone else wouldn’t have done the same thing when Sakura’s so vocal about everything. Her cute voice becomes even cuter as it twists with every plunge and squeeze of your hand. She stutters over her words, a habit that becomes more adorable despite the circumstances, and looks at you with this unhinged wildness you only ever see when you’re taking her. If she’s your pet, she’d be a feral cat in heat, always in need for blissful salvation.
Well, you’ll grant it to her.
In the privacy of your own home, this is what you could do to Sakura: leave hickeys all over her skin, finger her with the strings of wetness connecting and disconnecting from your digits, have her for your own. You grow harsher by the minute, and she loves every second of it.
“Please. More, please, I want—” 
“What do you want, Sakura?” 
She needs to speak yet your swift strokes prevent her from saying a comprehensible syllable. Sakura’s hold on your arm—on you—truly is fascinating. She can control you while staying on the receiving side with her pouty slim lips and trembling body. She can make you do anything for her without having to convince you. Her hand over the center of your pants just adds to the heat.
She palms your stiff erection while you thrust your fingers inside her little pussy relentlessly. It’s all so much for a tiny girl to give and take, so it shouldn’t be a surprise when she says it—
“Need you to fuck your kitten’s pussy, make me squirt, I want it so bad!”
—but it is.
You’re well aware of why your fingerfucking grows borderline cruel, why Sakura is screaming the way she is. You’re lost in the moment. The heat in your pants is becoming unbearable. Your fingers are ruining her. 
And you can feel sharp teeth sinking into your neck. The pain is pleasure, and you’re struggling to think of what her bite reminds you of: fangs? Needles? Pins?
A kitten?
Sakura wets the counter and your sleeves. She whimpers against your skin, but you keep on going. You know it’s what she wants. In the corner of your eye, you can see her ears turn red. The volume of her moans next to your ear reaches heights.
“N-no… ah, stop.”
Stop?
Stop.
“Sakura?” you ask warily, afraid you did something wrong. Were things going too far? Are you hurting her? Maybe you already did.
Relief courses through your chest when she kisses you. “I’m alright,” she says sweetly. “It’s just… hmm—”
She never gets to continue what she’s saying until later on. She finds your concerned face too adorable. You’re pretty sure she saw the vulnerability in it. There’s something raw about someone seeing beauty in you the way you see in her. 
Sakura kisses you, hands containing your face. You smile into the heated session. When you drag your fingers slowly out of her cunt, she moans again, rekindling your carnal wants. 
She pulls away. “I like how your fingers are totally soaked,” she says lightly, “and it’s all me.”
She opens her mouth meekly, and you already know what to do.
Earlier, her pussy wrapped your fingers. Now, her lips do, stroking your digits of the liquid that pours down them. It’s like she’s having a second dinner with the way she’s devouring her own juices. You aren’t taking a bite of anything, but watching Sakura do what she does best is a whole meal already.
“God, Sakura, you’re so fucking sexy.”
She giggles. “Thank you. I try to be for you.”
The twirl of your wrist guides her tongue in cleaning your hand up. She truly is a kitten. Her tiny tongue licks you up, and her distinct moans almost sound like meows.
So it’s only right that you pet her. Ruffle her hair and lead it back into place. “You’re always hot, pet.” 
Think back to the moments she sits in her room gaming, with nothing but your shirt and panties on. Of course she always is. It’s second nature to her.
“I’d tell you to continue,” says Sakura slyly, kissing your fingertips, “but that would ruin the bigger surprise, won’t it?”
“What surprise?”
She hops off the counter and pushes you to the island. Since when did her workouts involve that? But she’s Sakura—your girlfriend whose face shows the mischief of a pet who’s too aware of what she’s doing. That’s why you’re breathless.
“Wouldn’t you like to know.”
Well, fuck.
Sakura hooks her finger underneath the button of your shirt. Just a skim of her touch makes you shake. You’re wondering what’s happening—more importantly, what will be happening. But the answer’s clear. She knows your secrets, and now, she’s about to show you something she’s been hiding herself. 
She starts leading you to the bedroom. If looks could kill, you’d be dead by now, on the floor, drool rolling down from the corner of your mouth. And it would be all because of your girlfriend’s sultry expression that’s locked and loaded on you, ready to maim.
Her back rests on your bedroom door. You’re so close to each other that not one breath goes unheld by your skin. She’s truly evil for this. She knows you’re down bad for her, down at rock bottom. And she still chooses to work you up like this: pressing herself against the wooden door, with nothing but that short crop top on and a smile that’s too alluring.
You laugh. Grasp her waist. You can span its width using a single hand. “What’s this, pet?” you say. She’s getting you all hot and bothered.
“Just come inside and close your eyes.” 
Sakura winks. That’s how you know it’s as serious as it gets; Miyawaki Sakura doesn’t know how to wink. If it’s worth her practice and time, you’re in for the real thing.
You shut your eyes as she asked, and let her lead you to the bed. Your excitement chains your throat that you can’t even ask her if she’s done. Rely on your sense of hearing to figure out what’s going on. 
It feels like hours waiting for her surprise. The bed is soft beneath you, but you’d rather have Sakura’s tight body under you instead. Your pants are tight already. Reminding yourself that she’d be ready in a few does nothing to satiate your restlessness.
“Sakura,” you say with a kidding husk that intimidates her nevertheless, “don’t keep me waiting.”
“I-I’m not!”
The thumps and gasps of struggle become less frequent. Your hands frisk impatiently at your sides. What exactly is she planning?
“Open your eyes now!” 
Finally.
Once you see her, you’re met with the thought that confirms you that, like Sakura said, you’ll come inside, just in another way.
Your nickname for Sakura is sweet, but you can’t deny the lewdness it takes now that it represents itself in front of you. 
Her white crop top was replaced with a sleeveless brown one. It ought to be impossible for a crop top to be any more revealing, but that’s proved wrong when this one barely hides the underside of her chest, even giving the top of it a wide peek. Worst of all (but you can’t deny that it’s the best thing you’ve ever seen): there’s a cartoon cat-shaped hole in the middle of it that exposes even more skin. It’s more of a bra rather than a shirt at this rate. But you’d argue that actual bras aren’t this provocative. And you’d argue that you don’t mind—not even a little bit, not even at all.
All of her is on display: her midriff, her arms and pits, her legs, everything. Then you have her skirt that’s the definition of short. It’s a pathetic attempt at modesty and a great exercise of lewdness. Its length allows you a view of her inviting pussy.
It isn’t a secret that you love her hair, and now you’re in a position in which your adoration for it grows. You’re blameless, especially when it’s banded into two twintails joined behind a headband of black cat ears.
But the highlight of it all is that black collar rounding her neck. It awaits a connected leash, a driven purpose.
Tonight, Miyawaki Sakura isn’t just your girlfriend. She’s your pet—your gorgeous, little kitten in heat.
You knew it. Sakura’s been scheming and planning this, and now the surprise is all ready. She’s all ready for your using and taking.
“What a naughty girl you are, Sakura,” you murmur, getting up. 
She cowers. “Just wanted to give you a reward for working hard.” Her paws float to her cheeks. “And… I really want to be your pet. Your pretty little pet.”
“You knew what I wanted all along, huh?”
Sakura hums helplessly while she peeks from the spaces between her fingers. Her palms do a poor job of hiding her red skin. She’s both excited and shy about this, and she’s not sure where to settle. But she’s sure of the heat that sparks between her legs when you trace your touch from her jawline to her chin, where you gently lift. Your gaze is so intense that she flinches. 
“Well,” you say, bringing her eyes back to you, “what should I do about it?”
“Do what you want to me, master.”
From day one, a cat is what she reminds you of. Although she’s the eldest in her friend group with Chaewon and Yunjin, she’s still a kitten inside needing appreciation from her master. Maybe she saw in you too a master that would fit her needs well, who’d see her cute self as someone who’s also tantalizingly beautiful.
Today, you’re letting that come to life.
“Give me the leash. I know you prepared one.”
She blushes. “Of course, master.” She rises from her kneeled position to retrieve it.
Strike her ass that peeks roundly from beneath the hem of her skirt. Her cheeks bounce at the impact. As an effect, her legs shake, too. Her yelp is cute yet it sends a rush of happiness to the wrong place. 
“Bad kitten. Kittens like you don’t walk on two legs.”
“Sorry, master.”
Sakura’s now red ass is presented to you as she crawls on all fours to the corner of the room while you step out of your slacks. You could tell she gets off to the humiliation—her slit’s been dripping all over her thighs. 
The black device is dark compared to her gold collar. She picks it up with her mouth and crawls back to you. That’s right. Even if her knees burn and her hands turn red, a kitten will always crawl on command for her master.
She looks adorable with her face all sweaty from the effort. Doesn’t matter; she’ll be rewarded for it eventually.
You click the leash on. She meows appreciatively. How is it possible that an odd sound unfit for a woman like her gets you hard? You tap your lap, and she crawls up onto it. She never loses her act as a kitten.
“Fast learner.” With her stomach down, you’re able to touch her ass and cunt freely. Most cats like being petted on their backs, but yours would much rather have your hand on her cunt. Actually, you could touch her anywhere and still be met with a gush of arousal between her slim thighs. “What treat do you want for that?”
Sakura’s legs squirm together. You’d never grow tired of hearing her whimpering, but you strike her ass again. You’re a kind master, not a lenient one.
“I said: what treat do you want?”
“Want my master to eat my slutty catgirl pussy out…” she murmurs. 
Why not? 
You lift Sakura’s weightless body from your lap and drag her up the bed. In spite of her slight choking, you tug harder. At least this time she has the soft mattress under her knees rather than the cold floor. But good pets need training to become what they are.
Tie the leash in a harsh knot on one of the poles. Sakura’s still whimpering. You know she wants this treat so badly. Consequently: push her down. Spread her legs. There’s no gentleness here. Her skirt isn’t a problem when it’s length is miniscule. You’re free to eat her out as harshly as possible.
“Oh, oh, master!” Sakura’s gasps are loud despite the earliness of it all. She rolls the silky bedclothes in balls, trying to cope with your licking. It’s like you’ve reversed roles and you became the kitten that licked at her for supplement, just without the submissiveness. Either way, her senses immediately live for it and strive to get more.
Stick your tongue inside that addicting little hole. Your lips brush Sakura’s pussy lips, leaving open kisses on it. She’s so sensitive that a long, hard swipe of your tongue along her slit would have her nearly cumming. You were sure about that even before you tested it out. 
Your saliva and her juices connect. Hard to tell one from the other when you’re tonguefucking her and dragging all those delicious nectar out. It spills on her thighs, which you don’t see as a problem if you could lick it all up. You’re glad to have it stain your mouth as you kiss away at her inner thighs, then return to eating her out.
You plunge your tongue deep. Its tip flicks at her walls and sets a fire inside her. No amount of natural lubrication could keep it from burning. The magic of your mouth can be cruel and blissful at the same time.
“Fuck! Keep eating me, your tongue, holy shit—” 
Sakura gags after her attempt in lifting her head is restricted by the leash. The length you tied it at is too short for her to watch you or even react with a movement. It’s exactly what you want; exactly what she wants, too. The pain is mutually desired but so is the pleasure.
You spit on her cunt. “Did I say you get to order me around?” you ask.
Sakura shakes her head, yet another action the leash prevents her from performing properly.
“That’s what I thought. All I want to hear is your moans. Is that understood, kitten?”
“Yes! Ah, fffuck!”
Dive back in. If you weren’t full from Sakura’s amazing cooking earlier on, then you’re fed well with her pussy. You’re no pretentious dieter—you eat her pussy without shame. Perhaps you lick more than you can swallow with how she’s so sensitive and keeps leaking everywhere. Your tongue pushes and pulls from inside her orifice while your upper lip attends to her clit. Despite not having it in your mouth, you feel it pulsing.
You watch Sakura’s flat tummy rise and rest while you have your way with her. Measure its tempo. You’ve determined she’s close, if her thighs shivering around your head weren’t enough indicators. Jerk them to you and listen (if the hold of her thighs allows you) to the wonderful sounds of her strangled moaning.
“Hahk, oh god, please!”
Much to her disappointment, your fingers are only used to part her pussy lips rather than fuck her. But she’s happier with you licking wild lines on her velvety walls. It seems like your mouth could reach everything. Sakura starts to tremble more. It’s a warning, a not-safe-for-work sticker placed on an explicit track.
“Kitten’s c-cumming, I can’t hold it!” sobs your pet, unable to take any more. Her upper body joins in on the quivering, and you can see the delightful view of her tiny boobs bouncing from behind her top.
What’s next is the suction on her clit. You’ve saved suckling on it for now when she’s at her high. It’s a tested and proven method to amplify her orgasm. Once your lips seal at her clitoris, she lets out screams that almost sound like yowls. Her clawed fingernails start to scratch at your head. You’ll punish her for that later. Currently, you’ll focus on making her cream.
“Master, d-do me harder… master, master!”
The last of her orgasm subsides. That’s your cue to unfasten the leash from the headboard and pull the collar up. Sakura makes a weak, fragile sound that stirs a mixture of heat in your loins.
“No. Kittens don’t make the rules for their owners, do they, pet?”
Her beautiful face shows guilt, but no regrets. You expected that. “Sorry,” she says quietly. 
One would think she must have watched and taken notes from a lot of “tutorial” videos for her nuances—folding her hands, looking up at you with flinching eye contact, squirming—to be this pet-like (you know you have). But she’s just a natural catgirl, and she likes being used like this. The glint in her eyes can’t be mistaken for the lighting in the room.
Grip her collar tighter. “Do you expect me to reward bad behavior?”
“No.”
“Then get on all fours on the bed. I’m not letting up on you.”
Sakura is a little too happy to do as you say. However, you’re certain she isn’t prepared for the onslaught of lust about to be taken out on her.
You observe Sakura’s beautiful back. The line running down the center shows the hours she spent in the gym to work hard on it. It looks prettier with the thin crossing straps of the top running over it. Now your fingers are, too. You can trace Sakura’s shudders, right from her collared neck to her skirted ass.
Raise your hand high in the air, then slap her supple butt. While you’d tell her it’s to punish her, you think it’s just to hear her moan. It's a carnal instinct. Maybe you’re the animal here with your acts of nature. Doesn’t sound right; whether you slap or caress or pinch her, she’s the ever-loving pet. You notice it in the buckle of her knees and the hot breath that leaves her mouth. 
Sakura is a cat through and through, but you still like to fuck her doggy style.
“Ma-master,” she says upon the first few thrusts. She winces, then cries out a pathetic mewl, then repeats herself. This time, it’s tinier, needier: “Master, please.”
The innocently designed mirror in her room reflects back anything but innocent doings. You watch her face twist and whine in its glass. Sakura’s eyes meet yours and she’s turning red again. You didn’t take her for a red foreign cat. You see her more as a black cat.
She’s not so unlucky when she’s providing you this much tightness.
“Please what?” you chuckle. Your rhythm’s already cruel. “Gonna ask for more? Less? No, pet. You’re getting fucking punished.”
She’d definitely ask for more. Her sex drive is more of that of a rabbit than a kitten. Her wet pussy is so drenched that it makes squelching sounds in response to your hips. And, because you’re weak for her—a sucker for anything she wants—you give it to her harder.
Instead of grabbing her hips to pump, you’re using the leash. Sakura has to keep herself steady to stop her head from throwing back. It’s inevitable when your member pulls her apart and makes her take what she used to think she couldn’t. The collar’s already making fine lines on her neck. 
“Punish me, I’ll be a good kitten and obey you, I promise,” she says. Your thrusts get sloppier; her words do as well. “A-ahh, will take your cock any time of the day, on my knees, on the bed, however you like, master.”
God, the thoughts Sakura puts in your head. They’ll seriously put you at risk one day. Picturing her in those positions—on her knees sucking away at your length; on the bed like this with her cat ears frisking to and fro; and however you like, which means everything—impels you to stuff your rock hard dick in her with a might that shocks even you. See, you can do surprises, too.
