#either that or I'll just say “screw it” and hit AO3

[mad-madam-m]

Based on your tags, I'd - suggest not watch Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Um, nothing is handled very well, and the show was in large part used to speak about our real world issues, which... No. That was also not handled super well. =|

Oof. Yeah, that's what I've heard, but...okay look, I really love Sam and Bucky and an entire series of them having to deal with each other makes my little shipper heart sing. So I feel like I'll probably check it out eventually.

#m answers #littlerosetrove #either that or I'll just say “screw it” and hit AO3 #it's 50/50

[kikidoesfanfic]

Barn Raising Demogorgon Daily

Demogorgon daily prompt Barn Raising for the @strangerthingswritersguild discord

/On ao3/

---

"You know this is basically a barn raising right?" Dustin says, appearing suddenly at Steve's elbow as he's about to drill in a screw. "I read about them in this book from the library, it's a community thing."

"This is a greenhouse though? There's no animals going in here." He puts the drill down beside himself, decides against using power tools while Dustin is still right there being distracting, in favor of measuring the rest of the spacing out instead.

"Well duh, I know what a greenhouse is, but it's like a barn raising we're all coming together to build it." One day, Dustin is gonna roll his eyes so hard he'll be stuck seeing his brain, and Steve isn't gonna help him he's just gonna say 'I told you so' and call it a day.

"We? You little shits have been playing in the pool all day, Eddie has been 'supervising' and Wayne's the only one being helpful." Eddie smiles unrepentantly from his spot perched on a deck chair, not even bothering to defend himself, instead just lowering his sunglasses to raise his eyebrows and leer at Steve. Wayne though looks pleased as punch where he's stapling shadecloth to one of the side frames, immediately looking over at Hopper smugly.

"Hey," Hopper says indignantly from over at the grill, "I was helping, not my fault I was told to sit this one out."

"You staple gunned your shoe two minutes into using it, of course you were," Steve's voice raises a few octaves, Hopper was lucky he clipped his shoe and not his leg. God these people are gonna give him gray hairs before he even hits 20.

"I do repairs on the cabin all the time, I can build a goddamn greenhouse," he points the bbq tongs at Steve while he talks, accusatory.

"Apparently not with a staple gun you can't," Steve says, pointing back, "we are not having this conversation again."

"Okay but Steve, barn raising, they usually get a whole barn up in a day or two, this is practically the same thing," Dustin says, at the same time Max shouts from the pool.

"I said I'd take over with the staple gun but you said no, how's that my fault?" Steve turns, hands on his hips to stare down Max.

"You do not get to wield projectiles that can be used as deadly weapons we've been over this Mayfield, and Dustin, while it sounds cool for the last time this is not a barn raising."

"Maybe I'll just eat all these burgers myself, since I'm not being helpful," Hopper chimes in as petulantly as a gruff man his age is able, just to make Steve's day more difficult he's sure.

"That mean they're ready then?" Wayne asks, wiping sweat from his brow and taking a swig of water. They are due a break, the sun's beating down today and though Steve had bullied Wayne into sunscreen along with the rest of them, told him to set a good example for the kids, it's probably time to reapply...

He's really not beating the mom allegations, as Eddie would say.

"Yeah, food's up," Hopper says, following it with a grumble about dangerous grills and not being trusted with one of those either, before starting to plate up the stack of patties.

"Alright you heard the man, out of the pool go get your lunch," he says loudly enough to properly grab the kid's attention, followed quickly by a veritable stampede as they rush to beat each other to the food. "Don't run around the- oh why do I bother."

Steve waits, he'll probably lose a finger if he tries to get ahead of them anyway so he might as well take his time. He grabs his own bottle of water, swallowing a mouthful before pouring the rest over his face and neck, it's too warm from sitting in the sun while they worked to be all that satisfying but it's better than nothing. He pulls his shirt up, using the bottom to wipe down his face, startling at the wolf whistle of appreciation Eddie gives from much closer than expected.

Dropping his shirt reveals Eddie right in front of him, fresh bottles of water from the cooler and a plate with two burgers balancing precariously in his hands.

"My my Mr Handyman, looking mighty hot and bothered there," Eddie says with a smirk. "Maybe later I can do some... drilling of my own, hm?

He sticks his tongue out slightly, pinning it with his teeth while he waggles his eyebrows, and Steve is not going to admit this is doing it for him.

"You're a dork," Steve says instead.

"You're saying you don't want a handy, man?" Steve covers his face with his palm.

"That was awful," he groans, looking between his fingers at Eddie's smile, watches him lean in close.

"And yet you're still gonna let me-"

"Munson," Hopper barks, and they both turn to see the kids staring at them with varied looks between horror (Mike and Dustin) and amusement (Max).

"-let me give you this burger, yep, here's your burger Steve! Mmm what masterful grill work, would you look at that, it's time to go stand far away over there!" Steve shakes his head, chuckling as he stops Eddie's escape by grabbing at his fingers, Eddie's still just a tad nervous around Hopper.

'It's the dad vibes, Steve.'

"Come on Romeo, come sit down before you fall down." He tugs Eddie along by their joined hands so they can sit in the shade and eat their burgers, nudging knees and bumping elbows about as much contact as they can confortably keep in the stickiness of the heat.

When he's finished Steve looks at Eddie, looks around at everyone congregating in his yard. They might not be raising a barn, and they might not be all that helpful with the power tools, but they're definitely building something together.

#my fic #kikidoesfanfic #eddie munson #steve harrington #stranger things #steve x eddie #steddie #steve harrington/eddie munson #steve harrington x eddie munson #stranger things writer's guild

[zarvasace]

The Bet

Gen gen, Time POV but all boys involved, no warnings, 1.8k words. AO3 link here! (and disability AU summary post here!)

What's stronger: a one-armed Twilight or Legend with four power bracelets? Legend, barely. Now, what about a one-armed Twilight or a wheelchair-pushing, blacksmith of a Four? Now, that question requires more thought. And maybe a few rupees laid down. (disability AU! :)

---

"We're not being disruptive, are we, ma'am?" Time asks quietly, sliding over a few rupees before picking up the rattling tray of bottles.

The older bartender winks at him and sweeps the rupees off into her hand in a practiced motion. The money disappears into her apron somewhere. "Not at all, sweet. Nice to have a bunch of people in here to make the place a bit more lively. Regulars don't mind none, either." 

Time smiles back. "I'll make sure the boys calm down and get to bed before too long."

"Much appreciated."

He carries the tray of milk bottles back to the pushed-up tables that the group has taken over, and sets it next to the tray of used dishes, carefully out of Hyrule's personal space. Legend perches on a bench across from Twilight. He leans over the table with his left hand clutched in Twilight's as they push against each other. He wears several glittering bracelets over his usual golden cuff, and is doing much better than the first time he'd arm-wrestled Twilight, a little while ago. 

"Come on, Legend," Sky says, standing at the edge of the table. He's been responsible for refereeing, and Wind is all but jumping up and down next to him, calling out the play-by-play for anyone who's not actively watching, which is mostly just Time and Hyrule. 

"Twi shifts his elbow but the competition is still locked! Oh, oh, is that a hair of an advantage for Legend? Nope, Twi comes back! Come on, Legend, this is embarrassing!" 

"Why are you cheering for him?" Twilight complains through gritted teeth. His forehead shines with sweat. "He has magic items!" 

Wild laughs and nudges a bottle of milk into Hyrule's hand. "Exactly. Legend has, what, four of those strength-enhancing bracelets on that everyone seems to have except for me, no I'm not bitter, and he's still not winning against you!" 

"Ah, screw this," Legend says, and heaves one last time. He manages to knock Twilight's arm over enough that Twilight can't recover. The back of his hand hits the table.

"Legend wins that one." Sky smiles. "Eventually."

'Very impressive,' Warriors adds. 'On Twilight's part, of course.'

Legend grimaces and shakes out his hand, then rolls his shoulder back. "I can pick up boulders with the Titans, Twi, Din's dandruff. Can you pick up buildings with your bare hands?" 

"Never tried," Twilight laughs. He stretches out his arm, too. "I mean, it's nothing unusual. I've been goat-throwing since I was young."

Time shrugs and passes down a few bottles of milk for those at that end. "Your strength could be a touch supernatural, pup."

Twilight rolls his eyes at Time. "I doubt it."

"Okay, now I'm dying to know. Twilight, come over here," Four calls from the other end of the table.

With a baffled frown, Twilight moves to comply, and Four takes one step out of his chair to settle on the table bench. Time realizes what he's going for and moves a few empty bottles out of the way to give them room. 

Four's eyes narrow as he looks at the table, and he reaches back into one of the bags hanging from his chair to grab a thick book. He plops it on the table, sticks his left elbow on top, and looks at Twilight expectantly. 

"Oh," Twilight says, the light going off. "You sure?" He still takes the spot, though, and grabs Four's left hand in his own. 

