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snow-in-the-desert · 3 years

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Dramione Recommendations

Ok so, 2020 has been A LOT but on a personal note one of the most surprising things to happen was me discovering Dramione fanfiction and becoming unashamedly obsessed with it. I really didn’t see that coming but I’m here now and I’m here to stay.

I think I started reading in the Dramione fandom around mid July last year?? (In all honesty I’ve lost any true sense of time’s progression at this point so I could be well off the mark with that) And I’ve decided to compile a list of all my favourite fics I’ve read so far. Why? I really just want to gush over all the amazing writers I have found through this fandom because y’all deserve it.

Side note: If any of the authors actually sees this post just dm so I can buy you coffee or post you writing supplies or something idk I feel like that’s the least I can do for all your amazing work x

Remain Nameless by @heyjude19-writing

Ok I have to start with RN because this fic is pretty much the sole reason I decided to create an account with A03 or a tumblr or just decided to get involved with this fandom at all.

I headcannon this story hard. But I think even if you aren’t a fan of Dramione you should just read this because it is so unbelievably good and well written and poignant and Draco’s sarcastic personality in this is truly a thing of beauty in this - I relate to his inner monologue’s on a deep personal level.

I could rave about this story any time, any day of the week, just ask me. In fact, maybe I’ll just start a HeyJude19 fan club to fulfill that urge.

There are so many elements that I love but for the sake of brevity, RN is a beautifully told story of Draco and Hermione finding love and healing in a post-war HP setting. Heyjude19 had the very special ability of making me want to simulatenously laugh, cry and swoon with the power of her words. Just stop what you are doing and go read it now if you havent already, ok?

I also really enjoyed reading Bells on a Hill, Beers, Potions and Unwise Notions and A Shift in Focus, if you are looking for smaller fics, definitely give these a go. They are all funny and heartfelt stoires that will make your tippy toes wriggle with glee.

The Rights and Wrongs Series by @lovesbitca8

The Right Thing To Do, All The Wrong Things and The Auction are the holy trinity of Dramione writing. I have christened it thus, so mote it be. And frankly I’m not interested in any other opinion than that one, thank you very much!

After reading this series I don’t think I’ll be able to look back on the orginal HP books without thinking of Hermione’s and Draco’s memories of their time at Hogwarts in these fics as anything other than strictly cannon.

So many things to love about this series but I think one of the major highlights was Hermione and Draco’s use of occlumency. LoveBitca8 created such beautiful visuals with how occlumency works as a magical practice and seeing Draco and Hermione so devoted to eachother to the point of safeguarding their inner most feelings to protect eachother was unbelievably romantic and poetic.

Also the smut is divine ;)

Manacled by @senlinyu

My heart will never be the same after reading this story. Like I actually can’t think about this fic without getting a lump at the back of my throat. I have never felt so emotionally ruined after reading anything, compared to the likes of this fic. Just please, please read it. To badly quote HP, reading Manacled will make you suffer but you’re going to be happy about it.

The flashbacks are a rollercoaster in of themselves but the way Hermione inadvertently refers to them when she is still in a state of memory loss was so heartbreaking to read. My heart still aches for them both. Also its a truly satisfying to see Draco and Hermione written in a way were they are both so fiercly protective of one another. They make my insides go soft.

I also really enjoyed Snow Fall, Now Is A Gift and All You Want by the author but to be honest anything written by Senlinyu is always thoroughly enjoyable and worth a look.

The Erised Effect by @adaprix

Ada is QUEEN of dramione smut but ‘The Erised Effect’ is top tier. Its equal parts funny, romantic, sentimental and oh so sexy. Ada really knows how to build and build on sexual tension and doesn’t disappoint on the final delivery. I’m a big admirer of her writing style and just veraciously read whatever she posts but ‘The Erised Effect’ is just golden. A must read. (Also Pansy’s sexual fantasy in this story is a visual I don’t think I’ll ever be able to remove from my brain so thanks for that Ada)

Also quick side note: Adaprix’ stories were the first I read when I was looking into this fandom and it was enough to get me hooked on the pairing from the get go so I have that to thank Ada for too. I remember devouring all the stories she had posted to A03 and when I was done I was like... now what am I supposed to do with my life?? And that’s basically when I began to look deeper into the fandom and thus the course of my life in 2020 changed for the better.

Some other stories I love by her are Break for Me, All My Sins, The Big 4-0, The Fucklust Series and The Flat in Bath.

Clean by @olivieblake

This 6th Year AU where Draco and Hermione work together on a class assignment and end up falling in love had me feeling all kinds of ways when I read it. I almost don’t know where to start but I think one of the stand out things for me was how immersed I felt in reading it.

Hogwarts is captured really well, you get a good sense of class atmospheres, character nuances and behind the scenes of events that happen in HBP but from a Draco and Hermione’s perspectives. It’s well executed and intricate tapestry of a fic. With an excellent plot twist ending!

Also Hermione and Draco’s relationship in this is equal parts fluffy and smutty and it just ticks all the right boxes that you want to see for those characters ;)

Breath Mints / Battle Scars by @onyx-and-elm

The angst in this one is just *chef’s kiss*

God I love this fic. The way Draco is portrayed is very true to his defensive and tetchy character in the original books but he is also given so much more depth. The way his diary entries are written are just so well executed. It’s a true testament to the author’s creative writing skill. And I LOVE how even though Draco is clearly in such a messed up place, he still has a basic level of self respect and dignity that he won’t tolerate being used or undervalued in his relationship with Hermione.

Yep, I really love Draco’s characterisation in this one if you can’t tell. But Hermione is also well written too. Her stuggles and trauma of returning to Hogwarts after war is described in a believable and grounded way. And my heart definitely ached for them both. I just wanted to wrap the pair of them in a big fuzzy blanket and tell them that everything will be alright.

WANDS OUT! by @persephonestone

This murder mystery / Dramione / Theo x Harry / AU crossover is everything I didn’t know I wanted until I read it. I felt like I was picked up and plonked right into an alternative dimension where all the characters of HP are just living it up in an Agatha Christie novel.

It’s a funny and clever story that I found refreshing to read amongst all the other fanfics that are usually cemented in the HP timeline or universe. Theodore Nott in this fic is perfection he should be written like this in every fic from now on in my opinion. I couldn’t stop giggling any time he had a scene in the story.

And the ‘only one bed’ trope in this fic is 10/10. I don’t want to give spoilers but ohmygod. It hits all the right notes.

The One With Technical Difficulties by cassielassie

Cassielassie has an excellent three part series of Dramone called ‘The One with...” but I have to give special credit to this story in particular for one main reason. ELEVATOR TROPES. I can’t get enough of em. I think I have my early childhood viewings of NCIS to thank for my obsession with elevator tropes they just do something to me that simply cannot be explained with mere words. The palpable sexual tension of being in a broken down elevator with an ‘enemies to lovers’ pairing, a heated arguement breaks out followed by a discovery of mutual feelings and a romantic embrace...

Eugh. It gets me everytime. And this fic is no exception. I loved it for all the reasons I’ve already stated above but also for the attention to detail in Draco and Hermione’s careers makes this one particularly immersive. The dynamics between them established in this one-shot are convincingly portrayed and the chemistry between them is so undeniably hot.