“Really now?” Yank. In response, she gasps. Her headband almost falls off. Make the uncharacteristic move as a dominant master to slide it back on.
Sakura nods mindlessly. You know she’s wordlessly telling the truth. She deserves a good squeeze on her perfect tits for the dedication.
But you raise the stakes. How far can she go as your pet? How far can you go as her master?
“Even if you don’t get to cum when you want?”
It’s laughable how Sakura immediately whines. Looks like her love for your cock is conditional. To make it harder for her, you start to couple your swift pumps with a finger on her clit. One rub, two rubs, and three—you might as well be counting sheep with how her eyes close.
That sets her off. Your pet begins to shout. She’s never been a girl to talk excessively. Now, it’s the opposite; she babbles and cries and sobs like her life depends on it. For the record, her bliss does, but it’s nowhere as close to her life.
It’s starting to look like it though. Sakura’s frenzied actions consist of pushing her core back to you, filling herself up with your cock even if the leash is there to pull her to you, and repeating your title. She fills the pretty, well-furnished bedroom with the dirtiest sounds unapologetically. If your abandoned clothes on the floor had ears, they’d be deaf by now. Hell, you’re surprised you aren’t.
Her pussy gets messier with each pump. Your tip kissing her deepest parts grants you several gushes of need. They fall onto the mattress, their stains becoming a task for later. Your only wish at this moment is to fuck Sakura to her wits’ end. 
“I need to cum, master,” she says. The alarm in her voice could be mistaken as a warning for a fire or an emergency. 
Does she really? You’re not quite sure of that. Continue to give out your punishment. Fuck her like she’s a catgirl who’d die if you didn’t. Redden her unblemished skin with bruises and marks of your hand. Her hole’s splashing with wetness, and you’re starting to get really close yourself. 
She’s starting to slump. Tears from her eyes blot the white sheets underneath your bodies. “Cum, please, I need to…”
One of the final tugs of her leash for the night. With her back to your chest and your mouth next to her ear, you ask her a question that won’t determine her climax. Knowing you, even if she answers wrong, you’re still letting her cream deliciously all over your girth.
“Are you my good kitten?” you rasp in her ear.
“Yes!” she instantly replies.
Scoff. “No, you aren’t.”
You firmly rub her clit while bottoming out in her. Sakura’s throat is sore from screaming although it’s far from the last time she’ll do it. 
“You’re not a good kitten when all you want to do is fuck your master instead of obeying him. You just want me to fuck you in every part of the house, fill you over and over. You’re the bad thing who wanted to be my pet. So what are you, Sakura?”
Sakura’s hole squeezes you as hard as her collar chokes her neck. Sizable tits bouncing, mouth agape, hands curled on her collar, she replies in the form of another scream.
“A, a bad little kitten, master! His property and plaything, the one he makes cum over and over! So please, master, let me!”
Good answer. “Cum.”
“Ohhhh!” 
Sakura would have collapsed on the bed if it weren’t for your hold on her. Her body weakens and fails. The bed is flooded with her climax. Hearing her normally quiet voice reach this level of highness and whininess is an otherworldly experience. Eke more out of her; you’re pumping slowly but surely. Let it possess great impact but measured pace.
“You okay, pet?” you ask gently.
Sakura’s delicious, tight body trembles in its lingerie. Her breaths are short and sporadic. Through it all, there’s a satisfied smile on her face as she nods. It relieves you of the thought that you unknowingly might have gone too far.
“Why didn’t you cum inside me?”
“Good pets get bred, Sakura.”
“Since when did you legit care about me being a good pet?” she laughs.
“Ever since I thought you’d like to drink your ‘milk’ instead.”
Sakura bites her lip. It’s deadlier when she’s wearing that sultry cat lingerie. Your cock remains stiff seeing it.
“Oh, master.” She smiles. “I have the perfect place.”
-
The Kitty Corner. Not Kitty Korner, for alliteration’s sake, but the Kitty Corner. Cats have favorite places: a shoe, a fluffy tower, the sofa. Sakura is no different. This place, which is the corner of this room, is where she likes it best. It’s no different from any other room corner save for the plushies that line up on the wall. She likes it pressed against it, on the floor, whatever. But she loves it when she has her head pressed against the corner while you fuck away at her mouth.
This is the first time it’s been given a name, and the first time you’re fucking her to it as her master. You tried to be slow in taking her there, as if you weren’t all that excited. But your drag on her leash betrayed your real emotions.
Once Sakura is in position, her tongue sticks out. She must have forgotten that she’s a kitten, not a puppy. That won’t stop you from sliding yourself inside her warm mouth.
It begins. You rub your cock on her tongue before welcoming it in the hollow of her mouth. Like her pussy, her inviting mouth is wet and ready. Sakura tastes herself on your dick. She licks away at everything: the remnants of her orgasm from under it, your cockhead, your base. It’s not even her milk yet, but her eyes light up. 
“Be good,” you warn. “No biting.”
Her lips lift into a smirk. Then, you feel her teeth graze ever so lightly on you.
At first, you were content to get yourself off in her mouth. You could have chosen to rub your tip on the flat of her tongue or the inside of her cheek. But now, you give out another punishment. You ram your length down her throat. Training doesn’t help her avoid gagging for she does it anyway. Now her eyes light up in surprise, too.
“M-mmm!”
“Warned you, kitten,” you say with a laugh.
With only your hand on the back of her head to protect it, you start to fuck Sakura’s throat. Her gagging only gives more tightness that seals around you. Her airway is shut and it’ll be that way for a long time unless she behaves.
Sakura can’t even cough or say anything. It’s painful pleasure with her thighs squirming to give her a little bliss, and your cock not allowing her even a moment to breathe. You’re not even tugging her anymore—you’re putting all the force in shoving yourself inside her, as if you had little time to spare.
Her tongue wiggles about in an attempt for air, but as if you couldn’t be more cruel with your training, you close her mouth shut. You warned her, and she still decided to disobey. 
Her lost breaths warm your cock. Push them back to her throat. This kitten needs to learn her lesson, even if it requires another. 
As if she couldn’t get any lewder, Sakura’s last resort is to mount the leg of her favorite puppy plushie, the one you gifted her. You bet that the manufacturers didn’t know that its use was for her own little pleasure, to serve as a place to grind until the blissful torture ends. She grinds forward and you’re welcomed further in her throat. There’s no escape. Does she even want an escape?
You can feel spurts of air from her nostrils. She’s getting close. This punishment isn’t even a punishment if presented with how her nipples stick out that hard from beneath the fabric, how she’s riding the toy’s leg, how she licks still and all. Her only signs of resistance are her palms on your thighs.
“Thirsty, pet?” 
Sakura squeezes her eyes shut, grinds harder, and nods. Her sigh is the closest thing to a verbal response.
“Then have your milk.”
It’s only then that you loosen your grip on her head. You release inside of her mouth and give her the milk she deserves. There’s plenty of it to go around, but it’s all for her. Only for her.
But letting go of her causes her to collapse. Her knees trip over nothing and send her falling onto her plush. The cum spills down Sakura’s chest and midriff like an explicit rainfall. She gasps for air, torn between trying to swallow the cum and catching her breath.
At least there’s the puppy plushie to embrace her.
A kitten and a puppy.
How ironic.
You kneel down to her level and raise her chin. You’d say she wasted her milk, but she’s Sakura. Nothing is gone to waste if it’s her, especially if it makes her look so beautiful. Dazed eyes, tired parted lips, and panting painted tummy.
Beautiful.
Yep, she’s beautiful. 
“Are you a good kitten?”
“Yes?” she asks hopefully, exhaustedly. 
“Of course not.” You pat her head. Still your little pet. “You’re the best.”
913 notes · View notes
entitled-fangirl · 3 months
Text
His betrothed.
Barty Crouch Jr. x reader
Summary: The youngest Black sibling is getting near courting age. Regulus and Barty have a plan, and Sirius doesn't like it.
Warnings: the Black family literally, cursing, siblings fighting, idk
Author's note: I wrote this while I had a fever, so if it's horrendous, let's not judge :|
Part 2!
Masterlist
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....................................................................
"Siri…?"
Sirius turned his head to look over his shoulder. 
Sweet little Y/N Black was standing behind him with a worried look in her eyes.
Being the caring older brother he was, he pushed James slightly, making room for her to sit next to him at the Gryffindor table of the Great Hall. She accepted, sitting down gently, her expression never changing.
Remus saw the look as well, and seemed to be just as concerned, "What's going on?"
They weren't the only two marauders concerned. In fact, they all were.
When Sirius' sibling Y/N was sorted into Gryffindor, Sirius had physically cringed. He couldn't stand seeing his darling little sister go through the Black family's mental and physical abuse due to her house. At that point, away from Walburga's watch, the marauders had taken the girl under their wings. During the summer, she still remained in the Black household at Grimmauld Place with her twin Regulus. But during the school year, she was raised by Sirius.
Hence, where this situation had come from.
James threw an arm around the girl's shoulder, leaning close to her ear, "Whatever it is, you can tell us. That's what we're here for."
She simply stared at the plate in front of Remus across the table.
The four boys stared at each other, worried and unsure of what to do at this point.
Her small voice came out, "Mum is having me go to my first… meeting…. This winter…"
Sirius' hand had a steady grip on his fork, his knuckles turning white. His voice was low. Scarily low, "What."
Remus leaned forward to him, "Pads, control yourself in front of everyone."
Sirius' head lifted to him, "I would, but she's 17 fucking years old. Too young to be staring this… this shit…."
The girl remained unmoving, James' eyes never leaving her, "Y/N…?"
A small sigh came from her lips, "that's not all…"
Sirius looked as if he would explode. "Not…all?"
Peter finally peeped, "Is everything going to be okay?"
She looked up at him, "I'm not sure…"
Sirius rubbed his hands over his face before leaning on the table, "Alright, sweetheart. Tell me."
"Mum is… well… setting up… alliances…"
Sirius knew what that meant. Merlin, he knew what that meant. And he was angry. Beyond angry.
Remus' eyebrows furrowed, "…alliances?"
She nodded, her frame getting smaller as if she was shrinking into herself with every word, "It's…. Well it's when-"
Sirius interrupted, "Mum's marrying her off."
The table went silent, each boy trying to come to terms with what they had heard. 
Finally, Peter spoke up, "to…. To who?"
All of their eyes were on her. Well, almost everyone's eyes.
She shrugged, "Mum hasn't told me yet."
James, who had been staring off past the siblings to a different table, was holding a slight smirk to his face. "I bet I can tell you who it is."
Y/N looked up to him with teary eyes, her emotions finally getting to her, "Who?"
His eyes never left the person, his head moving as if to point in that direction. Sirius and Y/N followed his gaze.
Barty Crouch Jr. sat at the Slytherin table, his eyes flickering up in her direction every few seconds. When he saw the entire table looking in his direction, he quickly looked down at his food, as if forcing himself to not look up at her again until they looked away.
Sirius' voice was practically a growl, "It's. Not. Gonna. Fucking. Happen."
James sighed, "I don't know if you get a choice, Pads."
Remus looked up at Y/N, who was near tears. His hand reached out, grabbing hers from across the table, "Hey. Are you alright little dove?"
That was their name for her. Little dove. She was no animangus. But, hoping to make her feel included, they had given her a name during her 3rd year. And it had stuck ever since.
She shrugged, her bottom lip quivering. "I'm not sure."
He nodded, "That's alright. We'll figure this out… Pads?"
Sirius was in his own world. His eyes flickered around the room at every person, as if anyone could jump out and take her from them. 
When Regulus entered the Great Hall, Sirius immediately jumped up, walking to him. "Regulus…"
Regulus stopped, confused. Sirius never spoke to him unless it had to do with Y/N. "…what."
"I want you to tell me what the fuck Mum is doing to her."
Regulus sighed, "Let's…," his eyes wandered around, "Let's get away from listening ears."
"What the hell, Reg?!"
"Hear me out, Sirius!"
"No! You're letting Mum marry her away like a piece of fucking meat-"
"-THAT'S NOT TRUE!"
Sirius went quiet. The only sound in the hall was the occasional student that walked a few corridors over. His voice finally came out calm, "What… what do you mean?"
Regulus sighed, "It's… complicated."
"Yeah, I can fucking tell…"
"Crouch…," Regulus looked like he was ready to get hit by his brother, "he asked."
Sirius' eyebrows furrowed, "Asked for what?"
"Sirius, please. Don't make me spell it out."
"He asked for Y/N?"
Regulus nodded, "He's liked her for the longest time, really. Since I can remember. And when Mum mentioned that she was going to make arrangements for me soon, I panicked knowing she'd be soon after. I told Crouch, and he said he'd happily marry Y/N. And I helped him win Mum's favor." He looked back up at Sirius, "Look. Don't judge me. I'm doing what's best for her."
Sirius scoffed, "'what's best for her'? What's best is getting her away from the hellhole we call our family. They don't fucking deserve her. Marrying her to a fucking death eater, Reg? Not the brightest idea you've had. Merlin…"
Sirius slowly began to walk away until Reg spoke up again, "I thought it through, Siri. Swear to God."
The 7th year stopped, turning around once more, "…how?"
Reggie sighed again, "Crouch… he's… he's only a first generation death eater. There's not many responsibilities he has to hold. He's loyal only to himself and those he deems worthy."
Sirius thinks it over, "And would he be loyal to her?"
Regulus let out a small laugh, "Merlin. He is already."
When Sirius didn't answer, Regulus continued, "He may not be close to his father, but… it gives her options. If they decide to run away, he can protect them. And if she decides just to leave Bartimus, then his father could protect her on his own. Crouch brought it up to Mum as a way to give more connections between the death eaters and the Ministry. But, we both know. It was for her protection."
Sirius was staring to be slightly shocked at his brother's reasoning, "I…. Okay?"
Regulus gave a final statement. "And He'll treat her well, brother."
"How can you be sure?"
Reg shrugged, "Don't believe me? Make them interact. You'll see. He's like a loyal dog. He'll do anything for her."
Sirius sighed, "I should wring your neck. But I won't. Because you've thought this out so well. I won't say I'm agreeing with it. But… I'll let it grow a bit. To see where it goes."
Regulus smiles, "That's all I ask, brother."
….
Sirius entered the Great Hall once more, sitting in his spot with a huff. At this point, James is gently running his hands through the girl's hair. She's talking to Peter and Remus over an omelette, her mind far from the previous conversation.
He interrupts, "We're talking about this later. The four of us."
She turned, "Not me?"
Sirius' tone turned condescending, his voice harsh, "When have you ever been a part of the four of us? You're not a marauder."
James' hand in her hair immediately paused, Peter dropping his fork clumsily. Remus choked on his drink. But none of them said a word in her defense.
She stared at her brother with a guilty look that slowly morphed into slight hatred. Her voice was still as soft as always, but it held a bite to it, "Fine. I didn't want Mum to know I'm around the Black family traitor anyway." She stood up, leaving the table without another word. 
Remus stood up, watching her go, "Dove?"
But she had already left.
She approached the Slytherin table, her red and gold tie standing out from that side of the room. 
And Barty Crouch Jr. was already looking for her, noticing her leave from the Gryffindor table. 
She stood behind him, quietly trying to speak up, "Excuse me?"
Barty's eyes closed. Her voice was so sweet. He never got to hear it. And she was trying to speak to him. This situation couldn't be better. 
He turned around on the bench, a small smile gracing his face and a happy look in his eye, "Hello. What do you need?"
She pointed to where Regulus always sat, "Could I… maybe…?"
He looked over to the spot next to him before immediately, "Oh. Yes. Please."
She sat, finally taking note of the people around him. The most notable one being Lucius across the table.
Lucius held an arrogant look in his eyes, "What? The blood traitor finally got tired of you too?"
Barty's jaw clenched, "Watch your tone, Malfoy."
Malfoy snickered, leaning forward. "Why are you here, Black?"
Barty was becoming highly irritated, "Hey. What did I fucking say?"