"Of course I'm sure. Your hand is sweaty, ew." Four still smiles, though, the expression copied across every other face hovering around. Time feels the same smile on his own lips, irrepressible. 

"I've been arm-wrestling everyone, I'm not apologizing." Twilight glances at Sky for the signal to start, looking far more cocky than Time thinks he should. 

Wind leans over the other end of the table. "Oh, now this is one I wanna see."

"Me too," Hyrule says, to the snorts and eye rolls that his casual jokes always engender. 

Time notices Legend next to him nudging Warriors with his elbow. "Bet?" Legend mutters. 

Warriors hesitates, squints at Four and Twilight arguing a little over the book under Four's elbow, then gives Legend a considering nod. His signs are small when he agrees. 'Twilight. It would be stupid to bet against him, after what he did to you.'

Legend snorts softly and pulls out a few rupees. "Yeah, but you haven't seen Four in the forge. I'm betting on him."

With a short laugh, Warriors matches the bet with rupees of his own, smiling as if to say that Legend is making a long bet. Time waits a moment, then hands a few gems off to Legend under the table. 

"Sky will declare it a tie," Time whispers under Wild's laugh. Warriors gives him a look but doesn't protest, probably seeing Time's contribution as more for him.

"I look forward to being twenty-three rupees richer." Legend dumps the pile into a bag he pulls out of nowhere, and sets it innocently on the table. Hyrule raises his eyebrows—of course he noticed—but doesn't say anything. 

Whatever issues Four and Twilight had have been argued out, and Sky briefly looks at the ceiling in fond exasperation. Then he looks back down, nods, and starts it off. 

"Go."

The two hands clasped in the middle don't move much at first. Four's and Twilight's faces twist a little as they push against each other. Time hums, a little impressed with their concentration. The arm wrestles have all been casual, but his boys are competitive, and the winner matters. Everyone goes quiet as they watch. 

For a solid few seconds, they're evenly matched. Twilight gains a few inches, but Four comes back a few seconds later with the force required to make them even. He can't quite get past there, though, and he's visibly straining more than Twilight is. 

The boys start egging one or the other on, sometimes both. A well-timed joke about dog breath on Legend's part makes Twilight laugh and lose a bit of pressure. Legend gets Warriors's elbow in his side for that. Twilight recovers, though.

Four's free hand clenches into a white-knuckled fist and lifts above the table a bit as he tries to stop himself from using it for a small advantage. His concentration face is a bit terrifying, really, he's glaring into Twilight's eyes like he's taken offense with his very soul. Twilight manages to keep a smile on his own face, somehow. 

As the seconds tick by, even Legend is starting to look a little scared. Having one member stronger than several power bracelets is one thing, but two? Doesn't Four have power bracelets of his own? Time makes a mental note to never get on either boy's bad side. 

The tension peaks, like egg whites whipped into shape for something delicious. Time tastes victory as Sky looks unsure and opens his mouth.

That, of course, is when the side of the inn explodes into slivers and gravel.

Time wraps his fingers around the hilt of his sword on reflec, and notices most of the others doing the same. They've been relaxing, but they've all learned the benefit of being constantly prepared. Four, facing the wall that burst, takes advantage of Twilight's confusion to slam their hands down, technically winning. Sky doesn't notice, though, and as several monsters step past the wreckage to wade inside, they're all too concerned with fighting to worry about the arm wrestling contest. 

With the power bracelets he's still wearing, Legend uses an entire table like a club to stun a moblin. Twilight kicks aside the rubble to help pull out one of the tavern patrons who'd been in the blast zone, and Hyrule helps him, using healing potions as a cover for using a few motes of magic, nothing extravagant. The man seems to be okay. 

There are enough monsters to keep them all busy for a little while. It's a bit cramped in here, but Time has his smaller sword, and the others are pretty aware of the space. Wild and Hyrule tend to go a bit wide when they fight, but Hyrule's focused on helping the other patrons out of the danger, and Wild chose a shortspear to keep with him. Behind them all, Four has pushed himself to the tabletop and sits there with his tiny crossbow, not doing much damage but keeping monsters distracted with slivers of bolts stuck in their eyes and throats. 

They're effective, if perhaps a little destructive. At least none of them are severely injured. When the last monster falls and turns to dust, leaving behind some equipment and bloodstains, Time looks around at the jagged glass and splintered stools and hides a wince. He drops his blackened sword off at the table and heads to the intact bar to find the bartender. 

She's hiding behind the bar, a broken bottle in her hand and a spark in her eyes that tells Time she would have fought if she had to. He confirms that the fight is over, apologizes profusely for the damage and the disturbance, and Wild helpfully hands over a fistful of gems. The bartender looks a bit more friendly after that. 

After patching up the wall with canvas tarps and setting things to rights as best they can, Time herds everyone toward the stairs. Four takes Twilight's offer of a ride on his back, and Hyrule makes sure Legend can make it. Wind is slow, going up the stairs one at a time, and he stops near the top as if struck by lightning. 

"Hey!" he says, and the tone makes more than one person pause in alarm. "What about the arm wrestle? Who won?" 

"I think Four did, at the end," Legend says with an arm over Hyrule's shoulders. He says it casually. Too casually. 

'The distraction was unfair, though,' Warriors shoots back, turning around before heading into one of the rooms they'd booked. 'Twilight would have won.' 

"Would he have?" Time asks mildly. Legend shoots him a vitriolic glare. 

Sky laughs, the sound soaked and reflected by the warm wood around them. "Let's just call it a tie, then."

"Until next time, rancher," Four says from his spot on Twilight's back, and Twilight grins in return. 

Warriors sighs, but elbows Legend again, who pulls out the bag of bet rupees and all but throws it at Time. 

"Hey, you were betting without me?" Wind asks, his voice climbing. 

"Next time, sailor," Time promises with a pat to Wind's shoulder as he passes. 

Warriors's face darkens in outrage. 'Next time nothing, Time! Don't teach him that!'

"As if he doesn't already know!"

"I'm right here!"

"Goodnight," Twilight says, his voice barely holding laughter back.

#linked universe #disability au #my writing #lu fic #lu four #lu time #lu twilight #lu warriors #lu legend

[chimerickat]

For the trope question, interrupted kisses are always fun if a little frustrating !

Five times Seto Kaiba seems like he wants to kiss you, and the one time he kisses you.

Either keep reading below the cut, or on AO3 here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/43853316

One.

When you hear a knock on the front door of the store, you're ready to disappear into the backroom. The store is closed, and you’re just cleaning up for the night.

But then you glance at the door and see Seto Kaiba standing on the other side of the glass. He isn't just any customer so you hurry over to unlock the front door and let him in.

"Hi Kaiba. Yugi isn't here at the moment." You know he and Yugi are friendly, but Yugi is on a date. It's why he asked you to close up the shop for him.

"I'm aware." Kaiba stares down at you. "Yugi said I could still come by to pick up some new booster packs."

“Oh cool.” It would have been nice if Yugi had mentioned that plan to you. “Let me check if he has anything set aside for you.”

Kaiba follows you to the register. Underneath sit the special orders, but you don’t see anything with Kaiba’s name on it.

“Sorry,” you apologize. “I can try to text him if you want?”

He grunts and stares at you. After a moment, you assume that, yes, you should text Yugi.

“Kaiba is here after close expecting booster packs? Please help! I didn’t agree to this!!!”

After you hit send, you realize that you need to stand around waiting for Yugi to respond. “Are there any cards you’re looking for with the new boosters?”

Kaiba raises his eyebrow. “Why else would I bother buying them?”

“Right.” You sigh. “Well if you don’t want to participate in polite conversation, I’ve got a register to deal with.” You wave at the rest of the store. “Feel free to wait wherever.”

You ignore him, not wanting to see his reaction, as you open the cash drawer and begin to close for the night. The task requires your focus as normally Yugi or his Grandpa do the job, and you don’t want to screw it up. By the time you’re done, Kaiba is working at a table and Yugi has responded to your text.

"sorry!"

"told him i wouldnt be there"

"thought he wasnt going"

"just let him get w/e from back room"

Right. Well you can't be too mad at Yugi. His date tonight had been his focus. "Hey, Kaiba?" He looks up. "Yugi says you can collect your packs from the back room."

"Fine." His focus turns back to his laptop. He keeps typing. You wait for him to put his laptop away. He doesn't.

"You can pick out the booster packs now."

"I'll do it once I've finished this," he says without looking up.

You look at the time. Yugi absolutely owes you overtime, but you won't ever close the shop for him again. "Kaiba, I'm leaving. You can either let me unlock the storage room for you now, or you can hang out here and wait for Yugi."

He looks up and narrows his eyes. "I waited on you, and my time is worth significantly more than yours."

"Are you trying for insulting or a guilt trip? You can't do both."

He rolls his eyes. "I'm pointing out that you're being unreasonable."