The Light is No Mystery by @masterofinfinities

Yooo if you want to read a dramione fic that is a deep dive into Pureblood culture and Post-War recovery but is also a perfect allegory for discrimination and today’s political landscape of moral grandstanding for votes then look no further than this one.

This story has a bit of everything. Intrigue, mystery, ptsd and recovery, enemies to lovers / secret relationship, government conspiracy and humour, to name a few. I eargerly await every update to this story and am anxious to know how it ends!

The Eagle’s Nest by HeartOfAspen

Finally! A fic that gives me the Ravenclaw representation I crave. I think I could recommend this fic on the lore depicted of Ravenclaw house alone. ‘The Stacks’ and Rowena Ravenclaw’s own ‘come and go room’ are just such cool details that I could see being real in the HP universe.

This fic is so cosy and makes me feel like I’m just popping back into Hogwarts for another year. You get to see all the usuals like prof. Mcgongall, Nearly headless Nick, PEEVES, Hagrid, as well as learn more about minor characters from the other school houses. The story follows Hermione going to her day to day classes and there are interesting concepts about magic and alchemy that are explored.

Draco and Hermione’s relationship in this one is of course very fluffy and heartfelt. But it’s the attention to detail that really makes this fic outstanding and the experience of reading it feels fleshed out and true to HP universe.

A shorter fic by HeartofAspen that I recommend is one called Set in Stone, it has an adventurous, Indianna Jones vibe to it, that I am so down for.

Teachable Moments by @purplesugarquills

In this fic Hermione is an innocent little virgin determined to learn everything about sex. And Draco Malfoy is her tutor. If that isn’t enough to get you on board then I don’t know what is. Both Heartfelt and Steamy. PurpleSugarQuills writes smut so well but it’s the progression of their growing attachment and the nervous treading of new uncharted waters of romantic relationships for both of them that just adds a whole other level of feels to the story. Also chapter 9 is like reading poetry - its so good. Eugh just give it a read if you haven’t already.

Les Pèlerins by @pacific-rimbaud

This story is high art. It’s transcendent. Reading this story feels like the emotional equivalent of standing around a hundred glowing fairy lights, sipping hot cocoa and being wrapped in the loving embrace of a s/o. I can’t speak my praises highly enough or even become passably coherent in my words when I try to articulate a review.

From the very first paragraph I felt like I was just whisked away on a Parisian holiday and I’ve never even bloody been to Paris but damn it if this story didn’t make me feel like I was there. The writing style is just so tactile and intense it’s like I could feel the cold winter air brush against me as I read it. Eugh I just completely fell in love with the story and the writer.

New Year’s resolution. Read everything PacificRimbaud has ever posted online.

#This post is the online equivalent of me thrusting a pile of books into your hands and poking at you until you every single one #A behaviour I may or may not already be prone to #dramione #fanfiction #fanfic recommendations #I think I may have missed a few but I think I'll try to make a habit of gushing over new writers as I find them #Doing this just satisfies a deep inner urge in me to just compliment the everloving shit out of writers #who made my life a little more bearable with their words

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jordanstrophe · 3 years

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Going Once, Going Twice: part 7

Fevers and Dreams 2/2

CW: Pet whump, ill whumpee, forced to take medicine, panicking, mention of the death of a relative.

Masterlist

Robert sat at Peter’s bedside, clutching an object in his hand just out of sight.

“So I uh... I made you something. I haven’t done wood carving in a long time, but I hope you like it.” He pulled out a small, adorable carved owl. It’s big eyes glistened with gloss and each feather delicately detailed. Robert took his hand and set it in his palm, as he was frozen in shock.

“It’s... It’s for me?’‘ He asked, not quite believing it, looking up at him with doe eyes. “Yes, just for you. You can leave it at the desk, so when you wake it and see it, you’ll remember where you are. You’re somewhere safe.” He smiled.

Peter ran his fingers through all the detail, admiring every splinter in the wood.

“T-Thank you master.” He whispered, holding it close. He had never owned anything before. Nothing like this at least, it was really pretty and well made.

Robert just accepted he was “Master” now. It was understandable he might be uncomfortable using his name, but he hoped one day he would be comfortable enou- Oh... That’s right. He wasn’t going to be here much longer, was he? What was he doing?! He was getting attached. The closer he got the harder the heartbreak would be when he had to tell him he was going to go away with another stranger and have to get used to them all over again.

“Oh dear...” He muttered, noticing he was shivering and sweating a bit more than before. He rested his hand on his forehead, he was burning up again. “I’m taking you in tomorrow, try and get some more rest.” He whispered, pulling the blankets up.

Wait, he was being taken where?

“Now remember.” He said, taking his cheeks in both hands. You’re safe, okay?” He reminded, setting the owl on the desk.

“Okay” Peter mumbled back.

“That’s right.” He smiled, grazing his forehead one last time with his knuckles. He shut off the lamp and closed the door, collapsing back in his recliner and bundling up in the thin blanket.

“Master!?” Peter called. Robert shot back to his feet and bolted back into the room, trying not to slam the door open off its hinges. “What’s wrong?! Are you okay?!” He hollered. Peter was holding the owl in his arms shivering, leaning up in the bed, tears staining his face.

“Please, please stay here! I don’t want to fall asleep again, he’ll come back!” He cried out. Robert dropped to a knee on the bed, pulling him into a hug. “Who will come back?” He asked. “T-the... The Baron.” He muttered. “Oh little one...” He sighed, holding him tightly. “No one is going to take you. Especially not the Baron.” He whispered to him. He felt like he was spitting lies, but the Baron part was truthful at least. But tonight, he was willing to say anything to get him to sleep.

He shuffled his weight behind Peter, leaning back in bed. Peter rested his fists on each of his shoulders, laying his head down on his chest. He could feel his heart beating hard. “Are you.. Okay?” He asked. “Don’t worry about me, I’m okay. Just sleep.”

He felt safe knowing Master was there. He closed his eyes, drifting to sleep.

-------

When we awoke, he was only leaning against pillows that were propped up. He gasped and jolted up, but was shocked with relief to see Master was next to him with a cup in hand. “Hey! There you are. Good morning! Did you sleep okay?” Robert asked. “I- Y-yes, I did. G-morning.” He mumbled, his vision was still blurry, as he tried to get a grip on reality.

“I know you just woke up, but do you think you can eat and drink a little?” He asked. He only blinked and squinted at him, tilting his head to the side.

He shook his head no, his throat hurt and nose was stuffed up, any food he could imagine just made him cringe. But he did his best to choke some water down, Robert wrapped the coat around his shoulders and lifted him in his arms.

“M-master, where are we going?” His voice panicked. He groaned as he tilted his head against Master’s chest as the world spun around him. “To see a friend who can help.” He smiled, setting him in the car and buckled him in.

He fell asleep on the ride to who knows where. He awakened to the sensation of being lifted again, only it was cold, really cold, as he blinked awake.

There was the auction building before him.

He yelled out and cried, desperately trying to kick his way out of the man’s arms.

“No no no! It’s okay!” Robert called, having to crouch down on the pavement to try and steady the panicking man in his arms.

“W-What did I do?!” He cried, begging for mercy, begging for another chance, begging for what felt like his life.

“Peter! Listen to me. It’s okay. You’re not being sold. My friend I told you about works here, and we’re going to see her while she’s on break, she’s a busy woman.” He explained. His kicking and thrashing died down, and he clung to Robert’s coat.