Lucius held his hands up in a surrendering way, not saying a word, but his eyes were saying more than his mouth needed to.
She stood, "I'm sorry. This was a dumb idea…"
Barty grabbed her wrist. "No, please. I want you to sit."
She hesitantly does so.
A silence falls over the table before Barty breaks it, "Regulus hasn't been back since Sirius drug him out. Think he beat him up?"
She laughs, "No. I'm sure that just had a small fight is all."
Barty smiles, "I have a feeling I know what it's about."
She nods, deciding to avoid the subject. "Do you have classes today?"
He nods as well, "Just one. Potions. Tell me yours."
She pulls out her wand, waving it. A small piece of paper lands on the table, her entire schedule written on it. She begins to study it to give him an answer.
He leans over to her, peering at it slightly over her shoulder. He smiles, "You have astronomy tonight?"
She nods, "It's my favorite."
He points at one of the classes for the day. "I know where that is. Why don't I walk you?"
She shakes her head, "You don't have to. I know where it is, I just-"
His voice was a whisper, "-please. I would love to."
She decided to look at him finally, and when she did so, she found their faces to be inches apart, his deep brown eyes staring longingly into hers. She felt her face heat up, a light pink shade overtaking them. They stayed this way for a while before she decided to talk first, her voice softer than a whisper as she caught him staring at her lips, "Do you really want to marry me, Crouch?"
He smiled, "More than anything."
The moment sat for a while before she looked away, now a deep shade of red. "Perhaps you can walk me to class then."
"And a walk after dinner."
She looked up at him, "…a walk?"
He nodded, "Please."
He points at another class on the paper, "I can walk you to this one as well… if you'll have me?"
Her eyes soften as tried to see if this was a joke. If he had an ulterior motive. But he didn't.
Regulus came up from behind, completely unnoticed until Y/N felt a kiss to the top of her head and a small, "scoot over."
She did so, pushing herself closer to Barty, who held a smile on his face the entire time.
Regulus could feel the stares from the Gryffindor table. He looked up to meet their gazes, smiling in an almost mocking way at the sight of the two betrothed finally bonding.
She was still looking at Barty, "I…. Yes. I would…. I would like that very much."
He nodded, "Then it shall be done." He stood up, grabbing his books next to him, "I must get to potions, but I'll meet you by the Gryffindor common room entrance before your class, yes?" When she nodded, he gave a nod to her brother, "Regulus," then took his free hand, grabbing the girl's hand, kissing it gently, "Y/N." And with that, he left.
.................................................................
413 notes · View notes
blackopals-world · 11 months
Note
I liked your ´ I Found Home ´ Twisted Wonderland fic could I PLEASE request a part three where everyone else finds out about her son and her books! I have a feeling some of those boys would be a blushing mess. PLEASE I NEED MORE I CAN ´ T GET ENOUGH! PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEEEAAASEEE!
I Found Home
Part 3
(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 4) (Part 5)(Part 6)(Part 7)(Part 8)
Implied relationship
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Leona
"The Tracker"
It's usually very busy in the kingdom this time of year. Handling the harvest, taxes, keeping an eye out for droughts, and other things that pop up. These things are part of his responsibility as the official grand duke. His brother gave him a good chunk of territory after it was confiscated from a group of inept nobles. He stated that Leona more than deserved it after uncovering their faults.
Leona gained the freedom to rule how he desired with no input or control from his family or counsel. The people respected him and his knights swore loyalty to him.
Ruggie became an aid obviously and is still the only one to keep up with Leona. Despite Jack being strong enough to become a knight he became a botanist.
While Leona is not king, he still basically is one. The only time he's ever had to follow orders is when his brother begs him to attend functions in the capital, which Leona usually ignores.
Recently Cheka started staying at Leona's castle for the summer to learn how his uncle rules his region. Thus ends the lion's peaceful days.
Ruggie sometimes takes the cub to his old neighborhood to learn of its past. The slums no longer exist as Leona created a project to help those living there and created new jobs to support them. The idea wasn't his alone. It came about when Yuu proposed a plan to help Ruggie community. She knew a few examples from her own world to solve this problem and together they made a plan.
She was an incredible woman. Falena had insisted had she become his sister-in-law.
"Listen to me brother, you don't meet a girl like that every dynasty. You need to do something now or never."
Now did become never. Leona learned the hard way that lazing around doesn't stop the world around you from moving forward with or without you. Without Yuu.
Maybe she would have stayed if he asked. He doesn't know. He moved on.
Opportunity was a window and it was closed until someone opened a door. A gateway in this case. There was a way to see her again.
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"I don't know how you do this. One moment you're a velcro baby and won't let me put you down the next you're gone." Yuu watched Grimm bolt for the sandbox.
Yuu had gotten the go ahead from Grmm's doctor and social worker to introduce him to the outside world. He was finally secure enough to interact with people his age.
He liked the sandbox which meant extra laundry to Yuu. She checked her bag for a change of clothes when she was stopped by someone.
"Excuse me? Miss I couldn't help but ask. Are you the author of the Lost Princess series?" The woman asked.
"Yes, actually I-" Yuu was cut off.
"It's so amazing to meet you! My children love your books and I love that new romance novel you put out. I heard you were working on a t.v show based on the kids books." She asked in excitement.
"Yes, a network reached out about it but I wanted it to suit my vision and a lot is going on with it. Besides that, I have a family and I can't be away from my son for long." Yuu explained.
"I see, I understand completely. My girls need to be watched like hawk. How old is yours?" The mother seemed to switch gears the moment kids were brought up. She was clearly an attentive mother as she occasionally looked over to where her daughters were on the swing.
"He's 4 now. Over there in the sandbox." Yuu said pointing towards the box except he wasn't there.
The other mother looked around questioning.
"I saw another kid other there a minute ago with a small boy. Do you know if he has a friend here?" She said with a thick edge to her voice.
"No, he doesn't know anyone but me. He hates strangers! Grimm?! Grimm?!" Yuu ran for the sandbox and yelled for her some.
The other mother called for her daughter's and told them to stay close as she called for Grimm as well.
In the back of her head Yuu knew what was going on. She had read stories about predators using kids to lure in other victims. Her son was kidnapped!
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Leona stood at the door of a small house in a quaint neighborhood. The house had to be hers. The scent of desert roses and clove was everywhere. That was her favorite perfume.
He knocked a few times but there was no reply.
Cheka(who insisted on coming and Leona had no choice anyways) investigated everything around until a door slammed open in the neighbor's yard.
"Scram you little urchin! Stay out of my garden! She yelled at Cheka as he rooted around the flower bed.
"Who are you calling an urchin?" Leona growled as Cheka took cover behind his uncle.
"You let your son tear up people's yards? You are no better than that hussy that lives here. Are you dropping off another one of her noisy bastard kids? Keep him! I don't want another one running around here!" The old woman ranted.
Leona doesn't advocate punching old women's remaining teeth out but this woman was making him a believer. But he wasn't going to do that in front of Yuu's house in public.
"I don't know who you're calling a hussy but I'm looking for Yuu. Since you are already so nosy you must know right?" Leona asked as politely as he could muster.
"Like I'd tell a thug like you." The old woman said.
"That's fine. If you can't say anything useful you might as well not speak." He said casting a silence curse on the old bat.
The crone tried to flap her gums more but nothing came out as she tried to yell and rant some more.
"Cheka, it's time to practice tracking." Leona picked up a trail that did go too far. Yuu must be on a walk.
Cheka excitedly bounded off with Leona a few yards behind.
When they made it to a park Cheka sped off before Leona noticed.
The old woman said Yuu had a kid. Damn things did change. He should have expected it, kind of. He knew she liked kids and would volunteer to babysit Cheka all the time but knowing she started a family was unexpected.
Was he jealous...no. Why would he be? She didn't owe him loyalty especially when she believed they would never meet again. They weren't even together. So what if he never saw anyone after her and turned down every engagement? She owed him nothing. It was enough to spend what time they did have together.
"Look!" Leona snapped out of his revelry as Cheka brought a small boy over to him.
The boy was small, looked to be less then half the age of Cheka, and held a bright yellow plastic hand shovel.
"Oh no." Leona already had a bad feeling about this. "Cheka what do you think tracking means?"
Cheak puffed out his cheeks as he picked up his new friend from under under his arms like how a toddler picks up a cat.
"I followed the scent and I found him." The cub replied.
The boy had little awareness of what was happening thankfully. But Cheka had a point, the boy smelled like black clove, cinnamon and faintly of desert roses.
"Cheka you can't just take a kid from a playground, even if you are a kid yourself. Put him back before I get called a kidnapper." The instant 'kidnapper' left his mouth the latent survival instincts in the boy went off and he sprinted for the bush and disappeared.
"Shit." Leona muttered.
"Shit." Cheka echoed.
"Not you! Find him before his mom-"
"Grimm! Grimm! Where are you!" Yuu's voice echoed across the park.
He's going to die. He's going to die and I'll all be this brat's fault.
He wasn't overreacting, he is under-reacting. Leona has seen this woman do a hundred-meter dash just to hit her friends upside the head. She once tried to fight a referee after getting a red card and it took Jack and Sebek to pry her off.
Leona managed to find Grimm as he climbed up a tree.
"I swear if you fall from there," Leona growled under his breath.
Cheka tried to follow him up but Leona yanked him back down by the back of his shirt.
"You stay here, go distract Yuu." Leona ordered
"Aye!" The cub mock saluted before bounding off again.
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Yuu began to feel lightheaded as she searched every corner of the playground. She asked every parent and child if they had seen her son.
She pulled out her phone and began dialing for emergency services. Just before she pressed the call button she was ambushed from behind.
Two arms circled her stomach and squeezed. Yuu yelped and grabbed one of the hands. Prickly claws dug in firmly.
"Nanna!" A familiar voice called for her.
It was Cheka! Little Cheka wasn't so little anymore. Well, he was taller at least and was still very much a cub.
If Yuu wasn't so frantic she would have squeezed him to death tighter than Floyd but a mother's mind isn't so easily swayed. Grimm first, reunion second.
"That's the boy from earlier!" The other mom said "He took your son!"
HE WHAT?!
Before Cheka could run he was grabbed by the ear.
"Cheka Kingscholar!" Yuu yelled. "Sorry about all this trouble Amaranth. I'll handle the rest from here."
Amaranth laughed a bit leaving Yuu to parent.
Cheka yelped as he struggled to escape.
"Sorry Nanna! I just thought it was funny and I wanted to play with cousin!" Cheka squirmed "He's with uncle I swear!"
Yuu dragged the cub by the ear back to where Grimm was still in the tree.
Currently, Leona was trying to grab the boy while Grimm reflexively hissed and spat like a feral cat. Grimm only did that when he was really scared. One of the side effects of being locked in a basement with only a cat for company for who knows how long.
"I said I was going to hurt you, now stop trying to bite me!" Leona tried to grab him by the collar.
"Mama!" Grimm called out as he dodged Leona again and climbed higher.
"I'm trying to take you to her! Do you want to be left up here?" Leona managed to snag the boy this time by the waist and hauled Grimm up in a position that would keep them stable but not in biting range.
"Grimm no bitting! It's safe! He won't hurt you!" Yuu called out.
Leona worked his way down and as he made it to the lowest branch dropped the squirming toddler in Yuu's waiting arms.
Immediately the boy wiggled around to wrap his arms around his mother like a koala.
"I'd really like an explanation for what's going on but I'm tired and Grimm is overdue for a nap." Yuu sighed.
Leona agreed wholeheartedly.
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"So you missed me, my prince?" Yuu laughed as she pulled the leftover leaves and twigs out of his hair.
'My prince' he remembered when she used to call him that when she wanted to tease him. The boys couldn't hear at least, they exhausted themselves and were currently napping.
"No one has called me prince in years. Most just say, Grand Duke." Leona sighed in relief as Yuu combed out his locks.
"Fancy~" Yuu sang before her tone shifted "You've changed, Leo."
"That's your fault. You changed me."
Yuu couldn't pretend he was lying. She wouldn't leave Leona alone back then.
She recognized that Leona was in pain and asked-begged him to get help. She taught him to recognize his feelings so he could explain what was wrong. It was hard for him to accept that help but in time he improved.
Yuu forced him to eat healthier and made excuses everytime she wanted him to do something more then sleep.
"These guys keep harassing me. I can't go alone." She'd say poking him in the ribs until he caved.
When they had bad days. They'd sleep cuddled up beside each other.
"You don't need to fix me." He'd complain but he didn't mean it.
"I'm not. I just don't want to see someone else go through what I did." She said.
Leona wasn't an idiot. He knew she was more fragile than she let on but it never mattered to him. She was the strongest person he knew. So he believed in her words and got his life together.
"Change is good. I've changed too." Yuu responded.
"I've noticed. So where's the dad? Not in the picture?"
"Never was. I found Grimm and took him home. He has his quirks but he's a good kid."
"I've noticed, his bites were just full of kindness." Leona said holding out his nicked hand.
Yuu rolled her eyes, he could heal himself with magic but was being dramatic.
"He was just scared. Besides his teeth aren't nearly as sharp as Cheka's." Yuu scoffed as she intertwined their hands.
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While the adults got cozy the kids were up to trouble.
"So this book is about the king of beasts?" Cheka asked puzzled.
"It is about the lost princess and how she met the king of beasts. He wanted a war with the enemy kingdom and worked hard to win. The princess taught him that the war was dumb and he should be a good king instead." Grimm said flipping the pages.
"And then they get married and live happily ever after?" Cheaka asked.
"No! The princess has to go home and goes to the underwater city to get help from the sea folk. The princess can't get married." Grimm argued.
"I dunno, I think the princess is going to marry the beast." Cheka smirked.
"What do you mean?" The boy asked tilting his head.
"Ask your mom. We are going to be cousins soon. Shihihi" Cheka cackled using Ruggie's laugh.
"Mom?" Grimm scrunched his nose in thought before realizing "MAMAAAA!"
Grimm cried as he stumbled down the stairs.
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Tag Lists:
@kamisatoaiko@professionalreblogs@kai200x@lianreine@loivre@jackalope08@code-roevember@growingupnrealizing@ryxmix@rainbowcake1212@blazestar0525@botswanasvetlana@shrimpyfishyy@imasimpsowhat06@nooneknows8976@utaubara@springdrop-701@ayachansan@otomyoli@savanaclaw1996@who-mst@cloudy51@siren-serenity@ehjane@glacticrose@bontensbabygirl@morokumi@rincommittedarsin@queen-shiba
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cameronspecial · 2 months
Text
Ghost Of A Memory
Pairing: Dad!Rafe Cameron x Reader
Warnings: Loss of a Spouse During Childbirth and Grief
Pronouns: She/Her
Word Count: 0.9K
Summary: All Rafe wants are memories of his family, but sometimes he has to remind himself that he can't have that.
Masterlist
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The warm summer sun glows across Rafe’s pale skin, kissing it so that it will soon tan his skin a darker shade. Laughter fills the air and a sappy face falls on Rafe’s face as his eyes fall on the sight of his wife and daughter on the playground. Hannah is climbing the ladder on a mission to go down the slide again; Y/N is waiting for her baby girl at the bottom of the slide to catch her. Hannah plops her butt onto the plastic contraption and squeals in delight as she zooms toward her mother. He finishes laying out the sandwiches on the plates and calls out to his girls, “Lunch is ready.” Y/N keeps her daughter in her arms, taking them both to the picnic blanket, where their lunch is laid out on it. “Salami, tomato, arugula and garlic cream cheese for me. Cheese and lettuce for Little Lady. And turkey, lettuce, tomato, and Havarti for my love,” Rafe announces, pointing to everyone’s meal as he lists the ingredients. Y/N leans forward to kiss his cheek, “Thank you for getting this all ready, Handsome.” Rafe’s cheeks warm like they always do at the nickname. It’s such a basic nickname, but coming from her, it makes him feel like he can do a thousand backflips one after the other. Hannah throws herself into her dad’s arms with her own thank you directed towards him.