You stare at him. The sheer audacity of Seto Kaiba calling you unreasonable has you shocked into silence. He wouldn't know reasonable behavior if it showed up in a Blue Eyes White Dragon car.

You are about to say as much to him, but he shuts his laptop and puts it back in his briefcase. Then he stands up and waves his hand forward, inviting you to lead the way.

You bite your lip and lead him to the back storage room. The new booster packs technically aren't supposed to launch until later in the week, but of course, Kame Game already has their shipment.

You look through boxes for the new boosters. Most of the boxes sitting out are already half-empty. Yugi restocked the floor this morning, and you intended to restock after close before Kaiba crashed the party.

"He must have put the boosters out of the way," you say. "Let me get the step ladder."

"I could still be working, but again, you're wasting my time."

"Next time, make sure you come when Yugi is here then." You pull the step ladder out from the closet and over to the main shelves. Then you start pulling the boxes out just enough to check their contents until you find one full of booster packs. "Got it!"

You hold the box with one hand and the shelf with the other as you ease yourself back to the ground. Then you hand the box out to him. "Okay, Yugi says take whatever you want."

He grabs a bunch of packs. "Add them to my tab." Then he lifts the box and places it back on the shelf.

"Show off," you mutter.

He smirks and looks down on you. He's already standing close, but he takes a step closer. "Next time, I'll be sure to come when Yugi isn't around."

You have to think twice about what he's saying before it clicks. Even then, it doesn't quite make sense. He leans toward you, still smirking.

Then one of the disturbed boxes tilts, and you watch as a bunch of action figures fall onto Kaiba's head. Some of them hit you as well, but he gets the majority of the damage.

He curses and storms out without looking your way.

Two.

When Kaiba walks into your favorite coffee shop as you're waiting for your drink, you wonder if you should pretend that you don't see him. You've replayed the moment in the storage room over and over, and you think he had been about to kiss you.

You're also sure that you're making it all up. Seto Kaiba would have no reason to kiss you. Especially not after you'd spent the whole time being rude to him.

He notices you before you can make up your mind. The moment his eyes meet yours, you know that you can't ignore him. You smile and wave. Then you turn back to the bar, hoping your drink will be ready soon.

Kaiba walks over to the bar, briefly speaks with the barista, and is presented his drink. Of course he orders ahead. You're not even surprised.

Then he approaches you instead of leaving.

"So you'll wait for a drink but not for me to finish my work."

"Waiting for your coffee is pretty standard practice for most people, Kaiba. We're not all important men who run the city like you are."

He raises an eyebrow. "The app to order ahead is available to everyone."

Right. Of course he used an app. You don't know why you thought his assistant called ahead to ensure his drink would be ready.

He smirks. "This isn't the way I imagined shutting you up, but it'll work for now."

Oh. He couldn't possibly mean...? You can feel the surprise showing on your face, but you can't help it.

Then you hear the barista calling out your name. You dart around Kaiba, grab your drink, and dash to the door. He doesn't move from his spot, and you don't look back as you leave the shop.

Three.

When Mai throws a party, she goes all out. It seems like everyone she knows is present, whether she likes them or not.

But still, you're surprised when Kaiba walks up behind you and puts one hand down on the bar. He's sideways so his body is facing you, and you worry that if you turn toward him, your shoulder will hit his chest. So you turn just your head. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Kujaku blackmailed me into coming." He gets the attention of the bartender and asks for a brand of beer that you've never heard of before. Then his attention shifts back to you. "She even had the audacity to demand an expensive birthday present."

You're intrigued. "What blackmail does Mai have on you?"

"Emotional." Then he changes the subject. "This party sucks. We should leave."

"Emotional blackmail?" You consider the words as you say them out loud. "Like she made you feel guilty about not wanting to come?" It was the trick she pulled on you. You frown. That just doesn't seem like Kaiba, but maybe he likes Mai more than you thought.

"No." He doesn't say anything further.

You turn on your barstool, ready to hop off in search of the birthday girl. Maybe she'll let you in on her secret blackmail.

Then Kaiba blocks you. "Where are you going?" he demands to know.

His hands lean on the bar on either side of you. You would have to duck underneath his arms to get away. Instead you put a hand on his chest, ready to push. "I was going to look for Mai?"

"So she can introduce you to someone?"

"What...?"

He's leaning forward on the bar. His face is close to yours. His blue eyes seem to be studying you. "Leave the party with me."

"Are you asking me to go home with you?" you blurt out before you can think about the words.

He's looking at your lips. You can tell he's looking at your lips. Then one of his hands comes up to cup your chin. "Yes."

"KAIBA! Give 'er some space."

Kaiba stands upright and spins around to face Jonouchi. "Mind your own business, mutt."

You slip off the barstool and disappear into the crowd, intent on avoiding their fight and finding Mai.

Four. 

You look up from your book to see Kaiba standing in front of you. He startles you. "Hey, Kaiba. Yugi is upstairs." 

"Hn." He steps closer to you and looks at your book. 

You pull the book closer to your body, keeping the cover out of sight. "It's just something Anzu loaned to me." That's true. She did loan it to you, insisting it was amazing. However, you don't want to defend your reading choices to Kaiba. You hope throwing Anzu's name into the mix will keep him quiet. 

"A treaty on friendship?" 

You stare at him for a moment, trying to understand... then you realize he's making a joke. You smile. "I think she saves all of her friendship pamphlets for you."

He raises an eyebrow. "I wasn't aware she wanted my friendship."

"She probably doesn't." You shrug. It's no secret that Anzu is one snarky comment away from trying to deck Kaiba. "But you and Yugi are friends so I'm sure she'd like to get along." 

"What about you?" He's suddenly in your space, leaning on the chair you're sitting in. His eyes lock onto yours.

You look for an escape, but short of sliding down between his legs, you have nowhere to go. "What about me?" 

"What kind of relationship do you want with me?" 

It's a bold question. You can hear Mai in the back of your head, saying he likes you. She said the only reason he came to her party was to be sure she didn't set you up with someone. Yugi even mentioned that Kaiba talked about you more than anyone else. 

And now he's leaning down like he's going to kiss you. 

"Hey, Kaiba--WHOOPS!" 

Kaiba steps back at Yugi's shout. You take that opportunity to stand up from the chair and back away. 

Yugi's face reddens as he looks between the two of you. "Did I interrupt?" 

"No," you say before Yugi can finish, before Kaiba can say anything himself. Then you hurry away for the backroom. You can pretend to be busy there. 

Five.

As you push open the front door for Kame Game, you feel the chilly night air rush past you. Yugi keeps the shop warm and comforting so it's an unpleasant surprise. You step out of the shop, wishing you had warmer clothing. You keep forgetting to bring a jacket for your evening walk home, and you know you'll be freezing by the time your bus arrives.

Still, you carry on to the bus stop. If you wait inside the shop, you run the risk of missing the bus if it shows up early. As much as you like Yugi, you don't want to hang around waiting for another bus if you miss your usual line.

At the stop, you try to curl into yourself as much as possible to keep warm. It doesn't work.

Then a car pulls up to the stop. The windows are tinted so you can't see who is inside, and thoughts of kidnapping rush through your brain. Do you have a weapon on you? Can you just run back to the game shop?

The window rolls down. Kaiba is alone in the car. "Get in," he says.

It's late and cold. Kaiba isn't a stranger. You don't waste time pretending to protest. You pull open the passenger door and get into his car. "Thanks for the ride home."

"We're having dinner first," he says as the car pulls away from the curb.

"Generally you ask people to go on dates with you. I think abducting them off the street is frowned on."

He frowns. "You willingly got into my car."

"I think it made sense to assume you were driving me home."

"Well I'm driving you to my home."

Your eyes narrow. "I thought you said we were going to have dinner?"

"Yes, in the privacy of my home, with the best chef in the city."

The car stays silent. You study Kaiba while he drives. He glances over and catches you staring. You try not to look away even as you feel your face warm up. He doesn't comment on it and focuses back on the road ahead.

When he pulls up to his mansion, he stops his car in front of the entrance. After he turns the engine off, he reaches for his seatbelt. You put your hand on his, getting his attention. "How long have you wanted to ask me out?" You're teasing him. He deserves it for not properly asking you on a date. "Please tell me you haven't been stalking me, waiting for a chance to lure me into your car."

"Of course not!" He pulls away from you and gets out of the car. You push open your door and get out.

"What if I'm already seeing someone?"

He glares as he approaches you. "Are you?"

"No." You shrug. "I'm just pointing out that you haven't asked me out yet so you're making a lot of assumptions here."

He cups your face with his hands. "No. I don't think I am." Then he leans down to kiss you.

"Seto!" He pulls away with a groan. Then he turns to face the building. Mokuba bounces down the stairs toward the two of you. His long hair is tied up in a ponytail and he's wearing an oversized sweatshirt.

He stops with a grin. "I see you've finally brought your girlfriend over."