“Don’s.. Don’t leave me.. Please.” He begged.

“I'm going to be right there, I promise." He soothed, holding him tight against his chest, hoping that would be a sign of his words.

Don’t stress him out anymore, she says... Bring him to the worst place on the planet, she says... He wanted to just bring him to an actual doctors office, but he only heard terrible things about those Pet hospitals. But at least here he had someone he could trust.

He sat in a chair in the waiting room, and not five minutes later, Winola practically skipped into the room. Not bad for an old lady.

“Peter!” She called, arms extended out, as she sped walked over. He jolted and dug his face into Robert’s shoulder, trying to slink his way under Robert’s coat to be hidden away.

“Hey! You never sound that excited when you see me!” Robert laughed.

“Oh hey Rob.” She mumbled.

“How is that doll! Is he being good? Is Robby doing a good job taking care of you? Hmmm?” She asked. If he was actually facing her, she would probably pinch his cheeks. But there he remained, practically cowering into Robert’s shoulder.

“Fair enough. Come on now, no more chit chat. bring him into that side room there please.” She pointed with a long golden nail. Robert carried him into a dreary looking room, with a chair in the center with straps and restraints hanging off it. Peter whimpered, as Robert shook his head with disgust at the chair. He just sat in a chair on the side and held him in his lap. Peter was practically glued to his shoulder at this point, not once budged from his place.

Winola walked in, a long medical bag in hand. She awkwardly looked around the room before finally spotting him in the corner. “Come on now, don’t be shy, you can sit him in there.” She motioned at the chair. ‘I’m not putting him in that. If that’s all you got I’d rather hold him.” He said. “Tsk, what a pushover.” She smirked.

“I am not a pushover! I don’t like forcing him to do things he doesn’t want to do.” He argued back.

She grunted, struggling to pull over another chair in the back. “Would you mind helping an old woman out?!” She barked. “Yeah! Sorry..” He muttered, putting Peter down in the stool and helping her pull the old chair out. It was much nicer, like a white comfortable medical table. “Up up sweetheart.” She called, waving him over. Peter glanced at Robert for confirmation before slowly crawling up.

Without warning, she shoved a thermometer in his mouth, it tried to move his head to the side, but it was far too late. “How much medicine have you given him so far?” She asked. “Nothing yet.’’ He admitted. “What? Come on Rob, When they’re sick like this, you have to put your foot down.” She said, pulling a bunch of bottles from her bag.

She took the thermometer from his lips and shook her head. “Alright dear, open up.” She instructed, pouring medicine in a spoon and holding it to his lips. As soon as he opened to protest, she immediately shoved it in. He jolted and panicked, as she took his chin and tilted his head up, forcing him to swallow. He coughed when she pulled and spoon out, and poured another dose. “If you can’t convince em, trick em” She giggled.

“Winola, that’s just cruel!” He scolded.

‘'Shh, now watch.” She instructed, holding it back to his lips. He stared up at her with glossy eyes, before slowly and reluctantly opening his mouth.

“Seeee? He’s being a good boy now.” She smiled, as he looked at her grumpily.

As she packed up the extra medicine in a bag for him, she glanced back at Robert. “So how’s the cousins?” She smirked. Robert closed his eyes and let out a sigh. “Painful as ever. They refuse to talk to me, and I need Nina’s signature eventually.” He groaned.

“Well that sucks for you.” She grumbled. “Hey, I thought you were supposed to be the nice grandma figure around here, where’s my comfort advice and cookie?” He mocked.

“I ate them all, and I only pass out tough love here. The world is cruel, so the advice should at least be honest.” She smiled. Peter tried to slide off the chair to climb back into Robert’s lap, but she took his arm and centered him again. Robert noticed his discomfort, and went over to take his hand.

“I get why she’s upset, she has a right to be, If I’m being honest. She’s the oldest and figured she would get all of Aunt May’s inheritance. She screamed when she finally read the will after her passing.” Robert shuttered.

“Nah, she was a terrible kid to that woman. I met them both on multiple occasions. Ungrateful brat.” She spat. “Miss May talked a lot about you, did you know that? The only thing she ever got for her birthday from any family was the hand drawn cards and sculptures you sent her. She collected them all over the years, said it always warmed her heart that someone at least thought about her.” She muttered, shining a light in Peter’s eyes, who glared at her.

‘Huh... I didn’t know that. Nina probably found it and burned it all, I assume.” They both laughed.

“Now! You were.. Such a good boy!” She exaggerated, patting Peter’s cheek roughly. She handed him a small lollipop and gave him a pet in the hair. “I need to talk to Mister McAllen privately for a second, is that okay?” She asked. He whimpered as his head shot towards Robert. “It’s okay, i’ll be right over there.” He motioned with a smile.

Winola took Robert’s arm in hers and had him walk her outside. “So, how is he really? Been behaving?” She asked. “Ugh... The kid is scared to death. I feel terrible, but I’m doing everything I can.”

“Pff, nah, you should have seen him at the auction, couldn’t take him anywhere.” She shrugged.

“Yeah, he bit me.”- -“HE WHAT?!” She laughed.

“So uh, how goes the search?” He asked. “Search for what?” She raised an eyebrow.

“The... The search for the new owner?” He asked. “Oh! Yeah. That. It’s totally going. These things take time though.” She smiled, patting his arm. “Yeah, I figured, do you know how long it may take?’’ He asked.

“Desperate to get rid of him that badly, eh?” She gave a sad sighed. “No! No, that’s not it at all! I’m just curious. He’s a sweet kid. Part of me... Well-”

“-Bonded with him? Hmmm?” She nudged.

“Uuuugggghhhh...” He let off a long pained groan.

“I knew it!” She laughed. “Why not keep him then? You obviously like him. You treat him like a son.” She laughed.

He froze. Why not keep him? Well, because... Wait, why would he get rid of him again? Sure, the house was small, but that was fixable... And he would get better as time went on. He was a really sweet kid.

“I.. I don’t know. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all...” He muttered.

“Well thank goodness, because I have not been looking for new owners at all.”

“WHAT? Winola! What if I actually didn’t keep him!” He argued.

“But you did. Heh!” She smiled, clapping her hands together. “I knew it! I knew it. You were going to bond with him, realize it wouldn’t be so bad, learn to enjoy taking care of him, and Voilà, problem solved.”

‘’Winola I can’t believe you’ve done this.” He dragged a hand down his face.

‘’I can. Come on Rob, people like you hardly exist in the world anymore. Everyone treats Pet’s like nothing. That’s why I’m so good at my job, I still recognize Pet’s have emotions and feelings like the rest.” She shrugged. He stared at the wall, face blank. ‘Rob? What are you thinking? Sunken in yet?’‘ She asked, poking his arm.

“I’m going to need a bigger house! He needs his own room! His own things! I have to move, don’t I? I need to make sure it has some kind of activity room, so he can experiment and try out new things, and oh!-”

Robert rattles on with both panic and excitement in his voice. These things have clearly been on his mind for a while, and finally get to spill out with the big new decision.

He goes on and on acting like a brand new dad as Winola only shakes her head.