The family finishes their food and Hannah is invited to play ball with a boy around her age. Y/N rests her head on Rafe’s shoulder as they both watch their daughter play with her new friend. “I think we should have another one,” she whispers to him. He beams at the idea and presses his lips to her temple, “I think I would love to have another one. Maybe a little boy with your hair and my eyes this time.”  “Hmm, that sounds like a great idea,” she agrees. Hannah lets out a scream in delight, except the longer it goes on, the more it starts to sound like a cry.
———
Rafe wakes up with a jerk into a sitting position. He rubs his eyes with the palms of his hands as he looks around the dark room. Hannah stands in her crib in the corner of the room, rattling against the bars with her cries. Her father swings his feet over the side of the bed and pads over to her. She reaches her arms up toward him and he picks her up. He brings her to his chest, letting her nuzzle his neck. “Shh, it’s okay. I’m right here, Little Lady,” he soothes. He bounces in hopes of providing her with some sort of comfort. He is so tired, yet he can’t go back to sleep because it seems as though Hannah doesn’t want to sleep. He presses his lips against her forehead, “Please, Little Lady, go back to sleep. Daddy is tired.” He tries to see if she is hungry and quickly learns that she isn’t. “What can I give you so you can go to sleep?” he begs, picking up her stuffed penguin. The penguin is rejected, so he tries offering her her blankie. Hannah screeches and throws it on the ground in dissatisfaction. His eyes dart around the room in search of anything that will appease the bebe. Finally, he spots what he thinks is going to cease the crying.
He picks up the fading navy zip-up sweater and wraps it around his daughter's shoulders. The nine-month-old immediately calms, snuggling into the fabric of the hoodie. Rafe sighs, “I know. I miss her too.” He sits in the rocking chair opposite the crib. He looks at the empty spot on the bed beside his, drawing in the figure that should be there for himself. The woman creating a dip in the bed sits up and gives him a lazy smile. “Did she wake up? I don’t know how I slept through her cries. Is she hungry?” Y/N mumbles, standing from the bed. Her footsteps drag against the floor to stand in front of them. He grins up at her, “It’s okay. I figured out what she wanted. It was your Chapel Hill sweater.” He lifts Hannah up a bit so Y/N can see the school logo on the back. “That makes sense,” she agrees. “She’s always been a Mama’s girl.” Rafe chuckles, “So true. I can’t blame her though. She has a pretty amazing mom.” Y/N leans over to kiss her family members and he closes his eyes to embrace the feeling, but just as her skin is supposed to make contact with his, the daydream he is creating for himself dissolves. Instead of the feeling of her lips, he gets a kiss from the wind and he opens his eyes with furrowed eyebrows.
The room is void of any other human being, except for Hannah in his arms. He looks over to the other side of his bed and finds it empty. Likes it has been for the last nine months. The room lacks air and Rafe begins to hyper-ventilate. His immediate thought is to get up to look for the missing link in the room. And then he finally remembers that his dreams can only ever be the ghost of a memory he never gets to make because the love of his life never made it out of the hospital with their baby girl. 
Taglist: @winterrrnight @loves0phelia @thelomlisrafecameron @wickedlovely121 @thepatriarchykeychain @drewsmusee @starkowswife @maybankslover @forstarkey @loving-and-dreaming
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moonstruckme · 1 month
Note
Hi, I love your writing, I recently read your James Drabble about reader and James being domestic and reader eating all the blackberries. It gave off such summer comfort vibes, I was wondering if you would be able to write something with either James or Remus (you choose I love them both) and reader going to a farmers market or just laying in the summer sun while reader reads and maybe tracing lines on her back. I know I gave you a few ideas, but if you’re comfortable writing something, anything thing would be good, your writing’s always good.
Hope you’re having a lovely day :)
Thanks for requesting, hope you're having a lovely day too <3
James Potter x fem!reader ♡ 794 words
The sun is warm on your back, beating off the white of your book’s pages so glaringly you’ve had to put on your sunglasses to read comfortably. The top you’re wearing is cut low in the back so you can soak in the rays, and you’ve laid a blanket down on the grass to do just that. James is meant to be running the trail around the park, but he’d announced his break twenty minutes ago to snack on the strawberries you’d bought at the farmers market and has somehow fallen into tracing shapes on your bare skin. 
You’re pretending to still be immersed in your book, but it’s growing difficult. 
“What are you doodling back there?” you ask him. 
“Working on my cursive,” he says, drawing a loop next to your spine that makes you shiver despite the warm day. “My teachers were right, I lost the skill once I stopped practicing.” 
“You’re writing? What are you saying?” 
“Nonsense, really. But—hold on, I’ll try to write something and you tell me if you can understand what it says.” 
You laugh. “Okay,” you say, but James presses a hand to your back to still you, shushing with mock seriousness. 
“Shh, lovie, you’re shaking my canvas.” 
You set your chin down on the blanket, giving up on reading and closing your eyes to decipher James’ messages. 
His finger makes a couple of odd loops on your back, and you guess, “Do?” 
“Yes!” 
Another series of loops. They tickle as they get lower, and James tuts when you wriggle slightly. 
“Wait,” you say, “I didn’t get that one.” 
Your boyfriend sighs heavily. You think you can hear a smile in the sound. “Fine,” he says with great reluctance, “I’ll do it again, but please try to pay attention this time. I’m trying to ask you something urgent.” 
You smile to yourself, but focus in as he traces the letters again. 
“You?” 
“There we go! Knew you could do it. Alright, stay with me…” 
James makes it fairly easy on you. The majority of the words are short and simple, only a few letters. Do you want some…
You get stuck on the last one, making him repeat it a few times, slower and slower, until you guess, “Strawberries?” 
“Finally.” James lets out a big breath, drooping forward so he’s laid across you with his chin digging into your back. “Angel, you know I love you, but I don’t think that was my cursive’s fault. I think you need to work on your reading comprehension skills.”
You roll your eyes. “How is asking me if I want strawberries urgent?” 
“Because I’m about to finish them off.” 
“Wait, actually?” James’ weight lifts off you as you push yourself up on your elbows, turning to see the container of strawberries you’d bought only an hour ago. It had been heaping then, but now there are only a handful left. “Jamie, really?” 
He at least looks appropriately abashed. “You weren’t reaching for them,” he says, tanned shoulders creeping upwards, “and they’re really good! How much restraint am I expected to exercise here? I’ve left you five.” 
“I haven’t been reaching for them because I don’t want to get my book sticky.” You pout, exaggerating your distress for what you know it’ll get you in return. “I didn’t expect them to all be gone by the time I was ready.” 
“Aw, sweetheart, I could’ve helped you with that.” He picks up a strawberry by its stem, holding it out for you. “Here, open.” 
You sigh but tip your mouth open obediently, biting off the tip. Sweet, slightly sun-warmed juice explodes into your mouth. 
“That wasn’t hardly a bite at all,” James chides. “Have another.” 
You do. “I’m beginning to resent you more now that I know how good these are,” you tell him. The sweet tang lingers on your taste buds even after you’ve swallowed. “We should only get our fruit from that vendor from now on.” 
“They clearly know what they’re doing,” he agrees. He gives you another strawberry after the first is finished, musing while you crunch, “Come to think of it, I’m starting to suspect you only pretended not to know what I was writing so I’d give you a back massage.” 
You laugh. The thought actually hadn’t occurred to you, though his touch had felt nice moving over your back. “Write me another message, and I’ll let you know.” 
James swipes a finger up the length of your spine, laughing when you squirm at the odd tickle. “Would you like me to bring you a glass of lemonade while I’m at it?” he asks.
“Mm, that’s alright. We just need to find some palm fronds for you to fan me with, and I think I’ll be set.”
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thisisourlovestory · 2 months
Text
It’s Nice to Have a Friend
part 2- the chronicles of a stargirl and her sun masterlist
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Luke Castellan x reader
Summary- the first full day at camp where slight drama unfolds and you make a new friend
Word count- 5.4k
Notes- thank you @imaginingmoonlight again for the vibe (I don’t know what else to call it) and I’d also like to say that I was actually inspired to write this series by @tangledinlove because the killerverse is amazing and I love it so also thanks to her otherwise I wouldn’t have done this.
Taglist:
@abbersreads @tenshis-cake
“We've just got to find out what you're good at first.” Annabeth explained as you walked beside her. “It might be that you are just really bad at using weapons but don't feel bad. You barely nicked him and he was standing in the wrong place so it was technically his own fault.” You winced.
“I didn't mean to, I swear, it just kinda slipped out of my hand before I was ready.” Annabeth grinned.
“At least you know to never try to throw a javelin when we do sports unless you want to skewer someone.” You glared at her.
“I'm glad someone is enjoying my embarrassment. I could have killed him! And then what would happen? Besides, I don't think that helped my prospects of making any friends here other than you.” She waved a dismissive hand.
“You'll make friends. It's just that you're new and the circumstances were interesting to say the least. Also it is spring so there are way less people here than there will be in summer.” You sent her an unimpressed look.
“You can't talk. Everyone loves you. I'll bet even Mr D doesn't hate you as much as the rest of us.”
“That is a lie. Plenty of campers don't like me.”
“Oh really? Name one.” You crossed your arms over your chest as she struggled to answer. “Didn't think so.” You said smugly as she stuck her tongue out.
“We've got to get to the armoury. It's time to try out sword fighting.” You paled.
“Can we not skip it?”
“Not a chance.”
Annabeth rummaged through a pile of swords. Occasionally picking one up to show to you and immediately putting it back down at your face. You wandered around the armoury, glancing every once in a while at Annabeth to check she hadn't cut herself accidentally. Finally she emerged from the pile, holding a sword triumphantly above her head.
“This one is perfect.” She held it out and you gingerly took it. The bronze blade was sharp and shining, the smooth metal cold to the touch.
“I don't see why I can't just use my knife.” She sighed.
“Because it's not made of celestial bronze so it won't kill monsters. Now get out there, I'll be out in a moment to teach you some stuff.” You trudged out and took your place on the sawdust, swinging the sword from side to side, letting the tip brush the floor lightly. Annabeth followed out quickly and got into position.
“Just try and land a hit on me.” You gaped at her.
“You want me to try and hit you?” She shrugged.
“It's a good way to test if you have a natural ability for sword fighting” Without warning she swung her sword forward and you lifted your own to block the blow.
“Not bad.” She swung again and you stumbled back slightly to avoid the hit.
“So I just kinda,” You swept the sword in front of you and Annabeth jumped back to avoid it, “Actually I think that works.” Annabeth slashed her blade through the air and you ducked, sweeping your own out in a wide arc, hitting her ankles with the flat side of the blade. She hissed at the sting and narrowed her eyes as you rose up and smiled. She rained down a flurry of blows on you and you blocked each one as well as you could, ending up with a multitude of tiny nicks on your arms. You rolled onto the floor to dodge a particularly well aimed stab headed straight for your neck and twirled the sword in the air before thrusting it forward to just under her chin. Annabeth’s eyes widened in shock before a grin took over her face.
“Not bad, but-” She grabbed the hilt of your sword and twisted, forcing you to let go and allowing her to poke you lightly in the stomach. “I win.” She handed you back the sword and you stabbed it into the ground. “Rule number one is never let up your guard, always be expecting an attack. It’s what keeps you alive. But for your first time you did pretty good. Better than most, and with a little training you’ll be able to beat me.” You hummed.
“Maybe. But the sword feels…wrong in my hands. Like I shouldn’t be holding it.” Annabeth frowned.
“We do still need to try out some other weapons. You might like them more.” She turned and walked back to the armoury, gesturing for you to follow her. “You’re doing archery later but for now grab some knives or daggers and try to throw them at those targets over there.” You did as she instructed and gathered a collection of bronze knives, carrying them over to a bench and dumping them on it with a clatter. You squinted at a target, judging how far the distance was and picked up one of the knives.
“Wait for me before you throw them.” Annabeth started but you had already tossed it up into the air allowing it to spin and then caught it and threw it full speed across the room. In a blur it hit dead centre. Annabeth looked at you surprised. “I guess you can throw.” You were already throwing more knives at the other targets, each one making a dull thudding as they hit home in the bullseye. You huffed and pushed your hair out of your eyes as you finished, sweat dripping from your brow, eyes sparkling with exhilaration.
“That. Was. Amazing!.” You exclaimed and twirled on the spot. “Did you see that? It was so cool.” She nodded, calculating, but you didn't notice. Too caught up in your own achievement.
“Yeah those throws were scary accurate for a beginner.”
“I think we've found what I'm good at.” She laughed.
“Not so fast, you've still gotta try out archery. And Luke is helping with that. He couldn't help now cause he had to supervise the climbing wall. Make sure nobody gets burned alive that kind of stuff. But he's taking you for your first archery lesson later, responsibilities that come with being head counsellor of the Hermes cabin. That and none of the current Apollo kids stay year round yet.” She rambled and you watched with an amused smile. “Anyway we have to get going for lunch, since it's not summer and there's not so many people we don't have to sit at designated tables like usual, if we did most people would literally just be sitting by themselves and that's just sad.” Your stomach rumbled and you glared down at it before looking up at her sheepishly.
“I'm apparently incredibly hungry so please lead the way.” She rolled her eyes and discarded her sword in a pile, kicked open the door and began the fairly long walk to the mess hall. You both trudged past the cabins where all the other campers were also starting to walk to the mess hall. There weren't many at all, about twenty across all twelve cabins, chattering happily to one another as they walked in a clump. Everyone sat down on random benches, presumably with their friends, and piled the food that appeared on the tables onto their plates in mountains.
There was a varied selection of food, all stacked in heaps so they filled up all the available space, there was something for everyone. Breads, cheeses and cuts of meat spread out for a buffet style meal, pots of soup, bowls with all kinds of pasta, rice and meat coated in sticky sweet sauces. There were even baskets stacked with fresh fruit surrounded by tiny bite sized sweets covered in sugar. Annabeth grabbed some food for herself and picked up some meat from a pile that stained her fingers red.
“Try this it's good, It's beef marinated in some random sauce and then cooked on the barbecue. Nobody actually knows what's in the sauce but it's kinda spicy.” She paused thoughtfully. “And it has garlic in it. I think.” She licked her fingers, getting rid of the red stain as you followed her advice and plated some of the beef along with rice and a warm bread roll dripping with butter. Annabeth immediately made her way over to the fire and dropped some food into it, you snatched up a bunch of grapes and followed suit. As the grapes fell into the flames you shut your eyes and bent your neck slightly.
“Hi, it's me, again. I don't know who you are but could you maybe send a sign or something. It couldn't hurt. Could it?” You mumbled and straightened up as smoke rose into the air smelling like every kind of food you could ever imagine.
“I really can see why they like burnt food.” You stated as you sat down next to Annabeth at a table. “It smells annoyingly good.” You took a bite of food. “And that's delicious as well.” She smiled, taking a bite of her own food.
“Told you so.” You both ate in silence, too occupied with savouring every bite that you forgot to ask any questions. All too soon the lunch break was over and Annabeth was directing you to the archery field.
“So you basically just follow the path past the Big House and he said he'd be waiting for you there and if you got lost he'd go and find you.” She turned around as someone called her name and yelled back. “Give me a minute.” She looked back at you. “Have fun and I'll see you later at dinner.” She spun on her heel and ran off as you did the same and walked in the opposite direction.
You hummed quietly to yourself as you walked through the woods, the trees shading you from the sun. Dust from the path floated in the air as you kicked the stones from it and into the grass, other campers passed you once or twice, attempting to whisper to each other about you and failing as their voices rang out like foghorns through the otherwise silent trees. You passed the Big House and caught Chiron watching. You waved slightly and continued without waiting to see if he responded. After a few more minutes of walking you arrived at the archery field to see the targets lined up and a selection of bows laid on the grass ready for use. You looked around and saw nobody. Not a single soul in sight. He's probably just running late, you thought, Annabeth said he was head of the Hermes cabin though so he must be busy taking care of something. So you waited. You sat down on the damp floor and fiddled around, picking blades of grass and twisting them around your fingers as tightly as possible before they snapped, plucking daisies, weaving them into a crown and placing it on your head. You even resorted to picking up one of the bows, subsequently snapping the string across your hand and leaving a raised red line across the palm of it. Then you settled back down, made yourself comfortable and placed your chin in your hand. You hadn't meant to fall asleep but the night before had been almost sleepless, tossing and turning in an unfamiliar bed with unfamiliar people in some of the other bunks. So you somehow ended up drifting off with the warm heat of the sun on your back and a cool breeze blowing across your face.