"I'm not his girlfriend."

"You are," Kaiba corrects.

"That's news to me. Since when?"

Kaiba glares at the ground for a moment while Mokuba tries to hide his grin behind his hand. "Since right now."

"We'll see." You smile at Mokuba. "Do I get a tour?"

So Mokuba leads you on a tour of the mansion. He shows off the movie theater and game rooms, clearly his favorite rooms, but also the massive kitchen and library. Then he insists on sitting next to you at the dining room table.

Dinner turns into more of a hang out with Mokuba rather than a date with Kaiba. Kaiba doesn't say much and allows Mokuba to interrogate you.

"Mokuba, isn't it your bedtime?" Kaiba says once the table is cleared.

"I don't have a bedtime!"

Kaiba glares at his brother. "Tonight you do."

Mokuba rolls his eyes. "You can just tell me you want to be alone with your girlfriend."

"Just go to bed."

You interrupt their argument. "Actually, I need to get home." Kaiba never said he would drive you home, but you hope he intends to help you get there. His mansion is too removed from the city for public transport to be an easy option this time of night.

"I'll take you." Kaiba stands and offers you his hand. You take it as you stand as well. 

As you say goodbye to Mokuba, he smirks, looking just like his brother. "Don't let my brother sleep over. He's a bed hog." 

"MOKUBA!" Kaiba grabs your hand and tugs you out of the dining room. He mutters something about his brother being grounded, but you're too shocked to catch his exact words. 

Once the two of you make it back to his car, he opens the door for you and waits for you to get in before closing it and walking around to the other side. He gets in the car and starts the engine. As he speeds out of the mansion grounds, you wonder if his staff has ever failed to open the gates in time. 

Then you wonder exactly what he's said about you to his brother. "You know, you still haven't asked me to go out with you or date you or anything." 

He frowns. "Fine. You're free to object to dating at any point." 

Your eyes narrow. What is his objection to asking questions? "Fine. I object." 

The look he shoots you is offended and shocked. As if he can't fathom anyone objecting. 

"We've never even kissed," you point out. "Tonight really doesn't even count as a date." If he's going to be difficult, then you can be difficult too. 

He grits his teeth. Then he pulls over and the car jerks to a stop. For a moment, you think it's because of what you've said. Then you realize he's just pulling up to your place. 

When did you give him your address? You must have at some point. 

He opens the door for you and helps you out of the car. He holds your hand as he slams the car door shut. 

Then he pins you against his car. Your back is against the car door. His body presses against yours. One hand holds your head while the other slides down your side until it reaches your hip. 

He kisses you. His lips press against yours, and he controls the angle by adjusting your head with his hand. 

He pulls away with a smirk. "Now we've kissed, and tomorrow night, I'll take you out." 

He walks you to your door. You have your key in the lock before you realize he still hasn't asked you anything. You turn to see him walking back to his car. "I never agreed to anything!" 

"I'll still be back tomorrow." 

Then he gets in his car. He starts the engine, and you expect him to drive off, but he just sits there and waits. 

You realize he's waiting for you to get inside before he leaves. Just like a boyfriend. 

#seto kaiba #kaiba seto #seto kaiba x reader #seto kaiba reader insert #kaibaxreader #dragonsilk #reader insert #also posted on ao3 #I'm sick so any issues I blame on that

[therentyoupay]

"Man," Bolin sighed, once he'd regained his composure. "You actually like this kid." To her growing dismay, she blushed. Dammit!

"I'm really not all that happy about it either," Korra sulked.

Bolin blinked. "Why not?"

She was flabbergasted. "Are you kidding me? What do you mean 'why not'?"

"It's a legitimate question," he said quietly. "I mean, what's wrong with it?"

What.

"I mean—I think it's gross," Bolin assured her, "but I'm also not the one who has to get with him. If you like the nasty dude, you like the nasty dude—I don't really see how it should bother me, personally."

"But—but—"

"Well, it does kind of weird me out, and I definitely wasn't prepared for it, but so what?"

"But what about the team?"

"Screw 'em."

She stared. "Who are you?"

"Korra," he began, shifting his weight onto the elbows over his knees. "The thing you have to know about cross-country is that we're a family," he sagely described. "Not everybody is always going to agree with you, but when it comes down to it, we're there for each other. Even if you don't know every single member on your team, we're all Foxes. That's why I run cross-country every year, even when my wrestling coach thinks I should be hitting the mats instead of the track."

"So... Wait. Let me get this straight. You're... you're okay with this?" she tried to clarify. "You're not mad?"

"Oh, I'm still a little mad," he confirmed with an easy smile. "But not for the reasons you think. I was just pissed that no one told me anything, which you've already addressed. I mean, really... I'll get over you fine, eventually. You're just some girl I met a few weeks ago."

Ouch. She probably deserved that.

"An awesome girl, but still just a girl... Who will probably make an awesome friend," he nudged her, while Korra nodded her head along, taking it in stride. "But Mako... He's my brother. Or supposed to be, anyway," he muttered. "He could use a few reminders in team dynamics."

Korra's sigh turned sad. "He does really care about you."

"I know," he sighed back.

"I really care about you, too." Even if you might not believe me. "And I am sorry... for your neck, too."

Bolin considered her for a moment, with light eyes and a quirky grin. "Ahh, I'll be all right," he decided eventually, dismissing her concern with a wave. And then: "But... we have fun together, don't we?"

The tone she heard in his voice warmed her heart; things wouldn't be the same, but they would be okay. Eventually.

Maybe even better.

"Yeah," she agreed with a smile. "I'd say so."

"Just... next time, do me a favor, all right?"

"What?"

"Just see what happens when you offer someone a little trust. People might surprise you."

Inevitably, warmth surged in her chest. This time when she smiled, she didn't fight it; it seemed like an apology to Tenzin was also in order.

"All right," she softly promised, still feeling warm. And then: "You really are one of a kind, Bolin."

"Ah!" he mock-swooned, fanning himself under the cold autumn sun. "Please, go on. I enjoy praise."

She slugged him instead.

personal record now on ao3!

#tahnorra #therentyoupay personal record #I LOVE THESE KIDS

[charles-rxwlands]

lay all your love on me

okay!! so this is my fic for @magpiencrow's 1.2k writing challenge.

this is based off of the song lay all your love on me, slowed, by putin

pairing: nikolai/reader

rating: general

tags: gn!reader w/ gn pronouns, fluff

summary: falling in love with nikolai lantsov told through several vignettes

or: mindless nikolai/reader fluff with a alina and ivan being little shits

warnings: right off the bat there's a nightmare about drowning in the ocean, and there's one (1) swear word at the end, but other than that, there's nothing

word count: 4.1k

read on ao3

constructive criticism, feedback, and reblogs are greatly appreciated !

I haven't written anything in a while, so i may be a bit rusty, but please enjoy :)

You were drowning, and also pretty damn sure you were going to die out here. Your lungs were on fire, screaming for air, but you couldn't emerge from the ocean for long enough to suck in a breath. Sure, your hand or head breached the surface every now and then, but a wave would come crashing down on you immediately after, destroying all your progress.

      The undulating waves threw you around like a football - a very pathetic one, at that. As hard as you tried to fight the current, it still insisted on moving against you (stubborn bastard), so really you weren't going anywhere. Just pathetically bobbing around in the same pathetic place. You couldn't feel your limbs - the only thing you could feel was the agonising ache in your chest. It was as if your arms and legs had frozen over along with your will to live.

      How easy it would be to just... 

...let the ocean take you...

      Suddenly, someone grabbed you by the wrist. You screamed, which was a mistake; immediately, salty seawater filled your mouth, making you gag and choke. Nevertheless, you valiantly tried to release yourself from whoever - whatever? - had their hold on you. 

      "Y/n, Y/n! Relax, darling, relax," a voice said, sounding out of breath. "It's me."

      You whirled your head around. Sagging with relief, you gasped out the name of your saviour. "Nikolai."

      "Yes. Yes, Y/n, my love, it's me. It's Nikolai," he soothed, running his hands over your wet hair.

      "Nikolai," you breathed. "Nikola-" - a wave reared up on its hind legs, ready to come crashing down onto your friend, ready to take him away - "no, no, Nikolai, NO-!"

   

You startled, eyes flying open. You were shaking like a leaf. Were you cold, or was it just the adrenaline from the nightmare still making its course? You shook your head as if to rid your mind of the dream. It wasn't real. Nikolai had saved you that night. It was fine. It wasn't real.

      But it could very well have been real, a traitorous voice in your mind whispered. Scowling, you cursed your pessimistic side. Even if a wave had separated you two, Nikolai would have fought tooth and nail to get to you again. You would have done the same. After all, you were childhood friends, and you knew better than anyone that Nikolai didn't let go of his loved ones so easily.