Tag list: @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi @moose-teeth @ill-eat-you-if-you-cross-me @yet-another-heathen @sillypizzazineoperator @freefallingup13 @alien-octopus @unicornscotty @whumpzone @penny-for-your-whump @girlwithnoballons242 @whumpingredroses

o(^∀^*)o *:･ﾟ✧ Thank you for reading! <3

#whump #auction whump #caretaker #caretaking #hurt comfort #medicine whump #forced to take medicine #sick whumpee #i just now realized #I can technically end the series here if I wanted #But NAH #more Katastrophe #must strike first >:c #and fluff #whump fluff #rescued whumpee #whumpee

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edendaphne · 4 years

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“Discordant Sonata” Chapter 16

New chapter of "Discordant Sonata"! (Feat. adorable art by @corgi-likes-chat!) Here’s a cropped preview:

>>Read it here on Ao3<< >>Read it here on Wattpad<<

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CHAPTER 16: LEGATO

Legato: “tied together”; indicates that musical notes are to be connected, so they are played (or sung) smoothly

(Mood Music: Mamma Mia (Swing version) - Opa Tsupa)

[One month later]

“Alright, I’m gonna take the side door and rush upstairs to steal the elven artifact. You got these guys?”

Chat rubbed his hands together, then picked up his controller, adjusting his grip. “Oh baby, I'm itching to try out this new greatsword.”

Marinette nudged him with her elbow. “Don’t aggro too many mobs. Space ‘em out.”

“Did you forget I can stun?" he poked her back.

"No, but you often do,” she quipped. “One sec, buff refresh."

"Ouch, my masculinity! Too bad your regen got nerfed with the last patch.”

"I’ll manage; I bought some extra potions.” She shrugged. “Remember not to blow your rage too early this time. We don't want to pull out prematurely!"

Chat gave her an incredulous look, as if she’d grown a second head.

Marinette winked at him. "I've just seen how you handle that greatsword of yours."

Chat howled with laughter. “Double dagger spec? More like double entendre spec!” He squeezed her shoulder. "You've come so far.”

“Oh, I’ve still got a few tricks up my sleeve,” she replied.

He sniffled and dramatically wiped away a fake tear. “I'm so proud of you."

Marinette giggled and settled herself into a comfortable position, crossing her legs on the floor. Her fingers gripped her controller tightly in anticipation. “Alright, Minou. It’s go time.”

---

Several tense minutes of yelling and frantic button-mashing later, Chat wailed in agony as he plopped backwards, “NOOOO!!! We were so close!!”

Marinette turned around, frowning. “Dude! Why’d you have to go off on your own into that side corridor?! You should’ve known it would be full of stealth enemies!”

Chat’s arms flapped around as he sputtered incredulously. “Y’know what?? We shouldn’t even be here! You’re the one who wanted to two-man a four-person dungeon!”

“We would’ve succeeded if only you’d stuck to the plan, Mr. Curious Cat!”

Chat paused to shoot her a petulant glare. “Well, I guess that means you won’t be needing this epic leather armor you’ve totally been looking for all week, that I just happened to loot from said forbidden corridor! I bet it’ll fetch a high price at the auction house!”

Marinette let out an offended gasp. “You wouldn’t dare!”

“Wouldn’t I?”

“Give it!!” she yelped as she reached across for his controller.

“Nuh-uh! Nope, too late! You should’ve been nicer to me when you had the chance!” He clambered away, but she chased after him.

“Get back here!” she cried, catching him by the waist.

Chat continued to taunt her, holding the controller up high. “Gee, I wonder what kind of trinket I could buy with all the gold I get for this,” he remarked, tapping his finger against his chin.

Marinette grabbed one of the throw pillows from the chaise and thwacked it against him.

“I’m gonna tell Ladybug about your evil deeds!” she threatened.

Chat grabbed another pillow with his free arm and swatted her back with a laugh. “She won’t believe you! I’m her beloved partner, after all!”

“Wanna bet?”

Before he could reply, Marinette tackled him to the ground, grabbing at his belt to hold him in place. She reached for the controller, but his arm was still too long. She adjusted her grip at his side to reposition herself.

Chat squirmed at her touch and yelped, “ACK!! That tickles!”

Marinette’s eyes widened and she looked up at him, a devilish smirk slowly slithering across her face. She crawled on top of him, securing her legs on either side of his hips. And with that, her fingers went to work, mercilessly tickling his ribs and obliques.

Chat screeched and wiggled, desperately trying to scoot away from but failing every time.

“Surrender!” she commanded, continuing her onslaught.

He answered rebelliously between cackles, “Never! But I may scream.”

He thrashed and tried to squirm away, but she had him right where she wanted him. Chat laughed so hard that his eyes began to water, and he begged for mercy in between belly laughs.

Finally sensing her opening, Marinette got ahold of the controller, yanking it away from his lowered arm.

“AHA!” she cried, lifting her arm triumphantly.

Chat’s eyes grew wide and his mouth twisted into an indignant pout, then he used his enhanced strength to lift his hips off the ground, reversing their position so she was the one being pinned.

Marinette gasped in horror and outrage. “CHEATER!! You’re using your super strength!”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, I’m always this strong,” he quipped back, flexing his arm dramatically. He adjusted his position on top and tried plucking the controller away from her.

Despite being a bit disoriented now that she was on the bottom, Marinette maintained a death grip on the controller.

Chat grabbed her wrists and pinned them over her head and she grunted as she struggled. “Oh, how the tables have turned,” he purred as he trapped them both under a single hand. His other hand trailed down to her waist, poking experimentally, then extending his claws from his fingertips to amplify the sensation.

Marinette writhed and wriggled under his touch, shrieking and giggling uncontrollably.

“Do you yield?” he demanded impishly as he stared down at her flushed face a mere few inches away.

“NEVER!!” she replied tenaciously, defiantly puffing out her chest, as if straightening out her posture would somehow intimidate him, or grant her extra resilience.

“You are soooooo stubborn, Ma Minette,” he chided playfully, squeezing her sides hard and making her squeal some more. Marinette twisted and kicked vigorously, trying to escape, but to no avail.

Their antics were interrupted by a descending musical chime and agonized screams erupting from the laptop screen, which was propped on top of Marinette’s antique chest for easier viewing. The pair stopped, their heads whipping towards the source of the sound.

Their respawned characters had died while they were occupied with their tickle fight.

The pair looked back at each other, then busted into hysterical guffaws.

As they laughed and panted, Chat couldn’t help but notice the way Marinette looked with her long dark hair fanned out on the ground, her tiny freckles more prominent against her reddened cheeks. She really had become quite a stunning young woman after all these years. Despite spending their teenage years together, his attention had always been elsewhere, and he’d never really paid attention to how different she looked now, versus when they first met.

She seemed to notice him staring and smiled, and the rosiness of her cheeks seemed to intensify. Probably from the exertion, he figured. And yet, he couldn’t help but feel his own face beginning to feel hot under her gaze.

She looked like she was about to say something, but as she opened her mouth, a new sound blasted across the room; it was Marinette’s mobile phone.

He felt her twitch underneath him, and for the first time, they both realized the position they’d put themselves in. Anyone who walked in on them at this moment would surely have... questions.

Face feeling red hot at this point, Chat released Marinette’s wrists and got off of her so she could get up and check her phone. Giving him one last cheeky smirk, she stood up to see what the commotion was all about.