You woke up just as suddenly as you had fallen asleep, an owl hooted softly and you realised it was growing dark. The sun almost completely set in the horizon, only a thin sliver of light peeking out from behind the trees. You got to your feet and began the march up to the cabins. It was most definitely too late for dinner but you remembered Annabeth mentioning there was a campfire tonight. You followed the smoke rising in the distance and the faint glow of the flames, tripping over the occasional dip in the ground and sliding over the grass. Shortly, you arrived at the campfire and Annabeth spotted you almost immediately, jumping to her feet and running over.
“Where were you?” She asked, an accusatory tone to her voice and a frown on her face. “I couldn't find you anywhere. And what is that in your hair?”
“I don't want to talk about it.” You mumbled, sitting down and reaching out for a stick; shoving a marshmallow onto it then holding it above the fire to toast.
“Did you suck at archery?” You laughed half heartedly at her question.
“I wouldn't know yet Annabeth.” She tilted her head and studied you puzzled before a look of understanding passed over her face.
“He didn't teach you any archery.”
“He didn't even bother to show up.” You corrected, pulling the marshmallow out of reach from the fire and blowing on it slightly as you grabbed two chocolate covered biscuits with the other hand and mashed the marshmallow between them. The chocolate melted, mixing with the gooey melted mess of marshmallow. You lifted it to your mouth and took a bite.
“And I don’t care at the moment. I just want to eat my smore. I forgot how good they were, do you want one?”
“No I already had some. I’ve been meaning to ask you, where did you get that hoodie from?”
“Oh it was waiting for me yesterday when I woke up. Probably just a spare one from lost and found since my clothes were ruined.”
“Right, lost and found.” Annabeth sat still for a second then grabbed your hand and dragged you around the campfire to the opposite side despite your protests.
“Why are you so freakishly strong?”
“I am not freakishly strong! And that hoodie, not from lost and found.” She stopped in her tracks as you looked at her confused.
“Huh.”
“Never mind, it’s just a hoodie. Now I have to have a little chat with Luke.” She continued to drag you until you both stood directly in front of him.
“Hey Annabeth.” Luke greeted her with a grin as he stopped talking to the people sitting around him. “What's up?”
“What's up?” She seethed. “What's up is I asked you to help earlier and you didn't want to so I pretty much begged until you said yes because I had something important on.” She took a deep breath and tears filled her eyes. “And then you didn't even do what you said you would.”
“Annabeth…”
“No don't,” She interrupted, “I don't know what exactly your problem is with Y/N since you seemed fine with her last night when she woke up but you're going to sort it out right now.” She punctuated her sentence by pushing you down next to him.
“Can we have a minute.” Luke said to the others and they all obliged, walking over to other people laughing and sneaking peeks back. “Annabeth, seriously why would you think I have a problem with Y/N?”
“You didn't want to help her, you made up fake excuses to get out of it and then you agreed but didn't follow through. So you have some kind of problem otherwise you wouldn't have done any of that.” She crossed her arms and you spoke up.
“Annabeth it's fine, really it's fine. I don't mind if Luke doesn't like me. It's not a big deal.”
“It's a big deal to me! I want you to be friends. And you'll be really good friends I swear. So can you sort out whatever is wrong and get along please. Ask each other some questions, get to know each other better. Say twenty each?” With that she ran back to the other side of the campfire to her siblings leaving you both staring after her in shock. After a moment Luke broke the silence.
“Where did you come here from?” You blinked and answered slowly.
“I lived in the UK until I was eight then moved to the USA because my parents got a job offer.” His eyes sharpened.
“Parents?”
“Yeah. I was adopted, I don't know who my real parents were. Suppose I might find out who one of them is someday though. How about you?”
“Grew up in Connecticut, ran away when I was nine.” You stared at him vaguely shocked. From everything you had heard from Annabeth, Luke was the golden boy and he had run away from home. It was hard to believe but the bitter look in his eyes quickly changed your mind.
“When you were nine. So you were homeless for how long?” He shrugged.
“Five years. But I'm here now, and I've got Annabeth and my half siblings.” You hummed and shuffled around on the log, crossing your legs and leaning forward on your hands facing him.
“How did you meet Annabeth?”
“Just before we arrived at camp, we were walking down an alley and she jumps out and almost knocks my head in with a hammer.” He laughed slightly. “We took her in and then we got here.” You tilted your head.
“We?” His expression changed immediately. “Don't want to talk about it. Got it.” He looked at you.
“Annabeth is my little sister. Not by blood but by choice. We’re family and it seems she wants you to be part of our family.”
“You are very close to each other having known each other for so little time.” He smiled slightly.
“I would say she’s easy to like but that’s not entirely true.”
“Yes she can be quite intense at times. And I’ve only known her a day, can’t imagine what she must be like once you’ve known her a bit longer than that.” You grinned at him and tilted your head. “Must be unbearable.”
“You get used to it. Annabeth is Annabeth, she’s smarter than everyone, always six steps ahead of everyone else, she’s an incredible fighter and along with that she’s stubborn as a mule. But I wouldn’t change anything about her because then she wouldn’t be Annabeth.” He sighed and rested his elbows on his knees, holding his clasped hands in front of him.
“I am sorry I missed your archery lesson. I didn’t mean to I just got caught up practising.” You raised an eyebrow.
“Practising what?”
“Sword fighting. I’m supposed to be the best swordsman in three hundred years and I need to practise if I ever want to go on a quest.” You hummed noncommittally.
“I suppose that makes sense.”
You turned to look at the fire. The flames a bright yellow, dancing up into the sky, twisting and turning, bright against the darkness of the night. Your eyes followed the smoke, whispers of grey spiralling up, up, up into the atmosphere.
“I can give you the lesson now if you’d like.” Your eyes widened in surprise as you turned to face him.
“You would?”
“It’s the least I can do to make up for skipping out on you earlier.” He quickly stood up and held out his hand. “Coming?” You smiled brightly and grabbed his hand.
“Lead the way Castellan.”
“Remind me why we're in the armoury again.”
“You need a good bow before you can shoot right. So here we are.” He raised his hands and turned in a circle. “Take your pick.” You rummaged through the bows, picking one up occasionally to inspect it. There were so many different styles, some smaller, some larger, some metal, some wooden, some decorated and ornate; others as plain as could be. The difference between being inconspicuous and wanting to show off. You stepped over to a crate and pushed off the lid, letting it fall on the ground with a bang. You shuffled through the few bows stored in the crate, disgust filling your face at the ostentatious designs.
“Do people just use these to look cool?”
“Some of the Apollo kids definitely do. But they can shoot with any bow and make the shot so it doesn’t really matter to them.” He picked one up and held it out. “This one looks like it’d fit you.” You scrunched your nose.
“It’s too…much. Yeah, it’s too much.” You slid over to another rack and pulled some off.
“I’m not sure if I’ll ever find…” Your voice trailed off as you picked one up from the very back, pulling it out of the pile that it was buried under. The bow was a smooth crescent, dipping in the middle, covered with strips of leather, with slightly curved ends, pointed and dipped in silver. The wood was engraved with miniature flowers and vines, each petal painted delicately with faded colours of red, blue and purple, the vines thin lines of green weaving through them. Your fingers floated over them, tracing each petal's outline with a look of wonderment on your face.
“Well how about this one?” You snapped your head up quickly, holding the bow close to your body, Luke raised his eyebrows. “You good?” You cleared your throat.
“This one. This is the one.”
“Are you sure? This one,” He waved the one in his hand in the air,”Is particularly nice and actually new, made only a couple of days ago.” You regarded the one he was holding with disdain. It was plain, nothing that made it stand out. It could not have been more unlike the one you held tightly in one hand, fingers flexing around the leather grip.
“No. This is the one, it’s perfect.” He sighed.
“Alright then, I’m not going to argue with you. Follow me.” He walked outside with you behind and stood in front of a target, illuminated by the dim light from torches lit up around the edge of the field. He steadied an arrow. “You pull back, straighten your aim and release.” He let go and the arrow landed just outside the bullseye. “Your turn.” You fiddled with the bow, stroking the leather nervously and tapping the sharp silver capped ends. He smirked teasingly. “Come on then. Or are you scared you won’t be good enough at it.” You scoffed and stomped over to him, grabbing an arrow and nocking it, pulling the string taut to your cheek and narrowing your eyes at the target.
“First of all, you’ll never hit the target like that. Lift your elbow. And widen your stance.” You shuffled your feet. “No, not quite. May I?” You nodded. “You need to just,” He moved behind you and placed one hand on your waist, the other on your arm and kicked one of your feet to the side, “That’s better. Now,” He lifted your elbow up. “Fire.” He whispered in your ear, his warm breath grazing your skin. You sucked in a deep breath and let the arrow fly. You squeezed your eyes shut as it shot through the air and hit the target with a dull thud.
“Well look at that.” Luke murmured behind you.
“What is it Castellan?”
“Why don’t you open your eyes and see for yourself.” You hesitantly opened them and looked disbelievingly at the target, the arrow sitting in the middle of the bullseye. You took a double take, looking back at Luke and then back to the target.
“I did that? Me?” You whispered and Luke chucked quietly.
“Yeah you did but let’s try again. This time by yourself. Make sure it wasn’t just my expert skills that made you shoot like that on your first try.” He nodded to the target and you nocked another arrow, pulling back the string to your cheek with ease and letting it loose quickly, sending the arrow flying and splitting the wood of the previous one as it lodged just between the feathers.
“Not just your expert skills apparently.” His lips twitched upwards.
“Perhaps not, but I will need more proof.”
“Then I will give you some.” With that you fired a volley of arrows, each one landing so they formed a star when you finished. You stared proudly at your work. “How’s that for your proof?”
“That's pretty hard proof. You must be a natural at archery and my teachings clearly have nothing to do with it.”
“Your teachings have something to do with it. You got me that first shot. I’m just a quick learner, and lobbing things at targets is apparently my thing now.” You dropped the bow down carefully in the grass and turned around to look at him and added as an afterthought. “Except for spears. That did not go well.”
“I heard.” You winced and twiddled your thumbs.
“Yeah. Anyway thank you for this, you really didn’t have to.” He shrugged.
“Like I said, I wanted to make up for this afternoon and giving you a late lesson seemed the best way to do it.” You rolled your eyes at his words and threw yourself down on the ground, unbothered by the damp soil. Your hands rested on your stomach and the longer pieces of grass ticked your ears as you gazed up at the sky, the stars twinkled above, shining brightly like miniature diamonds. They decorated the night, small pockets of light in the deep blue sky, soon to give way to pure blackness but the stars would still be there.
You felt Luke lay down next to you and heard him ask you a question.
“What’s your favourite colour?”
“What?” You asked back, turning to look at him.
“Your favourite colour. Annabeth said we should get to know each other so what’s your favourite colour?” You stared at him for a second and found nothing but truth in his eyes.
“I’m not sure,” You paused for a moment, “I like green a lot though. It’s pretty and there are so many different shades of it, some are more blue like the sea and others are more the colour of the trees. But you can find traces of green everywhere and I think that’s why I like it, it's not just some obscure colour that you can only find in clothes. It’s all around us, you’ve just got to look for it” You stopped, slightly out of breath. “Sorry, you weren’t really looking for that kind of long winded explanation were you.”
“No I don’t mind, it was interesting. Besides, I've heard longer explanations from Annabeth about why she had nutella on her toast in the morning rather than her usual jam.” You tipped your head to the side and laughed.
“And what was the reason for that exactly?”
“The first time she did it I believe she spouted some nonsense about it being high in fibre as well as having iron and calcium in it and also would give her more energy to deal with, as she put it, incompetent fools. However every other time she's done it she just gives me a look as if I'm completely stupid.” You muffled a snort at his indignant tone.
“She sounds like a middle aged woman called Susan or something. And for the record you are stupid.”
“I always thought she was more of a Theresa but each to their own and I’m not stupid at all thank you very much.” You snorted again and quickly covered it with a cough, composing yourself as he smiled smugly at the reaction he managed to pull out of you.
“So anyway, what’s your favourite colour?” You asked, shifting slightly to look at him better.
“Blue, a really clear bright blue, like the sky in summer, electric blue almost.” He answered decisively and you tapped your fingers together in thought.
“And how old are you?”
“Fifteen, you?”
“Fourteen. Why do you want to go on a quest so badly?”
“I need to prove that I'm a hero. And going on a quest is the only way I can do that.”
“Is it?” He faced you with a look of disbelief.
“Yes, if I go on a quest I'm a hero because I get glory from it, you don't get glory from sitting around at camp doing nothing. You have to fight for it so I need to go on a quest.”
“Right, sorry.” You murmured and looked back up at the sky, head resting on your crossed arms. “The stars are beautiful aren’t they.” You muttered. “I find it hard to believe they can only be found in such distant planes of the universe when we can see them right there in front of us.” You lifted a hand and traced a kind of w shape in the sky. “That’s Cassiopeia, the Queen, you probably already know this but she was the mother of Andromeda and was forced to sacrifice her to a sea monster due to her own pride when she boasted her beauty was greater than that of the sea nymphs.” You pointed to another cluster of stars. “And that’s Ursa Major,” You moved your finger again, “And that’s Virgo, the Maiden.”
“How do you know those constellations?” Luke asked quietly.
“My dad.” You smiled. “He taught me all the constellations and we would go stargazing together in the country whenever he had a free night. The first time he took me was when I was three and he said I asked for food every two minutes, after that he would always bring a picnic, sandwiches, carrot sticks, biscuits and little slices of cake with tea or hot chocolate in a thermos so I would never get hungry. And we would lie on a blanket and watch the stars, pointing out all the constellations we saw and naming whatever stars we could. On special occasions he would bring his telescope and let me use it so that I could see everything that was happening as closely as possible.”
“He sounds nice.”
“Yeah he is,” You whispered, “He really is.” You both went silent for a while, simply gazing up at the stars in peace and quiet, comfortable in each other's company.
After a while Luke stood up.
“We should get going, everyone will already be sleeping by now and we can tidy this all up first thing tomorrow.” You sat up and took his offered hand, allowing him to pull you to your feet.
“Thanks.” You leant down to scoop up your new bow. “I can take this back can't I?”
“It's yours.” He answered simply as he started to walk to the cabins with you hurrying to walk next to him.
“Thanks again for, y’know.” He glanced down at you.
“You don't need to keep thanking me, it was my fault for not showing up earlier. I was just making good on my promise to Annabeth.”
“Yeah but still, I appreciate it. Other people wouldn't have done what you just did.” You reached the semicircle of cabins and took a step into the Hermes one before you realised Luke wasn't following. You turned your head back to look at him only to find him looking at you with an unreadable expression on his face.
“What is it? Do I have something on my face?” You slapped your cheek lightly.
“No you just-” He stepped forwards and righted something on your head, brushing the hair back from your face in the process. “Your flowers were falling off stargirl.”
“Oh.” You breathed out, a hand rising to feel the flowers. “Thank you, I forgot I had them, I thought they would've fallen off earlier.” You furrowed your eyebrows. “Stargirl?” He shrugged and offered a simple explanation before walking past you into the cabin.
“It suits you.” You smiled and made your way to your bed, quickly grabbing a top and pair of pyjama shorts before running to change into them behind the private screen set up in the corner of the cabin and then bouncing into bed. You lay there for a minute, staring up at the wooden ceiling, before you turned to face the empty bed next to you.
“Hey Castellan.” You whispered loudly and from the other side of the room he answered.