      He hadn't wanted you to accompany him on his journey overseas as Sturmhond. You insisted otherwise, channeling some of Nikolai's stubbornness that had rubbed off on you. ("You're not getting rid of me that easily, idiot. So let me come, unless you want me to steal your kneecaps."). 

      A half-smile appeared on your face as you thought back to the memory. Slowly, you got up from your bed. Your blanket was draped over your shoulders. You slipped out of your cabin quietly, walking down the hallway until you found yourself in front of Nikolai's room. He stirred in his sleep when you entered. The door creaked slightly, but it didn't seem like his distress was because of the noise.

      You sat on the edge of his bed. Nikolai, previously facing away, turned over to face you. His eyes were still screwed shut, eyebrows knitted together and an unhappy expression on his face. You frowned. 

      "Nikolai." you nudged him gently. "Wake up. You're okay, just wake up. It's just a dream."

      He opened his eyes, blinking at you. "Y/n?"

      "Hi," you said. A lock of golden hair fell over his forehead, and upon instinct, you reached to brush it away. He let you, not uttering any of his usual complaints. 

      "You were gone," he mumbled, undoubtedly referencing his nightmare. "I- I couldn't save you, and you were gone." 

      You shifted into a more comfortable position - your whole body was on the bed now, with your back against the headboard. He leaned his head against your chest, and you ran your fingers through his hair. "It wasn't real. It's okay. You saved me - I'm not going anywhere, 'Lai."

      "Me either," he agreed, wrapping his arms around your middle. A beat of silence. Then, "Thank you."

      You were more than content to fall asleep like this. Even if it meant waking up with an ache in your neck. Judging from the way he was curled up, practically drinking in your presence, Nikolai felt the same way.

      What a feeling it was to have found solace in Nikolai Lantsov, and to know he had found solace in you, too.

· · ─── ·𖥸· ─── · ·

Nikolai's pov

Nikolai watched from the corner of the ballroom as you laughed at one of Ivan's jokes. One would say that he was scowling, but the Prince of Ravka didn't scowl. No - he was simply observing your conversation with the Heartrender with visible distaste. He was not scowling. And he was not jealous.

      You and Ivan were smiling at each other, standing by the refreshments table, mouths moving quickly, the both of you obviously interested in whatever you were talking about. You threw your head back in a laugh. You looked gorgeous. Nikolai wanted to make you laugh like that - more than he wanted to admit.

      The last straw was when Ivan lay a hand on your shoulder, and then snaked his arm around you. You didn't seem perturbed by his touch - no, actually, you leaned into it. He bent down to whisper something in your ear that made you duck your head in embarrassment and lightly hit his chest. 

      Nikolai's glare deepened, if that were even possible. Okay, fine, maybe he was jealous. Did he even have the right to be jealous, though? It wasn't as if he was dating you, as much as he'd like to be.

And oh boy, he'd like to be. 

      Suddenly, Alina appeared at his side, seemingly out of thin air. He flinched. "Alina." 

      The girl in question had a mischievous look in her eye. Her hands were clasped in front of her, the long, flowy sleeves of her dress falling just past her wrists. The bottom half of her gown was a sparkly gold, whereas the top half was a dark blue. The two colours faded into each other at the middle, creating a gradient effect. It was a beautiful dress. You had helped Alina pick it out yourself, if he remembered correctly.

      "Hello, loverboy." she poked him in the side, grinning knowingly. "How's your crush on Y/n going for you?"

      "I don't have a crush on them, Alina, for Saint's sake."

      "Oh, is that so? You do seem... ah, what was the word... utterly whipped for them, contrary to what you just said," she said, tilting her head to the side, feigning innocence.

      "Am not," he argued. "I-," Nikolai paused, taking notice of you and Ivan walking past a couple metres away. Unfortunately, you were too engrossed in your current conversation to notice him. His eyes lingered on you. He only looked away when you disappeared back into the throng of people. 

      Alina let out a triumphant 'ha!'. 

      He directed his attention back to her and glared. "Alina, I swear-,"

      "Utterly. Whipped," she mouthed.

      "I will behead you," he threatened.

      She laughed. "In all seriousness, I really don't think Y/n and Ivan like each other like that," Alina said.

      "Well, of course not," he agreed. "Y/n very clearly has eyes for me. I can't say I blame them - who could resist all this? Everyone's all over me, as I'm sure you've noticed." 

      Alina stared at him pointedly.

      "Ah, except for you, of course. You seem to be the only one immune to my charm and charisma. An odd one, you are."

       She rolled her eyes. "Why do I even bother," she groaned. "Just swear to me that you'll tell Y/n you like them soon. Within a week. Swear on... your dignity."

      "My dignity?" Nikolai drawled.

      "Yes, your dignity, because if you don't fess up soon, I'll have to tell Y/n about your crush on them myself," she grinned smugly, and darted off before Nikolai could retort. 

      He sighed. As he saw it, he had three options:

      1. Blackmail Alina (because of course she wouldn't give in to simple bribery)

      2. Get on his knees and beg Alina to not tell you of his massive crush (there! he admitted it; he had a massive crush on you! One that he'd been harbouring for just over a year now, too)

      3. Listen to Alina, and confess on his own terms

      All three were mortifying, and things he absolutely didn't want to do. However, the last was considerably easier to do, and came with the most benefits and the least consequences. You had already seen him through his most embarrassing moments (and he through yours) so even if you rejected him, the humiliation would be minimal. 

      And maybe he wanted to confess. And maybe there was hope that you liked him back. Nikolai wasn't stupid - he knew when people fancied him. He suspected you liked him back, but then again, that could've been wishful thinking, or maybe he was misreading the entire thing.

      He didn't even understand why he was so jealous of the way Ivan and you had interacted. Before he had fallen heads over heels in love with you, his childhood best friend, people flirting with you hadn't been a problem. He'd encouraged it, even. But now, bitterness flared up inside of him every time he saw someone getting a bit too cozy with you. 

      In short, his feelings for you had completely destroyed his facade of smooth, suave, sexy Prince of Ravka. And it kind of terrified him how poorly he hid it.

· · ─── ·𖥸· ─── · ·

Nikolai had been acting strange lately, and it was bothering you. You feared the worst - had he finally caught on to your crush? You thought you'd been subtle until Ivan had approached you at the most recent party. Apparently, the scowl on your face as you watched Nikolai flirt with the guests had been fierce enough to kill.

      Ivan had given you (unsolicited) advice, telling you to be straightforward and direct. That was what he'd done with Fedyor, after all, and that had worked out well.

      You were pacing around your room. Ivan was perched on your bed, watching you have a borderline nervous breakdown like one would watch the view. 

      "You're enjoying this, aren't you, Ivan?" you demanded. "I'm about to make a life or death decision, and you're enjoying it."

      He chuckled. "I wouldn't call this a life or death decision, Y/n. If Nikolai rejects you, he rejects you, and it's his loss. If he reciprocates, good, and you'll be free to frolic in the meadows with him, all fine and dandy."

      You stared at him, your expression communicating, "Did you really just say that?", very clearly.

      "Okay, okay, fine, I'll be serious." Ivan relented. "Just tell him, Y/n. What's the worst that could happen?" 

      Just as you were about to respond - "Well, I don't know, what if he rejects me, things become eternally awkward between us, and our 10 year long friendship is ruined because I couldn't keep my mouth shut?" - someone knocked at the door. You opened it to find Nikolai waiting. His hair was perfectly styled, as always. He wore a dark turquoise suit jacket, and a simple white dress shirt underneath. The ghost of a smile appeared on your face; you had chosen the colour for him.

      "Hi, Nikolai," you greeted. 

      "Hello," he said. "Come on a walk with me. It's a lovely day outside, and both of us have been dreadfully busy lately - we may not get another chance to spend time together, I'm afraid."

      "Oh! Of course, just let me grab more suitable shoes- I'll be out in a minute- Ivan, move." You rummaged around your room in search of the sandals Nikolai had gifted you for your most recent birthday. Ivan flashed you a grin.

      "Tell him!" he whispered as you ducked out the door.

      You hoped you didn't seem too jittery as you took Nikolai's arm, even if your insides were filled with butterflies. He seemed deep in thought for the first few minutes of your walk. It wasn't until you were both outside that he finally spoke.

      "I hope you don't mind me asking, Y/n, but what was Ivan doing in your room?" he asked. 

      The question caught you off guard. Why was he so concerned about you and Ivan? It wasn't as if-

      Oh.

      Oh.

      "Nikolai, don't tell me- are you jealous?" you exclaimed.

      "Just answer the question, Y/n," he grumbled, which was enough of an answer for you.

      You laughed, only feeling a bit bad that you were so amused. Nikolai Lantsov, jealous. You found that incredibly funny. "Oh, I'm sorry for laughing," you apologised, even as another giggle escaped your mouth. "You don't have to worry, Ivan and I are strictly friends."

      He didn't seem convinced. "But the two of you at the party a few days ago-,"

      You cut him off. "Nikolai. I promise that there is nothing romantic going on with Ivan and I. And besides, I don't think I'm anywhere near his type."