She gasped as she checked the screen. “Oh my goodness! I’d totally forgotten, I have a study group in fifteen minutes! I have to get ready!” She turned off the alarm and pocketed her phone, then scrambled to her desk to get her school materials prepped.

Chat’s ears twitched in response. “Oh! It totally slipped my mind as well. Good thing you set a calendar alarm. Otherwise, your classmates would’ve walked in to Chat Noir just casually playing video games at your house.”

Marinette darted to her full-length mirror to look herself over, then dashed over to her vanity to grab her hairbrush.

“Do I look alright?” she asked as she fixed her hair.

“My darling, you look positively radiant,” Chat replied theatrically, taking a seat on the chaise.

“Is my outfit okay?” she continued harriedly. “Should I change? Is my shirt wrinkled? Do these shorts make me look short? Is my hair sticking up in the back?”

Chat grinned at how flustered she was. “Helen of Troy would pale next to your indescribable magnificence, Mademoiselle.”

“Chat,” she jokingly reprimanded, but failed at containing an upwards twitch of her lips.

He shrugged feebly. “You look totally fine. But why? It’s just your classmates.”

Marinette hesitated. “Well… Just… no reason!”

She received a skeptical eyebrow in reply. He knew her better than that (not that she was very good at hiding her feelings in the first place). Giving up any further pretense, her posture drooped in response.

“Alright, alright, the truth,” she conceded with a resigned sigh.

Chat leaned forward imperceptibly, raising his eyebrows in silent query.

“My old crush is gonna be there–”

Chat gasped loudly despite himself.

“–And I wanna look nice!” she continued. “But not like, sizzling ‘I’m tryin’ to steal you from your girlfriend’ kinda hot, ya know? I’m just trying to get past him. I wanna move on. I wanna prove to myself that I’m doing okay. He's still one of my best friends. I need to show that I'm happy for him.” Then she added with a weak smile, “Plus, Alya knows what my wrestle-hair looks like, so I'd have to answer some awkward questions if I don’t look at least somewhat put together.”

Chat closed his mouth, which he hadn’t realized was in “fish gape” mode until just then. He looked down towards the floor, now understanding why she would feel so apprehensive.

Marinette was doing her best. He felt his heart swell with affection and sympathy. He had to help somehow; he always tried to be a source of extra confidence whenever she needed to face challenges. It was the least he could do for her.

Chat stood up, cleared his throat and approached her desk, swishing his tail back and forth as he pondered her words.

“I know exactly what you need,” he offered with an air of authority.

Marinette quirked an eyebrow. “You do?”

He retrieved something from her vanity and, with a flourish, he presented a tube of shiny pink lip gloss. “Ta-da! For the ‘I still look cuter than everyone in the room without even trying’ look.”

Marinette accepted the tube of lip gloss, and she couldn’t help but giggle at his sweetness and sincerity. “Sounds good to me! Thanks!” As she looked into the mirror and applied the lip gloss, she continued, “Sorry to kick you out of the house. Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

Chat waved it off. “Of course, don’t worry! I have somewhere I need to be this afternoon anyway, so take your time.”

“Alright. I’ll text you when we’re done, but it shouldn’t take longer than a couple of hours.”

“Okey dokey!” He stood behind her and gave her a quick parting squeeze, then walked over to the floor hatch to exit her room, giving her one last wave. “Later, Maribug!”

Marinette smiled after him as he descended the stairs, amused as always at his unintentionally accurate nickname. If only she could tell him.

Someday, she told herself. Someday there will be no more secrets.

She dearly hoped that that day could come soon.

-----

(Mood Music: You Don't See Me - Safetysuit)

A short while later, Nino and Alya arrived together at the Dupain-Cheng residence. At the door, Marinette greeted them with a smile and invited them inside.

From across the street, a certain tall, blonde, bespectacled figure peeked from behind a tree, deciding to wait a few minutes before making his own entrance.

“It looks like your girlfriend was able to tame her Wrestlemania hair after all,” Plagg whispered from inside Adrien’s pocket.

Adrien poked him gently with his finger. “Hush, she’s not my girlfriend,” he admonished.

“Oh that’s right, I forgot,” Plagg replied. “You already have a secret girlfriend, according to everyone’s favorite international celebrity, Lila Rossi.”

He rolled his eyes. “Ladybug’s not my girlfriend either,” he corrected him again.

Plagg poked him back. “And how did you know I meant Ladybug?”

“W-well, I-I just…” Adrien stammered, his body growing hot in spite of the crisp autumn weather. “It was implied. Anyway, we’re not in a relationship.”

“Not yet, you mean?” Plagg inquired with a quirked brow.

“Plagg! That’s not– I mean… not that I’d mind –AUGH, wait! That’s not what I meant to say!!” he whisper-shrieked as an even more intense wave of heat traveled down his torso. “Let’s just go. I can’t spend a bunch of time trying to figure out what kind of relationship we have, or we’ll be late.”

“You could always ask her tonight during patrol,” Plagg suggested with an eyebrow waggle. “Unless your mouths find something more ‘fun’ to do instead.”

Adrien let out a choked whine, covering his face with his hands. Instead of answering, he scurried down the sidewalk, trying his hardest to ignore the muffled cackles emerging from his clothes.

He rang the doorbell and waited. A few moments passed and the door opened to reveal Alya, who greeted him with a smile.

“Hey, buddy! Glad you could make it! Come on in!”

She led him upstairs to the family room, where everyone’s study materials and textbooks were already spread out onto the dining table.

“Hi, Adrien!” Marinette called from the kitchen area as they walked past. “Make yourself comfortable, I’m just getting us some refreshments.”

Adrien greeted her back, making sure to compliment how pretty she looked today (to which she replied with a small “EEP!!” and a flustered, stuttered, “Thank you”) then he walked over to join Nino.

“Dude! Long time no see!” he said excitedly, standing up to welcome him and give him a tight hug.

Adrien chuckled as he squeezed back. “I know, right? It’s been almost twenty-four hours! I was starting to go through best bro withdrawals!” He set his backpack down and began laying out his own notes and textbooks.

A few minutes passed as they chatted and got situated, but Adrien couldn’t quite focus on the conversation. He was too busy casting (apparently not so furtive) glances towards the door, curiously awaiting whoever else would be attending their study group.

Sensing his restlessness, Nino asked, “Hey bro, you looking for something?”

Adrien shrugged. “Oh, I was just wondering–”

A loud clatter of pots and pans interrupted their conversation, punctuated by a loud “EEEEEK!!”, and the group’s heads whipped towards the kitchen in alarm.

“Marinette?” Alya asked, a worried crinkle appearing between her eyebrows.

“I’m okay!!” Marinette cried from within. “Just bumped into something and uhhh, knocked over some other stuff, no biggie!” she explained sheepishly.

Adrien turned back towards Nino and Alya. “I’ll go help,” he reassured them with a smile.

He walked towards the kitchen, watching Marinette as she put away the kitchenware she’d accidentally knocked out of a cabinet.

He rounded the corner of the bar countertop and called out cheerfully, “Heya!”

Marinette whirled around in surprise with a sharp yelp, accidentally stepping backwards onto a stray metal platter. Adrien watched as if in slow motion as Marinette fell backwards towards the hard tile floor.

“Mari!!”

Adrien reflexively darted forward and managed to catch her just in the nick of time, her body nearly parallel to the floor. He pulled her up gingerly, his arms firmly wrapped around her waist and back, their chests barely touching. They stared at each other as they panted, their breaths mingling together.