“What is it stargirl?”
“Are we friends now?”
“Nah, we're best friends stargirl, I don’t just teach anyone archery in the middle of the night. and don't think you can get out of this easily, best friends are for life.” You smiled into the darkness at the joking tone in his voice and answered with a hint of laughter.
“Wouldn't dream of it. I gotta say, it's nice to have a friend.” You hurriedly added, “Other than Annabeth and Maisie,” And turned over to the other side, “Goodnight Castellan.” You said and burrowed deep into the duvet. The last thing you heard was a soft laugh and Luke's voice saying.
“Goodnight stargirl, sleep well.”
Light pink sky up on the roof Sun sinks down, no curfew Twenty questions, we tell the truth You've been stressed out lately? Yeah me too
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wineauntie · 18 days
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WHEN WE MET THE WORLD STILLED – quinn hughes x singer!oc
masterlist
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summary: quinn hughes finds himself enamoured by someone he’s convinced is far out of his league.
note: your honour, I love these two!
warnings: none really!
word count: 1.8k+
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Juno Blackwood had absolutely zero idea about the logistics of hockey as a sport. In fact, if she hadn't been invited to Rogers Arena to perform the national anthems and a quick interval show, she probably wouldn't have even given the sport a second thought.
Her red-heeled, signature cowboy boots clacked across the cement floor as her head swivelled to look at everything her assigned tour guide, Michael had pointed out. She was half-listening, her thoughts more focused on running through various lyrics for her performance– she hadn't meant to zone out but it had just been so easy to.
"And obviously, we managed to get our hands on a jacket for you to wear for the anthems," the man guiding her spoke, snapping her out of her daze. "We figured the jersey mightn't be up your lane."
Feeling a sudden wave of doubt, Juno glanced down at her beige, afghan jacket that just brushed her knees. She wore one of her typical outfits— her boots, a pair of red wide-leg pants and a loose white shirt with a deep neckline, loosely knotted together in the front. Those paired with a gold belt (that she was certain was a long necklace before) seemed to be one of the only suitable options she'd had in her wardrobe.
She wasn't made for the cold weather in Vancouver or the chilly atmosphere of the hockey arena, she was a summer child, drawn to the sun and its warmth.
"Not that your jacket isn't perfect!" Michael rushed to say in a panic as his eyes bulged. Juno had realised that, once again, she seemed to zone out from the conversation at hand. "It's really nice and all, but I know you expressed interest in some Canucks apparel and—"
"The jacket sounds great," Juno cut in kindly, her ring-clad hand placing itself on top of his waving one. "May I see it?" The man flushed and bobbed his head, rushing forward, as Juno kept her strides long to keep up with him.
At the end of the hallway, a group of three people stood, idly chatting. As Juno's heels clicked and echoed, the group's eyes snapped up to meet her gaze. Her eyes remained lax as she locked eyes with the man who stood between two women. His eyes searched hers, as they softened. Juno examined the man shamelessly, taking in his navy suit and beanie, so unlike the outfit she adorned. Her gaze travelled across his stubble to his sheepish smile and his eyes.
Juno hummed, her lips quirking up as Michael stopped in front of the group with her by his side.
"Juno, this is Charlotte and Andrea, our social team," Michael explained, gesturing towards the two women who stood with their cameras and phones out, yet Juno's eyes lingered on the nameless man. "...and this is Quinn Hughes, Captain of the Canucks."
"It's lovely to meet you guys, I’m Juno." She smiled, moving her gaze away from the man–Quinn, as she shook Andrea and Charlotte's hands first. She paused as she turned to shake Quinn's, his intense stare igniting something within her.
Quinn took her hand carefully, their fingers briefly brushing as he finally cracked a smile.
"I'm going to be showing you around from here on,"
Juno almost melted at the sound of his raspy voice, her head tilting as they kept their hands connected. Realising that she had yet to speak up, she cleared her throat and released her grip.
"Great," she offered up, her eyes flitting to Andrea and Charlotte. "And you guys will be coming along for the trip too?"
"Yes!" Andrea gleamed, her eyes twinkling in excitement. "We have a few things planned, so Quinn will be taking you on a tour of the locker rooms as well as presenting you with a jacket."
Juno's eyes jumped back to Quinn, who seemed to be solely focused on her face. She cleared her throat and folded her arms, trying to block out the cold that infiltrated the arena surrounding her– although the heat stemming from his stare was creeping up her spine in indescribable warming sensation.
"You'll also get to meet some of the other guys and we'll try to linger in the background taking photos as subtly as we can," Andrea finished explaining, recapturing Juno's attention.
"You've got it all planned out," Juno commented appreciatively, "that all sounds perfect." She turned back to Quinn. "Well, I guess you're leading the way, Cap."
Quinn stifled a smile and gestured with his head for her to follow as he began to walk. "We can start with the locker room," he spoke, leading Juno further down the hall as she nodded and followed alongside him.
If Quinn's voice was a song, she wanted to listen to it on repeat because she knew she'd never get tired of it.
Now, Juno was no romantic, but with Quinn? He intrigued her...enraptured her attention and she couldn't place why.
"So, how did you get roped into giving me this tour?" Juno teased, as the media women followed close behind. "Lose a bet or were you sacrificed for the greater good?"
"Neither, fortunately," Quinn remarked, his warm eyes sparking with mirth. "I had to quite literally 'take one for the team' as the captain."
"You poor thing," She grinned, her lip jutting out in mock offence.
"That's not what the guys think," he mused, causing Juno's brows to raise in question. "A few of them begged to take you on the tour themselves." Quinn's confession caught her off guard, and she couldn't help but chuckle.
"Well, I must be quite the hot ticket item around here," she replied, her tone playful and light, undeterred by his words as they reached the locker room door.
Like a gentleman, Quinn stepped aside and held the door open for her, warning him with a dazzling and warm smile. As Juno stepped inside the locker room, she was immediately hit by the smell of sweat, disinfectant and leather. Quinn was close behind her as she scanned the room taking in the rows of lockers adorned with players' names and numbers.
"So, uh...this is where the magic happens," Quinn sheepishly spoke, his hands in his pockets. "Well, most of the time."
Juno nodded, impressed by the organized chaos of the space. "It's got a winning kind of energy tonight," she remarked, moving closer to one of the lockers to get a better look at the jerseys hanging up.
"Well, I'd hope so," Quinn mumbled as she approached a locker on the far side which was labelled with her name and displayed a vintage, navy Canucks jacket with a red stripe down the sleeves and the logo on the back.
Juno beamed and ran her hand over the material, her fingers caressing the red, feeling rather glad for her coincidentally, coordinating outfit.
Quinn watched Juno with a soft smile, appreciating her genuine excitement, as he took the jacket off of the hanger and passed it over to her.
"Welcome to the team," he teased, handing her the Canucks jacket, the pair deaf to rapid clicking and flash of the cameras behind them.
Juno shrugged off her Afghan coat and hung it up on the hanger before she took the jacket from him, her fingers running over the material.
"Thank you," she said gratefully, slipping it on over her shoulders. It was slightly oversized but was comfortable and warm, two things she loved about clothing.
Quinn nodded, a small smile playing across his lips. "You're welcome," he replied, his gaze lingering on her for a moment longer than necessary.
As they stood there, exchanging smiles, Juno couldn't help but feel a flutter erupt in her stomach as her eyes locked on Quinn's. There was something about him that drew her in, further and further.
"Well, how do I look?" Juno radiated a smile, breaking the momentary silence as she twirled.
Quinn watched her with interest, his eyes following her every move. "Looks good on you," he remarked, his voice soft.
Juno grinned, feeling a rush of warmth at his compliment. "Thanks," she said, heat rising up her neck. This was so unlike her, she never acted like this with men– or women for that matter!
"Hi guys, could we just grab a photo of the two of you?" Andrea's perky voice asked, infiltrating whatever moment she and Quinn seemed to be sharing.
"Yeah,"
"Of course!"
Quinn and Juno's words overlapped as the two of them scooted closer together. She plastered her biggest smile across her lips, her head tilting as they faced the multiple cameras facing them. They stood for another few minutes before they were allowed to move apart and move on with the tour.
"So, you're performing during one of the intervals tonight, right?" Quinn asked, glancing over at her as they walked.
Juno shrugged, a smile tugging at her lips. "I am," she hummed, "three songs during the second interval and then the two anthems before the match."
Quinn nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answer. "Well, we're glad to have you here," he said sincerely, his eyes meeting hers. "And I have a feeling you're going to knock it out of the park tonight." Juno felt a warmth spread through her chest at his words, and she couldn't help but return his smile.
"Why thank you, Cap," she joked, successfully hiding the blush she could feel rising to her cheeks as a flutter of excitement turned into a flurry of joy at the thought of performing in front of the crowd later that evening.
"Juno, we're being told to show you where you're sitting and then bring you back in a while to meet some of the players," Andrea read off her phone, her eyes apologetic at the order.
"Alright," Juno hummed before she turned to Quinn for the final time. "Well, Cap, it's been a pleasure, thanks for the tour."
Quinn felt a faint smile grow at her words, a small laugh escaping his lips. "The pleasure's all mine," he nodded, sticking out his hand once again.
As Juno accepted Quinn's hand, she couldn't help but notice the warmth that radiated from his touch. His hand was strong and reassuring, yet surprisingly gentle, despite the toughness of them as their palms met.
For a moment, Juno swore the clocks stopped and the world apart from them fell into the depths of space, leaving the two of them in their bubble. Juno felt another damned flutter erupt in the pit of her stomach, a sensation she couldn't quite explain but couldn't ignore.
As Quinn's thumb brushed over her knuckles, she couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort wash over her. There was something about the way he held her hand – firm yet tender, confident yet gentle, a feeling that seemed to scream safe, as if she had finally found someone who understood her in a way no one else ever had.
Good Lord, Juno needed to take a nap or something. She was becoming soppy and unlike herself.
Pulling away, Juno followed Andrea out of the room, but not before flashing Quinn a dazzling smile, one that was quickly reciprocated by the man.
a/n: oh and this is her outfit + the jacket I envisioned her getting!
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234 notes · View notes
iiseor · 1 month
Text
⋆𐙚 ₊ summer strikes . . . (2)
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synopsis: forced by joel to spend the summer in a small town consequent her agreement to get sober—ellie's acceptance towards the situation grows significantly the moment you cross paths . . . masterlist
cw/notes: alcohol/drug topics (kinda heavy, this is ur warning). mental health issues for both reader and ellie, ellie is not Joel's daughter in this AU she just stays with him, implications of family member loss. fluff + hurt/semi comfort(?), Abby appearance who cheered ^_^ , shifting more towards readers pov in comparison to the last fic. . . wc: 3.2k tags: @boobdrug @seraphicsentences @amberputh @gato-chino @sourgummywormsss @shiimer @ellieusedtampon
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soft sunlight beams through the lightly draped windows as birds set the morning temper. ellie's quilt draped over her body—half on the bed half slipping onto the floor. The night hadn't been exclusive, thoughts pondered her mind making it harder to fall asleep as the hours went by, a few wolves howling from afar in the moutons here and there, the sound of tommy — or maybe you, walking throughout the hall, and the lingering wonder of what joel was doing in that very moment scattering her thoughts until she dozed off.
as the morning crawled in and thoughts crawled out, tranquility filled ellie's body as if she was a new born child. It was the first time in months, maybe even a year since she had woken up without a hangover headache, spiking a nearly nostalgic like feeling. Rolling off the low mattress, she picks up her phone before sighing intensely.
no service
she rolled her eyes before throwing both her hands and phone over her head as she lied back down, still on the cold hardwood floor with her blanket slightly tucked beneath her. The birds had shuffled back into their nests silently and the wolves were hidden from the warm sunlight, ellie lays down for a few minutes before finally standing up, about to stumble out of her room to get washed up before tommy comes pushing through the door.
she jumps back, caught off guard by his sudden appearance. "Oh hey kid ur awake" he says before looking her up and down slightly, ellie rubbing the back of her head in response. "Just came here to tell you to go get washed up, breakfast is on the table then y/n will show you around the farm and whatever, I gotta head into town so I'll see you later" he added. "got it, thank you sir" she said as he tuned to walk away, before he turned back for a second to add another word, hand still on the door knob "tommy is fine, don't use sir..... it makes me feel old" he laughed and she reciprocated before they went their separate ways.
Ellie washed up, staring at herself hard in the mirror after her shower for what felt like eternity as she tried to convince herself this was good. it's all good, and she'll be okay. before she made her way downstairs to eat another full meal, something she remembered looking forward to again after dinner and during her pre-sleep thoughts.
"Hey els!" You greeted her from the table while she came down the stairs. 'Els'... you already gave her a nickname ? She questioned to herself, trying to hide her blushed face. "Hey.." she breathed out in response, you smiled at her in return while she made her way towards the table. "Help yourself! I already finished eating and so did tommy.. did Tommy tell you the plans for today ?" You spoke, picking ur plate up and walking to the kitchen. "Uhm .. no" Ellie replied placing food onto her plate, amazed at the variety and bright colours of fresh vegetables + fruit.
"Oh I figured, I'll take you out to the lake so we can catch some fish for dinner ! I'll also introduce you to the animals if you'd like" you replied washing up your plate. Ellie's response was slow as she swallowed a big fork filled with fruit salad—"yea, that sounds good" she smiled. "Oh perfect!" You smiled back, "I'll go get ready, take ur time though!" You shouted as you ran up the stairs in excitement.
It had been a few months since you had last had people over, let alone people willing to go fishing with you. Your dad was always there, but it felt odd without your mother there to join. When Tommy had informed you of ellies suspected arrival, you spent nearly an hour planning places around town to take her—fishing being at the top of the list.
About an hour passed as Ellie finished the rest of her breakfast, savoring every bite and heading back upstairs to wash up. You eagerly got dressed in your prettiest sundress and shorts, not necessarily the best fit for fishing—but you were so excited it didn't matter.
"Here!" You said pulling a hat off the rack as Ellie came down the stairs towards the front of the door. "This is Joel's, he left it here the last time we went fishing ... which was like a year ago but we still wash it!" You said placing the hat on her head. Ellie's eyes dragged from yours to your lips as you adjusted the velcro cap, fixing her hair as a gentle smile was plastered across your face. "There, perfect" you added as you turned around to grab a sweater and car keys. "T-thanks.." she choked out, watching you in admiration—your pretty flowy dress and sweet scent making her face become flushed.
She followed you out of the house and into your car parked at the end of the curb. Ellie's eyes were flashed with the bright interior of your small yet beautiful car. Decorated with fake plants, lightly pink yet slightly grey covers, and a lili scented air freshener. "I'll take you to see the animals first!" You said buckling up as ellie did the same, "sound okay?" You questioned noticing her awkward posture. "Oh, Uhm.. yea" she answered, distracted by her thoughts of not Joel and everything else that flooded her thoughts the night before—but you as well.
The drive was short and quiet, the farm was close but you drove to avoid being attacked by mosquitoes. You pulled into the rocky driveway as you noticed a barn door open, to your surprise as everyone was supposed to be off today. "I think one of the workers might've left the barn door open" you told ellie as you looked out of the window trying to catch someone in your view. "I'll go check" you replied, ellie was about to protest that you probably shouldn't go alone but you had already left before her words could come out.