      "Ivan likes men, Nikolai," you supplied, sensing his confusion. "Honestly, you need to keep up with gossip - he and Fedyor have been going strong for nearly three months now."

      "Oh," Nikolai said.

      "Yeah, oh."

      "And, uh, do you? Like men, I mean?" 

      You bit back another laugh. "Yes, I do. One man in particular, actually." 

      "Is that so? Care to clue me in on who this man is?"

      "You." 

· · ─── ·𖥸· ─── · ·

Nikolai's pov

"You."

      As soon as that single word came out of your mouth, Nikolai's brain short-circuited, and several alarms blared in his mind. ALERT! ALERT! THE PERSON YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH LIKES YOU BACK! 

      He was too stunned to speak, which was definitely a first. So, naturally, he didn't speak, but instead leaned in to kiss you. His lips brushed chastely against yours. A pause. 

      "I- I'm really sorry, Y/n, I should have asked beforehand-,"

      "Nikolai." you took his face in your hands. "Shut up." 

      And then you kissed him, and if his brain had been short-circuiting before, this was a full blown system failure. Sparks flew inside of him, and he was acutely aware of you and you only. It was a wonderful feeling, one that he immediately missed when you pulled away.

      "Wow," you said. 

      He grinned. "I'm that good of a kisser, huh?"

      When usually you would come up with a witty response, you just smiled. It was a smile Nikolai was pretty sure he'd die to see again. 

· · ─── ·𖥸· ─── · ·

Falling in love with Nikolai had been a long process. Your simple crush developed into something deeper like a leaky faucet dripping - slowly, but steadily. And then the realisation that you were in love with him hit you like a tidal wave. Drowning you, consuming every inch of your being, but not necessarily in a bad way.

       You came to your epiphany while laying awake in bed one night after a whole day spent with the esteemed King of Ravka. It was a wonder that you'd managed to spend a whole 10 hours or so in his company without getting fed up, Tamar had teased. He did annoy you - and had today - but you bullied him back plenty enough. It was easy being with him. Easier than you were used to. 

       You loved the way his eyes sparkled after correcting someone on their use of the word 'impossible'. Loved how he devoted himself to his country so selflessly. Loved how he smiled at you so genuinely and lovingly, even when you didn't have the energy to show your love in return after a bad day. Saints, you loved him so, so much, and you were so in love with him, too, and-

       Holy shit. You were in love with Nikolai.

       You were in love. With Nikolai.

       A childish giggle bubbled up inside of you, and you sighed happily. What a feeling it was to be in love with the King of Ravka, even if he didn't know it yet. 

· · ─── ·𖥸· ─── · ·

You twirled a small flower around in your hands as you walked side by side with Nikolai, your shoulders brushing occasionally. The taller blades of grass tickled your ankles, and a gentle breeze weaved through your hair. The sun peeked out from behind a few clouds, warming your face.

     Nikolai intertwined your fingers, sighing in content. He craned back his neck to meet the sunshine, eyes fluttering shut. He looked stunning, just standing there with his almost otherworldly beauty as light spilled over his fine features, highlighting every detail.

     "I'm in love with you," you blurted suddenly. "I love you, and I'm also in love with you, so. Yeah. I'm in love with you, Nikolai Lantsov."

     You gave yourself a mental round of applause for your eloquence and tact.

      He blinked. "Oh." The ghost of a smile appeared on his face, turning into a full-fledged grin when he finally processed your words. "Oh. I'm... I'm in love with you, too, Y/n L/n."

      You beamed back at him, and cupped his face in your hands. You gently ran your fingers against his cheeks, tracing a line down to the base of his chest. The fabric of his shirt was thin and soft, unlike the suffocating material his suits were made of. Lovingly, he wrapped his arms around your waist, and pulled you close. Your heart fluttered. Saints, you adored Nikolai. More than you could put into words. 

      "I love you," you whispered. "I love you so much, so intensely that it consumes me, and I'm drowning in it. But instead of it being hard to breathe, it makes breathing easier. It makes everything easier." 

      You interrupted your little speech by kissing him, just because it felt appropriate, and continued. "I was so lost without you, Nikolai. I didn't realise it, because as I've proved time and time again, I'm more than capable of holding my own-" you smirked as he rolled his eyes at the jab to his overprotectiveness "-but I was. I was a boat lost at sea, floating around in the waves, with no destination and no goal except surviving. Then you came along, and gave me solace. You were my salvation. You and your endearingly stupid jokes and your wild yet grounded behaviour. You're my anchor, Nikolai." 

      He laughed, but not in the mean way. In the happy way. 

      "I would pay you back with a monologue of my own," he said. "but all I can think of right now is how perfect you are, and how much I want to kiss you."

      Your smile widened, if that were even possible. You met him midway, lips connecting almost desperately. The only coherent thought running through your brain was 'Nikolai, Nikolai, Nikolai.'

      Nikolai.

· · ─── ·𖥸· ─── · ·

"That one looks like a dragon," you said, pointing out a lumpy cloud in the sky.

      Nikolai tilted his head to the left. It was rather cute - he looked like a puppy, trying to figure out what its owner was saying. His right eyebrow curved in an upward arch (you still had no idea how he managed to raise a single eyebrow at a time), and he pouted slightly. Adorable.

      "I don't see it," he deadpanned.

      You sighed and shook your head, dismissing the cute puppy ideology. "Nevermind," you huffed. As hard as you tried to pretend you were upset with him, a smile teased at the corners of your mouth, anyway.

      "I'm sorry, darling, but I really don't!" he exclaimed, flopping back into the picnic blanket you two had laid out. Really, it wasn't even a picnic blanket. It was just a blanket. The two of you hadn't had time to find a proper one before embarking on your impromptu picnic. Nikolai, ever the improviser, had then brandished a quilt from Saints knew where. You suspected it came from Vasily's room, because who else would be pompous enough to own a red velvet blanket the size of China?

      You dramatically exhaled again. "I already said nevermind. Not all of us can be blessed with a creative vision such as mine, after all."

      Nikolai laughed. And Saints, the sound was downright melodic. You didn't even want to begin thinking about all the things you'd do to hear it one more time.

      A comfortable silence settled between the two of you. Eventually, he began stroking your palm with his callouses fingers. You bit back a smile, and linked your pinkies together. A gathering of clouds mostly covered the sun - enough to allow only a bit of warm, gold light to seep out. You wondered briefly how Nikolai looked right now, basking underneath the faint sunshine. 

      The answer came to you easily, even without looking at him: fucking beautiful. 

      However, you wouldn't give him the satisfaction of staring at him. The last time he had caught you gaping at him like a lovesick fool, he had teased you endlessly. It was ridiculous. It wasn't as if he didn't stare at you. No, actually. He stared at you all the time. In fact, he was doing it right now.

      You bit back a grin when you felt his eyes on you. But before you could tease him for it, he got up suddenly, offering you a hand.

      "Come on," he urged. "Follow me."

      "Where to?" you questioned curiously.

      He smirked. Tugged on your hand. Winked. "You'll see." 

      "Right, that's not cryptic at all," you muttered. 

      Eventually, after a minute or so of walking (and plenty of you trying to weasel more information out of him) the two of you had seemed to reach your destination. A huge tree hung above you, offering its shade. You plopped down, but Nikolai remained standing.

      Strangely, he was looking rather nervous. Repeatedly tugging at the collar of his beige button-up shirt, and kicking at the grass. 

      "Y/n, darling, don't just sit there, you're making me nervous," he whined. 

      You giggled, but stood up anyway. "I could say the same about you. What's on your mind, dear?"

      He took a deep breath, and looked you dead in the eyes. "I love you, Y/n. I love you, and I'm in love with you. I always have, and always have been. It's just- you're wonderful. And intelligent. And charming. And I am so, so glad you are my partner - in the romantic sense, and the platonic sense. If I'm being honest, I'm quite sure I'd be tearing at the seams without you to sew me back together every time I do something particularly foolish. 

      And I hope you'll always be there to ground me. Because I will always be there for you. Th-there's no other way to say this, my darling, but I'd quite like to spend the rest of my life with you, so..."

      He brandished a dark blue box from his back pocket (this probably wasn't the time, but you had to mention that you could never fit something that large in your pocket. Why did men's clothing always have bigger pockets?) and got down on one knee. 

      "Will you do me the honour of marrying me, Y/n?" he finished.

      Holy fuck. Holy mother of Saints. Holy everything. Was this real? Saints. This really was real, wasn't it? Nikolai Lantsov was proposing to you.

      A sob escaped from your throat, and you nodded frantically, not wanting him to think you were upset. "Yes," you said. "Saints, Nikolai, yes."