Marinette blinked, her cheeks a deep crimson, and she let out a small, nervous laugh. “Nice catch,” she said, almost as a whisper.

Adrien let out a deep, relieved sigh. “I got lucky. Sorry I startled you.”

“No, it’s okay,” she said as he pulled her closer and helped her stand up. “I really should pay better attention to my surroundings,” she continued, rubbing her arm with a rueful expression on her face.

“You’re just trying to do too much all at once, that’s all. Let me help,” he replied. “I can reach all the high shelves!” he offered, flexing his arms theatrically, trying to add some silliness into the awkwardness.

She blinked, then let out a small giggle, cheeks still red. “A-alright,” she replied. “Uh… Why don’t you pour some water into these glasses while I finish cleaning this up?”

“Sure!” he chirped happily.

Marinette smiled and resumed her task of cleaning up the fallen pots and pans. Adrien opened the refrigerator to fetch the water pitcher, then began to fill the glasses.

As he did so, he noticed there were only four glasses on the countertop. Odd. They’d need an extra one for Marinette’s (former) love, wouldn’t they? Were they coming alone or would there be extra people? His chest tingled with curiosity as he wondered who it could be.

Turning back towards him, Marinette said, “By the way, the water pitcher’s inside the refri— oh nevermind, you already found it.”

Adrien chuckled nervously, continuing to pour. He cleared his throat and changed the subject. “So how many glasses do we need?”

Marinette looked back at him with a perplexed look. “It’s just the four of us today, as usual. Unless you invited someone else?”

“Uhh, no, I didn’t. I just thought…”

He trailed off and froze.

Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

Marinette had said–

...but if no one else was coming, then that meant...

No.

No way.

Was Marinette in love with Nino?? He’d had a small crush on her ages ago, but he and Alya had been together for years now. Marinette would never try to wedge herself between them, not in a million years!

Her crush couldn't be Alya either, right? Marinette had mentioned that her crush was male.

But… But that meant–

“Adrien, the water!” Marinette cried, her voice jolting him back from his thoughts.

Horrified, he realized he was still pouring water into the already-filled glass, spilling it all over the countertop.

He gasped as he realized his mistake, and set the pitcher down. “Shoot! I’m sorry, Marinette! I'll clean it up!”

He turned around to open a drawer across the way, bringing out a couple of kitchen towels to soak up the liquid.

“I kinda zoned out,” he continued, wiping up the mess. “I’m really sorry, it looks like I’m only doing more harm than good in here.”

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. But, um...” Her face scrunched up in confusion, “How did you know that’s where we kept the towels?”

Adrien’s eyes grew large. Oops. Why was he so full of blunders today??

“Uhh, I’ve just… I’ve seen you open that drawer before. O-on a different day,” he deflected with a shrug, obviously unable to divulge the true reason he knew his way around the Dupin-Cheng kitchen.

Marinette let out a short hmm . “Yeah, that makes sense. You must have a great memory!” She smiled with a blush and added, “Although that shouldn’t surprise me; I’ve always known you're really smart.”

Adrien forced himself to smile at the compliment, yet a cold chill ran down his spine.

“Not as smart as I should’ve been,” he muttered, speaking about more than just spilled water.

He should have noticed. He should have known. He should have realized sooner that the sadness in her eyes was because of him.

Marinette patted his arm, which tingled under her touch. “No worries, it’s just water. No harm done!” she said sweetly, her kind smile growing even wider.

But I hurt you , he thought to himself. Their conversation from that day rushed back to the forefront of his mind. An indirect and cruel rejection before she ever even got the chance to confess.

He thought back to all the times they’d hung out together as civilians since that fateful day when she came home in tears after school. She’d never treated Adrien any differently after he unknowingly broke her heart. Was she that amazing an actress, or was she just that strong?

Marinette finished putting the drinks and snacks onto a serving tray and bid him to follow her to the living area, where Nino and Alya were eagerly waiting. But how would he be able to concentrate on studying after knowing he’d been the focus of Marinette’s unrequited affections?

No, not affections. She’d used the word “love”. She was actively trying to fall out of love with him.

He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Nevertheless, that nagging feeling stayed with him for the remainder of the study session. -------

(Mood Music: Que reste-t-il de nos amours? - Avalon Jazz Band)

[Later that day]

Marinette squinted suspiciously.

Chat had been acting weird. Or rather, weird for him, which was saying something. He’d been in a somber mood ever since he came back that afternoon after her study session. What had happened during that brief time while they’d been separated?

Speaking of which, she recalled that poor Adrien had been acting out of sorts as well. She’d asked him if everything was alright, but his face went red and he waved it off, saying it was nothing, claiming that he was just a little tired. She hasn’t pressed the issue, especially knowing that he had a difficult home life and busy schedule. She dearly hoped he’d come to her if he ever needed someone to talk to.

In any case, she’d been surprised to find Chat just as morose and out of sorts. She’d asked him what was wrong and he instantly dismissed it. Then he promptly excused himself to his bedroom, which was unusual. Normally he was chatty as can be during dinnertime, then he would hang out with the rest of the family during the evenings, playing videogames or board games, or engaging in conversation over some tea.

But tonight, he’d hardly spoken a word. He had only answered briefly when spoken to, and it was like he could barely look her in the eye. And whenever he did, she could’ve sworn she saw something like… guilt?

She wasn’t sure. But she knew she didn’t like it.

Something was wrong. She was sure of it. Perhaps he wasn’t able to share what it was exactly due to his secret identity, but she was determined to help him fix it. She wanted to know the truth.

Tikki had lightly chastised her, saying that maybe Chat Noir had a good reason why he couldn’t share his problems, and that she shouldn’t pry or be too nosy. But this wasn’t nosiness! They were friends! And not only that; it was her duty as Ladybug to look out for his well-being, right??

Speaking of Ladybug...

They had patrol scheduled for later that night. Should she ask him again, as Ladybug? She pondered it... but no; he’d probably act tough and pretend it was nothing again. They were still working on being more open with each other, but progress was slow. Though not for lack of trying. Chat just… didn’t always know how to relax around Ladybug. He didn’t verbalize it, but it was as if deep down, he was always bracing for imminent rejection. Almost like he expected everything to be a dream, and any day now he’d wake up back at his father’s house, all alone.

Despite being allies, there were still many obstacles that stood in their way, as they both navigated through their partnership trying to find their unique dynamic, still somewhat guarded in their words and actions, to avoid hurting the other. There were invisible walls between them, and every time they’d succeeded in tearing one down, it was only to find that there was another wall behind it.

He’d mentioned before that he would never want to do anything to jeopardize their partnership. So he had a tendency to keep quiet about a lot of things, and not rock the boat, so to speak. He’d mentioned before that he trusted her implicitly. But it was like he didn’t trust himself. Or trust his luck.

He tended to be more open with Marinette, most likely because he didn’t feel that he had to watch what he said as closely for fear of rejection. Thankfully, he’d always been able to confide in her.

That is... until today.

She sighed.

Maybe he just needed an evening where he could be himself and be a normal person, as the guy behind the costume. But how to do that without revealing his identity?

Her eyebrows scrunched deeply as a tiny idea planted itself in her brain, slowly blooming into a full-blown scheme.