She unbuckled her seat belt, sitting anxiously as you went out of sight and disappeared into the barn for nearly twenty minutes. Once you finally emerged from the darkened doors, ellie was met with the sight of you—and a buff women with her hand wrapped around your waist. Fuck, she thought looking at the image as you two walked towards the car. "It's all good" you said opening ellies door for her to step out.
ellie felt short, small even, the moment she was faced to face with the blonde that stood beside you. "This is Abby! She's one of the workers here during the summer, abby this is ellie! she's staying with me and my father" You informed. "Oh, hi" ellie greeted quietly, avoiding eye contact with Abby. "Yea hi" Abby replied in a dismissive tone, her arm still wrapped around you as she turned to your face. Caressing it, she spoke again. "Well I'll let you two do your thing, I was just heading out anyways"
"Alright!" You replied as her grip turned. bitch ellie thought to herself about abby, as she watched the blonde walk away—you still standing with a smile on your face, oblivious to ellies mind. "Cmon ! The horses are around here!" you grabbed Ellie's hand and dragged her around to the stables. Once inside, you noticed how she cringed at the stench—letting out a giggle as she whipped her nose. "You'll get used to it!" you told as she laughed in response—the first time you'd heard her laugh since she got here. "look over here!" You added dragging her by the arm. The two of you stumbled towards the gate as a big, beautiful white haired horse moved its face in your direction. "hi pretty" you spoke softly as you reached to pet the horse, "this is starlight, my favorite one" you whispered leaning towards ellie "she has sensitive ears so we whisper around her. . . Go ahead, pet her" you smiled.
Ellie hesitated, looking towards your direction for confirmation. Once she saw that gentle smile on your face, she lifted her hand and planted it across from yours. Her fingers sunk softly into the horses hair while the two of you caressed it. "She's beautiful isn't she?" You whispered, "yea.... she is" ellie responded — her body being filled with a sudden sense of tranquility again, before your words broke her trance. "Let me take you to see the chickens" you whispered, dragging her away once again towards the chicken coop. "Hi sweetheart" you spoke squatting down to pet one of the chickens, still holding onto ellies hand as she stood watching. You stood up and walked a bit further towards the coop, picking up a baby chick, standing up and turning towards ellie. "She's a new one!" You told, Ellie starring in amusement. "Name her" you added looking up at her, "w-what?" she replied, her eyes becoming soft in confusion. "Name her! I'm always the one coming up with names ... it would be fun to have someone else with one" you hold the chick out for ellie to take into her hand, "here, hold her" you say, ellie placing her hands in the shape of a basket as the chick jumps from your hands to hers.
She admires it, the soft and ticklish feeling as it moves around her palm. "What do you think she is" you questioned, satisfied with ellies fascination with the chick. "Um..." Ellie let out as she thought hard before answering. "Maybe .... um... maybe lily?" She said hesitantly, thinking back to that lili scented air freshener in your car—was all she could come up with. "Oh! That's so beautiful els!" You replied. There goes that nickname again she thought—trying to hide the butterflies forming in her stomach. Ellie handed you back lili and you placed her on the ground, "there's not much else to see honestly, judging by your reaction to the horses I think we should stay away from the sheep! And the pigs will be even worse..." you teased, Ellie laughing back with a "yea probably". "Well, let's get fishing then!" You added dragging her, yet again, this time to the car.
The drive towards the lake was short as well, just a few feet from your house. Luckily for you two, the water was unoccupied and seemingly calm. You unloaded the fishing rods from the trunk and guided Ellie towards the canoes. Struggling to flip it over, ellie lended you a hand. "Thank you so much ... my mom always did this for me" you smiled at her again, "no problem" she responded. The two of you loaded the fishing rods into the canoe and set off into the lake, leaving behind everything besides your sweater, the bait, and her hat.
"So, first ill show you how to put the bait on the rod" you informed, lifting up a light grey rod and the can of bait. Ellie watched in silence, nodding as you showed her how to do exactly what you said you would. "Got it?" You asked in excitement, making eye contact with Ellie—which she was quick to break once she replied. "Yea, thanks" she said, picking up a rod and doing what you had showed her. You stood up and walked to kneel at the edge of the canoe and waved for ellie to come aswell. Once she does, you positioned your rod and swung it into the lake, "just copy me! It's easier than it seems" you watched her as she obeyed, positing her rod and swinging it the same way you did. She held it in the lake as you did, "wait until you feel a tug, then pull hard!" You directed.
The two of you waited a few minutes before Ellie was shaken by the feeling of hee rod being tugged. You lifted your rod out of the lake and lended her a hand as she struggled to lift her own, tugging at it before your grip helped bring it onto the boat. "Woah!" You raised your voice in excitement, "a trout, good job!" You said removing the hook from its mouth and handing it to ellie. "Here! Hold it up!" You said, walking away towards your sweater you had taken off and pulling out a camera. "Smile!!" You squealled as ellie stood and awkwardly smiled for the camera. "How cute" you chuckled, taking the fish from hee and placing it inside of the small cooler kept on the canoe. Ellie blushed in return, and you noticed this time.
She sat down and rubbed her neck before building the courage to speak "Are those edible? Like ... trout?" Ellie questioned in confusion, she was unaware of the diversity within fish—only eating sardines growing up. You laughed at her confusion as you removed the bait from your rod, "nearly all fish in this lake is edible, trout is similar to salmon.. like we had last night!" You informed before sitting across from her. "Oh.. I see" she replied. "It's good for your first time!" You said, paddling around as ellie admired the view of the slowly setting sun, and you—was it that late already? "We should head back soon, so I can cook it for us!" You said, guess it was late. "Unless your tired of fish already.. then I can cook something else" you suggested, ellie immediately protesting that she was fine with whatever and wouldn't mind eating fish for the rest of her life—now making you laugh. How could she possibly give up the chance at another fresh, filling meal? One cooked by you especially.. she'd be crazy she thought.
"Dad?" You called as you and ellie entered the seemingly empty house. "He's most likely not coming back till morning, so it'll just be us eating" you informed ellie through a sigh—catching her off guard with your change in mood. "We should get washed up" you suggested, taking off your sweater and placing it on the rack, ellie doing the same with the hat she had worn. "Oh, you can keep that haha" you told her, picking the hat back up and handing it to her. "Joel probably won't come back for it anytime soon" you added, walking past her and upstairs to change and shower.
The night fell cold with the sunset and crescent moon appearance. You had showered and changed into some pyjamas before heading downstairs and preparing food. The freshly caught trout with mashed potatoes and lightly grilled asparagus being plated before you called ellie down, who without hesitation came to sit with you at the table. shocked by the beautifully set up food, ellie sat across from you at the table. The sight, almost like a restaurant date—if it wasn't for your unstyled hair and pyjamas. The two of you sat in silence for a few minutes before you got up and offered ellie a drink, pouring her a glass of water—you broke the awkward sound. "So..." you dragged on, "how do you like it here so far?" You asked, biting into your food while waiting for a response.
"It's ... nice, calm" ellie responded, the two of you not making eye contact as you spoke. "That's good.... tommy says ur from the city?" you added onto the conversation. "Yeah" she replied again, you slightly scoffed in response—"why would u come out here?" You questioned with a concerned tone. "What?" She replied with confusion. "Not in a bad way ... I just mean, the city seems cool you know!" You added on changing your tone, attempting to hide the previous one. "Oh... I just ... needed to get away i guess" she answered truthfully though trying to conceal details, before you pressed for more. "Away from what?" You questioned deeper, genuinely curious. "Uhm..." ellie hesitated, taking a sip of her water as your eyes were on your plate, about to take another bite. "Just bad influences .... alcohol and that shi-stuff". She answered again, fully revealing with as little detail as she could contain.
Ellies words made you freeze for a minute, caught off guard by her words—you lifted your eyes to her face, already pointed towards her plate. You paused, thinking of what to say, you spoke softer this time. "I'm.. sorry els.... that sucks" you were careful with your words, trying hard to be sensitive. "It's all good, I'm getting better" she smiled, finally making eye contact with you today. You smiled back before taking another bite. Your mind debated what to say next, what was appropriate to say next, before you let the words come out.
"I get it though..." you lowered your tone again, Ellie's eyes became wider as she coughed a bit before replying. "You do?" She questioned, caught in a befuddled state. "Yea ... i mean, kind of ... obviously not personally like, you in a way ... but my mom struggled with alcohol as well, so I can kinda tell where your coming from.." you rambled on, avoiding eye contact as you spoke while ellies eyes were glued onto you. "I sympathize with you ellie" you added on, now meeting her eyes. "I can't understand fully, but I want you to recover, get better you know ... you're cool" you spoke lastly, catching yourself before rambling on even more.
Ellie caught on to why you had implied. Connecting the previous mentions of your mother with the current one, her vision of you softened with commiseration. "Thank you y/n.... and I'm sorry.... about your mom" she spoke more confidently, separate emotions covering up the anxiety she was drowning in only moments before. You flashed her a smile, "of course..." you replied, standing up to take away your now empty plates in order to avoid another fall of awkward silence between you two. "I can wash these, you already cooked" she said taking the plate from your hand as you were about to pick up the sponge. "Thank you" you replied, smiling at her, and then at yourself as you noticed ellies sudden change in comfort around you, so quickly yet so effective. She was more gentle, and less tense .. all after one conversation.
You walked up the stairs and your bedroom, turning on your fan to drown out the sounds of running water from downstairs before flopping down on your bed. You sighed, pushing yourself towards the headboard and crawling under the covers. Shutting your eyes yet not falling asleep, your mind was crowded. now reminiscing about the day with ellie, you were caught off guard by sudden negativity. You shouldn't have told her about your mom, you shouldn't have pushed with questions, you shouldn't have let your tone slip. Thoughts piled upon thoughts drenched your head making it impossible to fall asleep for a while. You were stuck, upset with yourself for dumping something so heavy onto ellie, and even more upset with yourself for almost slipping back into the disgusting attitude you worked so hard to get rid of.
Had she noticed? Does she see you differently now? Did you ruin this all for her so quickly? Did you trigger her by pressing so much? Fuck was all you could think of in response to your own question. You were supposed to be healed... better at all of this... better at making friends and talking to people. It wasn't ellies job to feel sorry for something like this, you shouldn't have brought it up, you lectured yourself. In truth beneath the surface, turmoil was still present for you. Tommy knew it, though you were adamant about being better. You knew everything still ached every once in a while—more than you'd admit, but you fully believed it was under your own guidance and responsibility that all of it would go away. One way, or another. You drowned out your thoughts with muffled tears as the overwhelming feelings fazed your heart. Falling deep into sleep as everything dissapeared from consciousness, you were sound asleep from dusk till dawn for the first time in weeks.
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princesachicana · 9 months
Text
𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 pt.2
a/n: it's finally here!! how long has it been?! first things first i want to say thank you to everyone who's been rooting for this fic!! I honestly hit a huge writers block and had no motivation to write!! but all the sweet messages from people saying they enjoyed my work has made me so happy!!! SO ONCE AGAIN THANK U AND I HOPE U ENJOY!! I tried my EXTRA HARDEST SO I HOPE THIS GIVES U THE CLOSURE YALL WANTED I LOVE YOU SM! ALSO THIS IS NOT PROOF READ SO PLEASE EXCUSE ANY MISTAKES!! I JUST WANTED TO FINALLY POST FOR U GUYS!!
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It took a lot out of you not to stay in bed the next morning. The softness of your bed wrapped around your body gives you some sort of comfort. But of course, staying in bed would only make you feel worse. At least if you got up it would be easier to fake happiness. To no surprise, your phone was flooded with missed calls and texts from both Steven and Belly. Of course, you only responded to belly telling her that you'll explain your reasoning for ditching your "date" with Steven later.
Why did Steven even bother leaving you so many texts last night? If you were such a bother to him? Annoying. That's what he thinks you are. And what if you never heard those disgusting things he said about you? and went on the date with him? Would he just continue to lead you on?
Steven: waiting for you by the pool.
Steven: ur late
Steven: u look pretty even though i can't even see you. pls im starving
Steven: is belly holding you hostage?
Steven: it's been 18 minutes cmon.
Steven: the guys are going to laugh at me for being stood up I'm getting nervous.
Steven: did something happen are you okay?
Steven: belly is worried as well lmk.
You laughed at the messages blinking back angry tears that threatened to fall. Gosh! he was so fake. You could only imagine how relieved he must have been to not hang out with you.
Belly: have funnnn
Belly: no funny business!!
Belly: wait where did you go?!
Belly: Steven keeps pacing back and forth waiting for u
Belly: what’s going on?
Belly: just let us know ur okay
Belly: y/n ??!?!??
Y/n: hey, something came up last night sorry I had you worried. can u come over?
Belly arrived 20 minutes later. You spent the time together watching reruns of your favorite Disney show. “Do you want to talk about it?” Belly asked after a while, noticing something was bothering you.
“I overheard the guys talking about me last night.” You fiddled with the throw blanket that was on your lap. “At first it was just them teasing Steven about our date or whatever.” You took a deep breath upset that you felt like crying. “But Steven only agreed to hang out with me…” You paused blinking back tears. Belly moved closer immediately pulling you into a hug. “He only agreed to hang out with me…so I could stop annoying him! I honestly don’t know what I did wrong?” You pulled away from belly’s arms wiping your tears that had fallen.
“Maybe I was too forward? but I just wanted to see if he felt the same way…it was dumb.” You shrugged. Belly shook her head “Nope my brother is a fucking idiot!” she stood up taking your hand in hers and pulling you up. “I won’t let you mope around all day because of him!” You sighed “I don’t even have a choice do I?” Belly laughed shaking her head. “What do you say we go to the boardwalk? Taylor’s coming in today too” she smirked.
“And maybe someone would be happy to see you I don’t know” she whispered with a grin. “What are you talking about?” You questioned. “Well you know Xavier..the one that works the lemonade stand?” You nodded your head yes. “Well, he totally has the hots for you.” You cringed at her word choice. “He does not!” You laughed. “Oh, he does! you were too busy ogling my brother last summer you didn’t notice him ogling you.” she poked your side teasingly.
“Now let’s go!”
~
“Stay still before I poke your eye out” Taylor groans finishing up your eyeliner. You were now at the Fisher’s beach house getting ready to go down to the boardwalk. You laugh pulling away “I think that’s enough…if you make my eyeliner any thicker I’d cry!” Taylor playfully pushes your head away. “Sorryyyyy i want to make Xavier fall to his knees when he sees you!” You frown when she brings that name up. Sure, Xavier was a nice guy…and he was cute…but he wasn’t Steven.
You’d always imagined Steven being your first everything. First kiss, first date, first time. It was something you’d dreamt of all this time.
“Yeah…im going to get a snack before we head out do y’all want anything?” You ask heading towards the door. Both girls gave you a sympathetic smile shaking their heads no.
As you reached the kitchen you stopped in your tracks. Steven turned from looking into the fridge. You made eye contact for about 5 seconds before you beelined for the cabinets. “Hey,” Steven broke the silence as you pulled out a granola bar. You felt the warmth of his stare and turned finding him now leaning against the counter. “Hey…” you whispered looking anywhere but his face. “So you gonna tell me what happened last night?” Steven crossed his arms around his chest.
“Just didn’t feel up for it anymore ..” You shrugged nonchalantly. “That’s it?” Steven scoffed. “Yeah…that’s it” you whispered about to walk away. “What’s going on? I’m like so confused right now.” Steven gently gripped your arm. “Nothing just forget it…it’s not like you wanted to go anyways.” you rolled your eyes. “And what makes you think that?” He muttered eyes scouring your face for the truth. “Um, I don’t know let’s see …you quite literally ignored me this entire week!” You responded sarcastically.
“I didn’t mean to. I had a lot of shit on my mind alright?” Steven uttered softly. It almost felt genuine. The words he spoke just last night almost became liquid. “Yeah like what?” You whispered eventually looking into his eyes. “You can tell me..” You spoke gently stepping into him closer. No matter how much he’s hurt you. Steven would always make you melt. “Nothing let’s just forget about it…he pulled away opening up the fridge once again.”
It was like a switch was flipped. How he went right back to that cold shoulder he had been giving you all week. “You're a fucking asshole” You spewed, already ready to walk out of the kitchen. “Where are you going?” He abruptly spoke again. “The boardwalk…you know? so I won’t annoy you here.” With that, you left a confused and remorseful Steven behind.
~
“Hey, look y/n why don’t you go get a lemonade?” Belly suggested with an eyebrow raise. Shit. you were hoping they forgot about that. “Guys I don’t feel up for this..” You pouted looking between both Taylor and Belly. “Noooo go talk to him! you look hot as fuck.” Taylor gently grabbed your face giving you a mini pep talk.