      He smiled. You knew that he smiled a lot, but this smile was different. Usually, he just grinned or smirked in a devilish way - this was more of a beam. He looked so genuinely happy (genuinely happy, because of you!) that it made your heart soar, and you were pretty sure you fell in love with him all over again for the second time. You'd never get tired of it, though. Not when it came to Nikolai (Nikolai, your husband-to-be!). Never when it came to Nikolai.

      You soon found yourself enveloped in a hug. He spun you around, both of you laughing (and crying). When he set you down, you could have sworn you saw his eyes welling up.

      "Now, my love, those better be happy tears," he tutted.

      "Of course they're happy tears, you stupid puppy dog!" you sniffed. "I love you."

      He beamed into your hair. "I love you, too, Y/n."

      What a feeling it was to be in love with Nikolai Lantsov, and to know that he was in love with you, too.

#uservignette #magpie's 1.2k #nikolai lantsov #grishaverse #grishaverse imagine #grishaverse fic #reader insert #nikolai lanstov x reader #nikolai lanstov imagines #reader #x y/n #x reader #event fic #fanfic #nikolai duology #fluff #grishaverse fanfiction #grishaverse fandom #vig's writing

[mul71v3r53-is]

Canon Ships in Mul71v3r53 (*˘︶˘*).｡.:*♡

Zephyrtop (TopxAster (Undertop GasterxZephyrtale Gaster) because screw you it's the husbands)

Gastby (GasterxGrillby)

Hints of Insomnia (??) (DreamxError, poly go brrrrr)

Afterdeath (GenoxReaper duh)

Crossmare/Fluffynight/Fluffycrossmare (NightmarexCrossxCcino, because how dare you make me choose)

(also eventually Epicross and MAYBE EpicxCcino because I saw some cute fanart of them and now I can't stop thinking about it)

Errink (ErrorxInk, this will happen eventually I promise it's their endgame ship)

Kreme/Driller (DreamxKiller)

HorrorLust/Bloodlust (HorrorxLavender/Lust)

These guys don't have a shipname yet either but Rosemerry/Lust PapxMocha/Fellswap Pap do be hitting different (also add polyamory because Papyton is canon in Underlust iirc????)

Cherryberry (RedxBlue, more of a BROTP rn)

Spicyhoney (EdgexStretch, pre-established before 404 even happens. If you wanna blame anyone for this one blame keelywolfe and their amazing series on AO3 (By any other name). For legal reasons, I'll say right now I'm not being sponsored-)

Rottenjoke (ClassicxRazz)

Basil/Classic PapxRosa (OC) (they're both aro though so it's more like two besties who are soulmates and maybe occasionally they do the adult stuff)

Sherbert (DustxCandy because they'd definitely be cute together don't lie)

Gchess (GxChess, we need to collectively think up a better name for this guys I'm fresh out of inspiration)

SwordsDance (KatanaxDance)

Outersci/Astrophysics/Astronomy (Sci/SciencexPolaris/Outer)

Ganzy (GanzxSensy. Also does anyone else think it's hilarious how Golzy literally cannot remember their Undertale phase despite Gztale and the Echo Animatic being HUGE in the fandom lmaooo)

Omnijam (PJxOmni, I think that's their ship name??)

Freshpaper/Paperfresh (PJxFresh because screw you it helped to ease me into this part of the fandom and I'm not ready to let go yet. Also I want Cray and Cil as well as Mono >:v)

PJxLux (no name yet but they cute uwu)

Pinkscale (GradientxPassion, latter is a Horrorlust kid I invented because my imagination is overactive)

Rot (BlotxRasp, true power couple)

Music Video (SketchxBB, I know I need to make a better name sHUSH-)

Rugit (DigitxRuby, I know this one sucks too, you don't need to tell me)

Poth (GothxPalette)

Raveprint (RavenxBlueprint)

I can't remember for the life of me who it is, but Xhaji's ship with one of the Ganzy kids?? (EDIT: IT'S SNAZZY YIPPEE!!!)

SorrellxIncubux (I don't know if anyone else ships this but considering I can't have Tenpatch here really but this?? Is a beautiful substitute??? I love them)

Sunset (ShinoxAriel, that was gonna be a staple since I made Ari because even if I was gonna have Tenpatch I'm not having Shino and Sorrell pine after him at the same time. Also Shino just gives off wlw energy ok, I don't make the rules)

Vapor (SwirlxDew, former is a Fluffynight kid, latter is a new Cherryberry kid. Both are a year younger than Digit)

I can't remember the ship name but SprinklexPassion all the way

Lucky Blossoms (ConnorxKit, GChess and SwordsDance kids respectively. Also known as the "Hanahaki Kids" in my head 🏃)

#zephyrtop #gastby #error x dream #afterdeath #crossmare #fluffynight #fluffycross #fluffycrossmare #epicross #epic x ccino #errink #kreme #horrorlust #rosemerry x mocha #cherryberry #spicyhoney #rottenjoke #papyrus x oc #dust x candy #gchess #swords dance #sci x outer #ganzy #omni x pj #fresh x pj #pj x lux #pinkscale #rot #bb x sketch #tumblr wont lemme add more tags >:(

[hopeintheashes]

45 + one of your choice. Buck + mmm Bobby? (whoever else you'd prefer!)

And my choice is: 17. holding the other’s chin up. :-)

- - -

Send me two characters + a number and I'll write a little something.

Filled prompts are here on tumblr or here on AO3. Feel free to prompt for an already-filled number with a different set of characters/a different fandom I write for. - - -

Read it here or on AO3.

He registers the hand on his shoulder before he realizes that Bobby's been saying his name. He knows he should probably say something back, but everything just feels so heavy. He'd trudged up the stairs and dropped onto the couch after their last call without helping to put anything away. He feels bad about that. Or would, if he had any energy to spare.

"Buck." Bobby again, insistent and deeply concerned. "C'mon, buddy, talk to me. Did you hit your head?" He gets his eyes open for a second but can't keep them there, eyebrows screwing up with the effort. When he swallows, it's hot and tight and awful. Bobby lifts Buck's chin to get a better look at him, thumb moving gently against his jaw. An inhale of realization. An exhale of resignation. "Okay," he says, so quiet Buck almost doesn't hear him. He's sitting on the coffee table, knees on either side of Buck's, leaning in to reach him. "C'mere," he says, with the smallest bit of pressure under Buck's chin, his other hand already raised, beckoning and then, when Buck leans forward, taking his weight, his palm cool and solid and sure against his aching forehead. He shivers, and Bobby moves both of his hands to cup his jawline, fingers gently probing the swollen glands just underneath, carefully never letting go, never letting him fall. "Well, I think we found our answer," Bobby says. "Okay, kid, lie down." Eddie and Hen appear behind Bobby as Buck's slowly lowering himself onto the couch cushions with Bobby's help. Chim's not far behind. "What's going on?" Eddie. Worried. Buck sinks down into the couch cushions. Lying down is so much better, but he's never going to be able to stay awake. "Fever," Bobby says, pressing the backs of his fingers to Buck's forehead to confirm what he already knows. "We should check how high," he says in a way that's also an order, and Buck hears Chim say, "On it, Cap," and that's it, he can't keep his eyes open any more. There's a thermometer under his tongue, and Hen draping a blanket over him and rubbing his shoulder reassuringly. Eddie's sitting at the far end of the couch, unlacing Buck's boots and slipping them off. He keeps his thumb moving on Buck's ankle under the blanket, Buck's feet pressed up against his leg. A beep, and some disapproving sounds at the number on the screen, and a discussion he can't follow about how to get him home. He swallows and his throat flares, and he can't stop the distressed sort of sob at the fever and the pain. Eddie squeezes his ankle, and Bobby says something to Hen, and then a minute later Bobby's smoothing a cool, wet washcloth over his forehead, over his eyes. "We've got you," Bobby says, quiet and just for him. Buck snakes one of his hands out from under the blanket, and Bobby takes it and holds on. "We've got you," Bobby repeats, his other hand brushing back Buck's hair, and Buck nods, just a little bit, and gives in to sleep.

#9-1-1 #hurt/comfort #buck #bobby #firefam #touch prompts #by:hopeintheashes

[rotzaprachim]

the closest to heaven that i'll ever be (Kanej Guardian Angel AU)

From @elorcaning‘s prompt of Kaz just being an idiotic human getting in trouble all the time and inej is his guardian angel just trying to keep him from dying while doing stupid shit, which I thought was a BRILLIANT idea and kinda ran with. At 1 AM while on jetlag so I Apologise. 

Props to @kettvrdams for not killing me when i sent an incomprehensible WIP for her to beta. All accidentally unfinished sentences and spelling errors are entirely My Own Fault 

On AO3 - 1816 words, Teen

In her illustrious career as a guardian angel, Inej has learned several things. The first is to believe in the fundamental good of all people- well, almost all people. Almost. But really, she likes to think the best.

The second thing is that no matter how hard she tries- and damn, she really tries hard- humans will still find ways to screw their own lives over, and even if her role is supposed to be more hypothetical or spiritual than anything, she always finds herself getting involved in more practical ways.