“I know that look,” Tikki remarked warily. “You’re up to something, aren’t you, Marinette?”

“Maybe,” Marinette replied with a sly grin. “I think Chat needs to get out of the house and spend a night on the town.” With that, she hopped off her desk chair and walked to the large, antique storage chest in the corner of her room where she kept all her current sewing projects. She rummaged around, searching for something.

“How are you going to do that?” Tikki asked with a concerned furrow of her brow.

“I’ll explain in a minute,” she replied as she found the item she was looking for, then set it down on her chaise.

She then opened her phone’s contacts and dialed Mylene’s father's number.

Tikki peeked over her shoulder. “I’m not sure where you’re going with this, but I hope it helps Chat Noir cheer up,” she remarked.

A few seconds later, there was an answer on the other side of the phone.

“Monsieur Haprèle? It’s Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I have a quick favor to ask, if that’s alright.”

A few moments later, the phone call ended, successfully putting the next part of her plan into motion. Monsieur Haprèle had graciously offered to stop by and drop off the items Marinette had asked for, since he needed to be in that part of town anyway for an errand.

“I think we have everything we need.” She winked at her kwami. “And now, Ladybug needs to make a phone call. Tikki, spots on!”

----

Chat closed his communicator and plopped onto his bed with a groan. Ladybug had cancelled patrol at the last minute, postponing it to the next day. He ran his hands down his face dejectedly. He supposed that was just as well. As excited as he’d been to meet with her tonight, he probably wouldn’t be very good company, since he’d been in such a crummy mood all evening.

Still… he’d really wanted to see her. Her presence always managed to do wonders for his morale.

He settled for pulling up a candid photo he’d taken of her with his staff’s camera on a different day. She was breathtaking; smiling softly while looking into the distance, the sunset a golden halo behind her, making her look like the angel she was. He smiled at the memory, and he felt his stomach fill with butterflies as they always did when he truly looked at her.

He swiped to the photo he’d taken right afterwards, when she realized he was taking a picture, her eyebrows raised in mild surprise. Then the photo after that, where she’d let out a bashful giggle, bringing her hand to her mouth, looking adorably shy. And the last photo from those few precious moments: Ladybug striking a dramatic pose, with an exaggerated pout that would put any supermodel to shame; a reminder of her sense of humor and willingness to be vulnerable and silly around him.

His smile broadened, his heart now thumping loudly in his chest. She really was so extraordinary.

A sudden rap on his bedroom door jolted him out of his daydreaming. He sat up and put his staff away as he answered, “Come in.”

The door opened, revealing a sharply dressed Marinette. He almost didn’t recognize her at first, since she’d changed out of her clothes from earlier and her hair was up in high twin buns.

“Hey Minou! You busy tonight?”

“Uhh, actually, no. Patrol got moved to tomorrow.”

“Then I have a proposition for you,” she said, her voice high and chipper. Without waiting for a reply, she took his hand and practically dragged him up to her bedroom. “But first, I need to give you something.”

They arrived at her room and she let go of his hand, then knelt by a large cardboard box he’d never seen before that was labeled “Backstage”. She unfolded the top, then started bringing out a myriad of fabrics and materials so hastily, that her movements were practically blurred. She took out a large pair of sunglasses that resembled vintage aviator-style goggles, an almost ninja-esque facemask, and set them aside.

She stood, holding something else behind her back, and walked up to him with a shy grin, her legs doing her trademark nervous shuffle.

“First of all, I- uh… I made you something. I started it a little while back and finally finished it today.” She tucked some hair behind her ear as she averted her eyes timidly, her cheeks dusted with a lovely shade of pink. “I hope you like it.”

She revealed the item behind her back, holding it up with both hands. It was a black zip-up hoodie, with muted, subtle detailing as an homage to his Chat Noir suit, but the main feature was the cat ears sewn onto the hood itself.

Chat’s jaw dropped, and his eyes practically bugged out of his head. This was the cutest, most considerate thing he’d ever been gifted.

He was at a loss for words, but thankfully Marinette interrupted, “I made it for you so you could hang out at home without having to be transformed all the time. ‘Cause I know that can be exhausting for Plagg, and it’d probably be more comfortable for you to be dressed in casual, loose-fitting clothes. Also–” she gestured towards the box behind her, “–my friend’s dad, he’s an actor, and he gave me a box full of masks and other costumes. You can mix and match, so you can have fun with it while still protecting your identity.” She extended the hoodie towards him hesitantly. “Uhh… anyway, obviously I didn’t take your measurements because it would’ve ruined the surprise, but it should fit you just fine. Cotton-polyester blend fleece is pretty forgiving like that.”

Chat gingerly accepted the garment, slowly and carefully running his fingers across the soft fabric as he admired the attention to detail his friend had lovingly crafted into a piece of clothing that would hardly ever be seen by anyone else.

He gaped at her, throat feeling quite dry. “Marinette… I don’t know what to say. Just… Thank you. This is such a thoughtful gift. I… wow.” He brought his hand up to his face, still in total disbelief. “I wish there was something I could do to show you how much I appreciate that you’re always looking out for me. There’s gotta be a way for me to thank you. Y-you’re always so… you’re just… I’m...”

Marinette stepped closer to him, their toes almost touching. The sudden proximity got his attention instantly, and she booped his nose with her index finger. “Well then, this is your lucky day. I know just the thing you can do for me.”

“Uhh, sure! A-anything you need, just ask,” he stammered, slightly confused.

She began, “Sooo, here’s what I was thinking…”

She continued to speak as she paced around the room, sort of beating around the bush, the speed of her words steadily increasing until she was talking a million miles a minute, so rapidly that he could barely understand what in the world she was talking about. Although he distinctly heard the words “movie theater”, “chaperone”, and a pleading, “You wouldn’t want me to go all by myself, would you?”

“Uhhh–” he tried to interject, still deep in his confusion.

“And before you turn me down and say, ‘But I, the dark and mysterious Chat Noir, cannot be seen in public with a civilian!’ don’t worry: I got you,” she interrupted.

She handed him the sunglasses and face mask, and said, “Detransform and put these on, along with your hoodie. You can wear these to the movies and be totally incognito!”

Chat let out a high-pitched “WHAT?!” his voice cracking once it couldn’t go any higher.

“No one will recognize you with the costume! It’s really not that conspicuous! Lots of people wear special blue-light blocking glasses when they watch movies or use their computers. And face masks have become a pretty common way to keep germs from spreading, so nobody will spare you a second glance. You’ll totally blend in with the crowd. And it’ll be my treat! Please??”

Chat rubbed the back of his neck, eyes darting around nervously. This was all so sudden and he was unsure how to respond. He’d never done anything like this before.

“I-I dunno…”

Marinette continued, wringing her hands anxiously as she spoke, “I know this is totally out of the blue, but there’s this one movie I really wanna watch that’s only gonna be in theaters for this one weekend. I’d ask Alya and Nino, but it’s pretty last minute. And even if they’re available, they’d probably just make out during the entire movie anyway, and God knows being the awkward third wheel gets tiresome after a while,” she added with an eyeroll. “Adrien always has to be booked months in advance, all my other girlfriends are busy, and I really don’t wanna go alone; it’s not safe to walk around a big city all by yourself at night, y’know. So, what do you say??”

Chat looked back at her, her big blue eyes silently begging him to come along.