“What if Xavier wants to hang out..I cant just ditch you guys?!?” You were stalling and they knew it. “We’ll be here waiting for you” Belly smiled. “Just try to have fun alright? But hey if you don’t really want to do it …we’ll back off” She narrowed her eyes at Taylor. “No…I’ll go” You laughed giving both of them a hug “Thank you guys.i really appreciate this.” You’d definitely still be moping around in your room about Steven if it wasn’t for Belly and Taylor. They both wished you luck as you headed straight for the lemonade stand.
As soon as he spotted you. The biggest smile spread across his face. “y/n? damn, it’s been so long” Xavier greeted you with a hug. “It’s only been a year!” You playfully ruffled his curly hair that sat atop his head. “That’s way too long…I enjoy seeing pretty girls year-round.” He spoke smoothly, he definitely knew how to talk to girls. “Shut up” You laughed pushing him away with not that much force.
“I have an hour lunch break…you up for arcade games?”
~
“So…you seeing anyone?” Xavier asked as he ate a scoop of his mint chocolate chip ice cream. You thought about it for a moment. Technically no you weren’t seeing anyone. But you knew you were still hung up on Steven. A day at the boardwalk with Xavier wouldn’t change that. “It’s complicated…I guess” Xavier sighed “I've been there…it’s rough” You nodded you were curious as to what he meant but you didn’t want to be nosey.
“Hey, look they have street fighter..” Xavier smirked. “Want to go a couple of rounds?” You nodded immediately pulling him towards the game. “Mhhm loser buys the winner a funnel cake!” You suggested with a chuckle. “Ouuu im so down y/n” Xavier squeezed your hand that held his quickly striding towards the arcade game.
Just two more steps, Just two more steps and you’d be fine. The rowdy yelling completely threw you off. You stopped in place looking behind you where the voices were coming from. You had no time to move out of the way, no time to prevent this from happening.No time to stop the trio of boys that you knew all too well. Suddenly a body collided with Xavier, the force immediately making your intertwined hands lose. “Dude, what the fuck?” Xavier groaned. It was then that you snapped back into reality. Eyes wide when you noticed Xavier’s ice cream now all over his shirt.
“What’s up? how are we doing?” That voice full of humor made you scoff. Steven stood tall a smile on his face. You hated that it kind of made your heart flutter. “Steven, what is your problem?” You gestured towards Xavier’s now ice cream stained shirt. “He’ll be fine y/n it’ll wash out.” Steven laughed, but once he noticed you didn’t find this funny at all he frowned. “I’m sorry man, I just came over to say what’s up..” You ignored Steven’s apology not believing he meant it. “Hey want me to help you get cleaned up?” You asked Xavier voice full of concern.
“No.I got it…I’ll see y’all later.” Xavier spoke nonchalantly as he walked away. When he was out of eyesight you brushed past steven heading out the door.
“Y/n” Steven immediately followed behind you. His long legs make it easier for him to catch up with you. “You embarrassed me” You stopped outside the arcade, letting him pull you to the side. “Embarrassed? sorry to interrupt your little date” Steven scoffed. “It's not a date we were just hanging out, why do you care?” You groaned running your hands down your face. “Maybe because just yesterday you were supposed to hang out with me?” Steven spoke definitively.
“Oh my god, just earlier you agreed to forget about it,” you said with an eye roll. “It was dumb, stop acting like you care just go home Steven I did you a favor.” He shook his head “What are you talking about right now?” Steven pulled you in closer, one of his hands placed on your waist. The other coming to the side of your face, willing you to look at him.
“I heard you.i heard everything,” you spoke up voice hoarse. Steven’s heart carried pain at the tears that stood brimming in your eyes. The realization was clear when he made the connection. “And you know..who cares what Jeremiah and Conrad think! what hurt the most was you.” You shrieked. You hated that you were crying in front of him. You hated that when he hauled you against his chest you felt secure.
“I'm sorry baby... I'm sorry” Steven sounded voice vulnerable. Leaving kisses atop your head. “Why would you say that?” you sobbed breaking down in front of the boy who caused it. “I didn't mean any of it” Steven brought your face between his hands once again. “But you said it..it still fucking hurts Steven.”
You wiped your face getting prepared to pull away and walk back home.
“Wait, please let me talk to you.” Steven begged. “okay” you replied being prepared to cry all over again. “My head has been all fucked up..and that isn't an excuse I know” Steven looked down as if he couldn't construct the next words. “Please don't shut me out.” you pleaded gently. “I want you...i have all this time.” Steve confessed for the first time.
“—And I didn't want to fuck anything up we've..been so close all our lives if I ever messed that up I would never forgive myself.” It's as if you were dreaming, the boy you loved stood in front of you disclosing his feelings for you. “And what? this whole week of you acting cold towards me, were you trying to avoid your feelings?” Steven bobbed his head “Yes, if I lied to myself it would make lying to everyone else easier because the fucking truth is I want you so bad” You didn't tell him but at that moment you forgave him.
“And you called me the annoying one?” You giggled pushing on his chest gently. “Right now we could have been making out on the beach….but noo you had to be a brooding boy” Steven tickled your side, causing you to squirm in his arms. “Yeah, my fault can I kiss you now? been practically wanting to my whole life.” Steven threw his head back fake pouting setting one hand over his chest. You figured you'd throw his words right back at him. “You're so desperately desperate”
Steven smirked “Yeah for you? I am” Those words welcomed a whole lot of beautiful feelings. At that moment is when Steven bent down bringing his lips down onto your own. As your lips moved together, butterflies erupted in your belly. You smiled against his lips when you both needed a breath. “Hey, by the way, your not off the hook.. I'm still sort of pissed at you.” You declared pointing a finger into his chest.
“Yeah, I figured” He laughed wrapping his arms even tighter around you. “How about I make it up to you this whole week? I'm taking you out on dates…ill even get on my knees if I have to. I'm going to follow you around like a puppy.” Steven rambled on. You laughed out loud covering your mouth with your hands. “Oh, it's funny?” Steven raised an eyebrow suggestively. “Yeah, you're such a loser.” You joked.
Before Steven could respond you tugged him into another kiss. Perhaps everything wasn't one hundred percent fixed. But you and Steven were finally here together. You and Steven were finally in each other's arms that's all that mattered. You’d figure out the rest together.
tags 🤍: @gillybear17 @snowsharkk @tesssastle @conradsupporterr @alyssa-cabrera @eranthisphiny @xoxoloverb @lostaurorax @lanisdreams @alexzluvz @lalaland-notfound @liltimmyst @unsaidjaelineose @buckys2thicc @lilygreennn @t8lzw @medusaslilsister @1-800-stilinski @yazmi710 @j-brielmalfoy @ashcannotwrite @colbysbrocks @exonct07 @multilover19 @mimisparkle12
@littlefreaksatellite @vintagebitc @lexi-2004 @melllinaa @xcallmetaniax @brizzlessizzler @haroldpotterson @livinginaglasspalace @delicatekidpeanut @queenanababy
@drinkawinchester @sarahbutnot @salvatoremikaelson54 @furiouscopsherduniversity @marrigold-2002 @angeliquelunasstuff @mariaelizabeth21-blog1 @daphnen21 @ietss @imanaforever @itsreynasworld @she-is-a-happy-girl @joeybandthings
@kateisintrouble @stvrdustalexx @fictionisjustbetter @whezzy223
@conradssupporterr @clubmeredith13 @fatduck45 @trampstampz @fangirl-kimora
@just-let-me-fangirl-in-peace @reenfluffmarshmallow @kaz-mf-brekker
@yazmunson @bookg1rl @hockey-lover86
@just-a-pink-lady @moo-b1tch
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steddie-there · 1 year
Text
Eddie notices it first at Dairy Queen.
It's the first time since leaving the hospital that he's been somewhere with the whole party that isn't Steve's house or the Hoppers-Byers cabin. The younger children crowd the counter, talking over each other as they count their money and decide what to get, while the older teens and adults hang at the back, looking at the menu. Then Erica steps over to Steve and says something Eddie can't quite make out. He nods, winds his way through the gremlins, and places his order. When his name is called, he picks up two cups of ice cream and hands one to Erica, who takes it with a smirk and a comment Eddie can't make out, although it has Steve laughing and shoving playfully at her shoulder.
Eddie turns then to look at the other kids but none of them even seem to notice that Steve has seemingly paid for Erica and not them. It's confusing because Eddie is sure Henderson, at least, would be kicking up a fuss about it. Not even Robin says anything.
But, then again, maybe Steve owes Erica money. Or he lost a bet. Eddie is aware how fierce the younger Sinclair is in collecting on her debts, having made the mistake once and once only of asking her to buy him a soda. So, if no one else is bothered, neither is he. He shrugs and enjoys his sundae.
But then it happens again the next week at Baskin Robbins.
And again two weeks later.
When the last ice cream truck left in Hawkins comes through Steve's neighborhood and the only one to get anything is Erica - at Steve's expense, of course - and the other kids don't even grumble beyond wishing they hadn't blown all their allowance at the arcade, Eddie decides he's had enough.
"Okay, what is it with this ice cream thing???" he bursts out as they all settle back down next to the pool.
The burble of conversation stops as everyone turns to look at him, then glance around at each other.
"What ice cream thing?" Mike finally asks, genuinely confused.
"What ice cream... the ice cream thing!" Eddie splutters. "The thing where Steve always buys Erica ice cream and none of the rest of you munchkins seem to care!"
There's a collective ohhhh of understanding, but Eddie is still completely in the dark. He gestures for someone to explain.
"It's because of Operation Child Endangerment," Dustin answers, casual, like it's a normal, non-question-inducing answer.
Eddie scrunches his brows together and lets out a confused bubble of sound at the same time that Steve buries his face in his hands and groans, "I thought we agreed not to call it that."
Erica laughs and wags her finger at him. "Uh, no. Just because you demanded we change it doesn't mean we agreed to."
"...little lost here. What's Operation Child Endangerment?" Eddie asks, glancing sideways at Steve. He can see, between his fingers, that the other boy's face has gone bright red.
Steve groans again and sinks forward to let his head hang by his knees.
And so Eddie finds out everything about the summer of '85 and Starcourt mall. He already knew the basics, but he's still fascinated. Horrified. Impressed.
He watches Steve through the whole retelling, jumbled as it is by the kids all interrupting each other to add something they thought was being forgotten, and feels his heart ache inside his chest for the beautiful boy across from him. Watches him hunch his shoulders when Erica explains the deal they made, the one that's got her free ice cream for life. Watches him puff up a little with pride when Dustin describes him knocking the Russian comms operator out cold. Watches him squeeze Robin's hand when she mentions the Russian torture and drugs. Watches him tug El into a hug when Jonathan talks about having to cut into her leg.
Eddie watches Steve - brave, loyal, loving Steve, who won't break a promise or a deal even after he most certainly could - laughing with their friends, taking their ribbing and teasing them in return, ruffling Dustin's hair and splashing Erica, almost starting a party-wide splash fight.
Eddie waits until everyone is distracted by Max chasing Lucas across the pool after his cannonball knocked her from her floaty, various advice being shouted to both, then moves to sit next to Steve on his pool chair.
"That was, uh, a lot," he says quietly.
Steve bites his lip, turns a little away from the chaos in and around the pool, although his eyes still track the chase, Max having almost cornered Lucas. "Yeah, yeah it was," he replies, just as quietly.
"Pretty impressive," Eddie tells him, knocking their shoulders together.
Steve shrugs. He snorts as Max finally catches Lucas and dunks him a couple times before they both dissolve into laughter.
Eddie bumps his shoulder again. "Seriously, dude, you gotta know how cool you are."
"I guess," Steve says, still not looking at Eddie, fidgeting with his hands instead.
Eddie thinks he knows what thoughts might be running around inside Steve's head, so he puts a hand over Steve's. The jittery motions still under his touch. "Hey, you got them out of there. You didn't know what you were walking into and you all got out alive. I call that pretty badass."
Steve finally turns to him. The look in his eyes makes Eddie want to pull Steve close, hold him until that look disappears. But he doesn't, just squeezes Steve's fingers.
The corner of Steve's mouth ticks up, just a little. "Thanks, Eddie." He looks like he might say more, but suddenly Dustin lets out a whoop and they both turn to the pool. Jonathan, Nancy, Robin, and Argyle have started a game of chicken, Nancy on Jonathan's shoulders and Robin on Argyle's.
They watch, laughing, as the girls wrestle until they both go tumbling into the water together and come up spluttering. Steve's head is thrown back, his shoulders are shaking with giggles and Eddie feels a grin stretch across his face.
He leans forward to rest his chin on Steve's shoulder, his hand still over Steve's, a teasing tone in his voice when he says, "So, hey, I was wondering. What would it take for me to get free ice cream for life from Steve Harrington?"
Steve turns his head and Eddie pulls back so they can look at each other. And that's all they do for a long moment, Eddie's breathing speeding up when Steve's gaze drops to his lips.
But all Steve does is turn his hand in Eddie's grip, so he can tangle their fingers together. He squeezes Eddie's hand, then stands, grinning, tugging Eddie up with him.
"C'mon," Steve says, pulling Eddie over to the pool before jumping in with a splash. Eddie ducks away from the water, grinning like a fool. When he catches Erica's knowing smirk, he just shrugs helplessly and follows Steve in.
Maybe he owes Erica some free ice cream, too.
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matchingbatbites · 1 year
Text
Eddie kisses Steve for the first time to Whitney Houston.
It's the summer of '87, and he's been dragged along to celebrate Robin's birthday with her, Steve, and Nancy, and the four find themselves at at gay club in Indy where the music is always loud and the people are usually friendly.
They’ve been here for a couple of hours, and Eddie has been at the bar for about ten minutes, taking a breather from the chaos of the dance floor. 
He’s just debating hopping back into the fray when a familiar intro starts, and he immediately searches out Steve in the crowd. Eddie may be a metalhead, but even he can't deny the talent that Whitney Houston has, and I Wanna Dance With Somebody is a god-tier song.
(Ignoring the fact that it quickly became Steve's favorite song, the younger cranking the volume and belting the lyrics any time it comes on the radio, something that makes Eddie melt every time he gets to witness it.) 
Eddie finds him in the crowd, along with Robin and Nancy, the three pressed close as they get visibly excited by the familiar music. He can see them singing along to the first verse, the crowd in the building drowning them out, and when the chorus hits, Steve and Robin pull Nancy into dancing with them.
Somehow Steve's eyes catch his, hazel meeting brown from across the dance floor, and Steve is beaming as he sings along, and fuck Eddie is so smitten. He watches Steve dance with the girls, keeps expecting his attention to turn back to them at some point, but his focus stays on Eddie.
The song moves into the second verse and Eddie's heart jumps into his throat when Steve points at him before making a ‘come here’ motion while still mouthing along with the lyrics. 
Eddie is halfway across the floor before he even realizes he's moved. He's making a beeline to Steve, eyes never wavering from the other as he slips through the mass of bodies, and the grin doesn’t budge from Steve's face, only gets bigger the closer Eddie gets.
As soon as he's in reach, Steve is grabbing his arm, pulling him closer as he yells a "Dance with me?" over the music. And Eddie is no dancer, but he says yes just to keep the smile on Steve's face, and god, is it blinding.
He lets Steve take the lead, mostly just enjoying the closeness, the casual touch, but he still finds himself singing along by the time the chorus rolls into the bridge.
And then there’s that line again, the one that had him speeding through the crowd, the one Steve sang, sings again, while looking directly at Eddie.
I need a man who'll take a chance
On a love that burns hot enough to last
And Eddie finally gets it. He slides a hand to the back of Steve’s neck, fingers tangling in soft hair as he tugs him forward, lips pressing to Steve’s ear so he can be heard over the music.
“I wanna take a chance, Stevie. Will you let me?”
He barely gets a glance at Steve’s shocked face before that blinding smile is back and Steve is nodding. 
“Fucking please, Eddie.” 
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