But still she thinks, as the poor Dutch farm kid tries to eat fertiliser from the container for the third time, only to be shooed away by his older brother, that this is going to be a challenge.

--o0o--

“Organised crime? Really?” sneers a figure in the corner of the precinct station with their dark hood pulled down low. Kaz glances around. There isn’t anyone else around aside from the beat cop who’s just let him out of the holding shell with a glare and a kick to his good shin.

The figure pulls their hood down. It’s a girl about his own age. Looks like a university student, with a purple jacket and a rain slicker.

She holds out a plastic Albert Hejn bag. Ah. So this is what it’s about. Per Haskell, Pekka Rollins, whoever the fuck it is this time, want him to move something. Cash, drugs, fucking tulip bulbs for all he knows. He doesn’t really care, as long as he’s alive on the other side of it.

But it isn’t really heavy enough to be either of those things.

“You haven’t eaten anything in over twenty four hours.”

He doesn’t know how she could possibly know that, but when he looks inside, what he finds is a cheese sandwich and a bottle of orange juice. Sealed, so it would have been goddamn hard to hide a USB or whatever it is Pekka wants out of the country inside.

“Who sent you? Pekka? Ferry Bouman? Sonny Castillo?”

“Are those the only things your mind goes to?” Now the girl just sounds annoyed.

“I’m not in the habit of beautiful girls meeting me in police precincts without having some other angle they’re working. So what is it? Who do you work for?”

Beautiful girl. He didn’t mean to say that. He’s a lot of things, but a flirt isn’t one of them. Yet even in the yellowy light of the precinct, he can tell that's what she is, with her heart-shaped face and the fan of her oil-dark hair.

“Eat your damn sandwich” she says, and is gone before he can say anything else.

--o0o--

“Don’t get too involved,” says Zoya.

“The job description is guardian angel, ergo, I guard.”

--o0o--

Organised crime. Really. Perhaps not in the highest echelons, and it’s fucking Amerstedam, but still, organised crime.

Sometimes she really doesn’t think he’s organised enough to get mixed up in organised crime.

--o0o--

“Genuine Givenchy. Also got Rolex watches, Hugo Boss shirts-” he offers the middle-class housewives out on a girl’s trip to Amsterdam. The back of the florist’s he’s operating out of is packed with genuinely decent-looking fakes. It’s also on Sonny Castillo’s territory.

“Best space brownies in Amsterdam,” he promises a group of tipsy Erasmus students from Manchester with a smile that’s the image of sincerity. The coffee shop is on Ferry Bouman’s territory.

“Now this is a real Vermeer,” he tells the new-money-oil-don looking for a bit of old-school, Cultured, flash for his new penthouses in Dubai and London. The art gallery is on Pekka Rollins’ territory.

--o0o--

“He’s going to get himself killed,” Inej tells her boss.

--o0o--

“You think I can’t smell a rat, Brekker? You don’t fucking think I can’t tell when some bastard ratfuck tries to fuck me over?”

There have been many points during which Kaz thought his ass to be well and truly cooked. Almost drowning in the harbour in Rotterdam when he was twelve was certainly one of them, but it was also far from the last.

But now he’s got a gun to his temple and there’s no more talking he can do, not one more trick more trick up his sleeve or one more secret he can leverage into five more minutes, ten more minutes, another day to make things right.

There’s just him and a dark alley at the edge of the city and the freezing rain, pelting down and soaking him to the bone. And the angry hands slamming his face into the alley wall, over and over again, until blood runs down his face and chest and the rainwater tastes salty.

“Please. A week. No, a day, I’ll make it up-”

“Like last time you promise me, huh? Promise me twenty thousand? And then I find out you shelling out ten thousand Euros to Ferry Bouman to keep selling on Pekka Rollin’s turf. He ain’t gonna forget this, boy-”

“Ten thousand. I can get you ten thousand, you know I can-”

He sees the flash of a gun being raised, can almost feel the air change as the man pulls back the trigger, and then-

Like a flash of lightning, the moment after the fireworks go off. Light everywhere, the snap of sound of thunder, condensed, and then-

In the moment after the light, Kaz can’t see a thing. And then he can: the three grunts Pekka sent after him, lying in an alley, and the remains of several guns, incinerated to crisps. And the flash of something, a person maybe, going around the corner.

“THE FUCK ARE YOU?” He screams into the pouring rain, but no response comes back.

--o0o--

Sometimes, Inej wants to scream at him so loud he can hear it.

“And what were you expecting, exactly? Why can’t you just. . . .” she thinks of the words she hears people using, these days, “stay in your darn lane? You waste your mathematics scores dealing. You waste your German scores on conning tourists. You just . .. you waste your life.”

He’s had the pinched face of a businessman, and an older man, since his parents died. Since his brother died, and he spent his youth pinballing between foster homes and getting increasingly involved in things that the Korps Nationale Politie tend to take a rather dim view of. In all that time, though, she’s rarely seen fear on his face like this. She almost wants to reach out, across the train, tuck the edges of his carefully slicked-back hair back behind his ear, but she doesn’t.

“Why couldn’t you have just . . . stuck to selling overpriced marijuana to tourists or designer knockoffs from behind a tulip stand? Forging Vermeers? Stealing actual Vermeers?”

--o0o--

It’s only when he gets off at Utrecht Centraal that he notices an unfamiliar weight to his jacket pocket.

A neatly folded wad of cash. He flips through it gingerly. Twelve thousand euros.

--o0o--

“You can’t save his ass every time. Otherwise, he’ll never learn, and he’ll go beyond the point where you can save him.”

“But if I don’t save his ass now, he’ll die before he can learn.”

“Ah. That’s the eternal conundrum, isn’t it? Of the teacher and of the guardian angel.”

--o0o--

It’s not a particularly big country, but every time the train ride seems to last all day, and stretch into the night. Inej, at least, doesn’t need to buy a ticket. He buys flowers at Amsterdam Centraal. Changes trains at Maastricht and then again to a rural line, until he gets off at a station that’s nothing more than a strip of concrete alongside the track in a rain-soaked wheat field. There’s no taxis, no buses, only a long road through the countryside and the remainders of a life he’s tried to forget about at the end of it. He unfolds his walking cane and gets a move on.

On a hill, on a farm where the apple orchards have gone to seed and the roof of the house fallen in:

Annemarie and Jawad Rietveld. And a scratched out stone for Jordaan Rietveld.

He leaves the flowers, not particularly giving a fuck about the fact that he could be shot, right here and now, by Pekka Rollins, because this is Pekka Rollins’ land, even if it was Jawad Rietveld’s land first, and then Albert Rietveld’s land before that, even if, on a day so far removed from Kaz’s present life that it feels like someone else’s life entirely, Kaz thought that it would be Jordaan Rietveld’s land in the future.

He feels, in a way, her presence before he can see her.

“I know you’re there.”

She sighs and makes herself visible.

“It’s you. The girl on the train.”

“I don’t think so-” she says, taking on a heavy Flemish accent just in case he remembers her from the police precinct in Groningen. “I’m from Ant-”

“You. Your face.” I could never forget you face, he thinks. The police precinct, and then the train to Utrecht Centraal. A rare sunny day in this pit of gloom and rain, and the way that the sunlight hit her lashes, the curve of her cheeks, the splash of her dark hair, made him think that it was impossible there wasn’t something divine and benevolent in this life, and this world. “Police precinct up North. Gronigen. Train. Amsterdam. Everywhere i go you’re always-” He thinks about pulling the shiv from his pocket. Anyone so interested in following him certainly has ulterior motives, and yet-

“What are you? Why are you always- there?”

“I don’t think, Mr. Brekker, that your . . . theological opinions would permit you to believe me when I tell you what, exactly, I am.”

He shrugs. “Grandson of lapsed NHK’ers and Javanese Sunnis. No god helped them a whit. I don’t think God, if they ever existed, ever looked at this drowning spit of dirt.”

“I think there are many who wouldn’t disagree with you. Some of them, like myself, being of a divine persuasion.”

“Why are you here?”

She doesn’t answer, just turns towards the graves. A light rain has started to fall.

“Do you think you’re following the path they’d be proud of?”

--o0o--

“You know I count as a fucking mature student? Mature.”

Even she has to laugh.

“I’m fucking twenty three. Twenty three. I got carded trying to buy a beer yesterday.”

“But now a student.”

He flashes his new, shiny plastic student card at her. The photo on it still looks like a mugshot.

“What are you studying?”

“Politics. International Relations. How different can the European Council be from the mob, really? Common Agricultural Policy, pay off Europol, work some backroom deals to get shit done.”

Inej resists the urge to burrow her forehead in her jacket sleeves. There are, it turns out, many, many ways for a human to get themselves killed, on this world.

#my writings #kanej #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #six of crows #six of crows fic #guardian angel au #modern au