He suppressed a sigh, biting his lip instead. She wouldn’t want to hang out with him if she knew who he really was and what he’d done to her. She’d always been absolutely wonderful to him– to both sides of him– and he’d repaid her by being a crappy friend who’d been totally oblivious to her feelings. He truly didn’t deserve her.

He was about to decline and try to make up some excuse, but just then, her words from earlier in the day popped back into his head: “I’m just trying to get past him. I wanna move on.”

He paused. All day, he’d only been thinking about his own feelings and feeling sorry about himself, wallowing in guilt. But right now, this was about Marinette, and her needs. And at this moment, it sounded like what she needed was someone to just be with her. He could set aside his own apprehensiveness and insecurities to help her out, instead of pushing her away. After all, she always went out of her way for her friends constantly, at the cost of herself. She’d always been so selfless… to the point where she tended to neglect her own needs. He couldn’t let her keep doing that.

Determined to make things right and treat her the way she deserved for once, he nodded and smiled. “Alright, Mari. I’d love to go with you.”

Marinette let out a delighted squeal and resumed doing her excited wiggle-dance, but Chat interrupted, “On one condition! It’ll be my treat instead. After all, what good is a paycheck from the best bakery in Paris if I can’t use it to spoil my absolute favorite roommate?” He squeezed her shoulder with a wink.

Her mouth popped open in shock, then twisted into a pout. It looked like she was about to argue, but in the end, decided not to press her luck and accept his terms.

“Deal.”

#Miraculous Ladybug #Discordant Sonata #fanfiction #Marinette Dupain Cheng #Adrien Agreste #Chat Noir #enemies AU #ML AU #aged up #Ladynoir #Marichat #Adrienette #Eden Writes #corgi-likes-chat #art by others #fanfic art #jhsldkfjhlasjkdf sorry about all the innuendo lmaooooo #I headcanon Marinette's inner sassypants comes out more while she's gaming XD

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wintersky94 · 3 years

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Revolutionary Girl Utena: After The Revolution By Chiho Saito (Review) Part 1. (⚠SPOILERS!!)

.Okay so back in 2018, I had ordered the original Japanese manga and held it for a while until the Viz English version came out last October 2020. I gotta say, Ms. Saito's artstyle has evolved over the years and I fell in love with her work even more! Okay, don't read this review for those who haven't read this manga if you don't like spoilers.

Okay, let's get started.

"After the Revolution" consists of three short stories that give us an update on the Student Council members who are now Ohtori Academy Alumni. We can tell that these stories pick up after the anime. The first one focuses on Touga and Saionji, the second one focuses on Juri, and the third one on Miki and Kozue. The similarities are them all encountering the disturbing memories of Ohtori Academy (i.e., Akio's Paintings, The sword of Dios, and Anthy's abuse at the hands of her own brother) and uncovering secrets they are trying to find their own Revolutions. In this book, Utena's the new Dios, now! It was nice she got to keep her boyshorts uniform with the princely epaulets, but I would've liked it better if she had an outfit that was similar to Dios' just like in her final confrontation with Akio. That kind of outfit would have made Utena more princely and fully bloomed (matured).

I. After The Revolution- There's an auction taking place and everybody is bidding on a Picasso nude painting. Among those bidders, we see Touga and Saionji outbidding each other...on telephones! Not gonna lie, I didn't know that's actually something you could do at an auction. I've gotta research some more.

So Touga wins the auction and the painting belongs to him. After the auction, Touga and Saionji cut eyes at each other for the first time in years, and Touga, being the playboy that he's always been, has a new gal on his sleeve. Touga recognizes Saionji but he seemingly doesn't remember him. Saionji tells him that he's a Galleriste hired by a client to do a job and Touga said he was also doing the same. This could mean that these two either own an art gallery or operate at an art gallery. Saionji points out that Touga has always been flirting with different women to which Touga responds that the woman he's with doesn't understand Japanese. The unnamed lady took offense to that and insisted that she did understand Japanese. Saionji expresses his displeasure at Touga as they part ways. Boys will be boys, they always say. Geez, Touga would be better off being a Gigolo than a Galleriste. Maybe he is a Gigolo, this art thing must be his side job. I mean look at him, he has the looks, the charm, anything that a girl would want in a man. So why not have Touga be a Gigolo?

NOTE: (*Did I forget to mention that Chiho Saito had a manga called "Gigolo"? Think of it as "Two Broke Girls" but with guys. It's about these two broke rich guys that are desperate to get back into the game by looking for more rich women. I sure can't wait for more of her work, besides Utena, to get serialized. It's like she's received the same treatment as Naoko Takeuchi. They both have a manga that became a worldwide phenomenon while their other works get overshadowed by the most popular manga they've ever created. Which is a shame, really. Oh well, can't win 'em all, I guess. Enough of my rambling. Let's get with the program!*)

Now Touga is in the middle of a business call with a client. Ya' know, just doing some galleriste stuff and then he receives some daily mail but the envelope that stood out the most was the one with the rose seal. Sound familiar? He opens it to reveal a cryptic letter that said: "You who seek the Revolution, Return to the academy". Okay, so imagine being an adult years after you've graduated (escaped) from Ohtori Academy only to find out that you have to go back to that twisted world full of messed-up fairy tales and people getting manipulated by a rich handsome chairman whom everyone looked up to as an ideal prince when he's really the Prince of Darkness, The End of The World. What would you do? You mean to tell me that I have to go back to that crime scene of a school, after being taken advantage of mentally, physically, and sexually by "The End of The World"?? By the looks of this, I could already tell that Touga has forgotten about the shady biz behind the ritzy, glitzy school and the duels that took place. To be honest with you, this would've been called "Surviving Ohtori Academy". If I was one of these main characters, let alone a female main character, this would reopen old wounds with me.

Anyways, Touga goes to revisit his old Alma Mater, the now-defunct Ohtori Private Academy. He saw a bunch of auditors wheeling out boxes of rare items to possibly sell them or something. He couldn't go through the entrance of the academy so he took the other way in. Touga runs into Saionji yet again as they had both received the same letter. So the Student Council "Frienemies" began the search for the Revolution that the letter mentioned. Touga mentioned that The Revolution was a painting that belonged to Akio Ohtori, the former chairman who was also a famous artist. Twenty years after the chairman had killed himself, the value of his work had increased. He even explained that a painting of the chairman's younger sister, Anthy, was sold to a winner at an auction but the painting disappeared before the winner could collect it. Oooh, scary! So Touga finds a portrait of the chairman and his sister, then they get a surprise visit by none other than the man himself, Akio Ohtori! (*cue Phantom of the Opera theme song*)

The dead chairman appeared before them in all his ghostly wickedness with the Akio car behind him. He asks them, as a favor, to keep his painting, The Revolution safe because he didn't want anybody to have it. Akio didn't disclose the location of the painting but he said that if Touga and Saionji did what he asked, then they can have his whole art collection. Then he showed them a will he wrote years ago before he died. When Touga asked who wanted the Revolution, Akio tried to tell them but a sword flew right through him. Was Akio trying to say it was the Rose Bride that wanted the painting? Maybe, maybe not. So Akio's spirit disappears and Saionji and Touga were trying to figure out where that sword came from and next thing you know, a storm came and knocked them into a flashback memory of the day they lost their families as little kids. Touga wakes up in a hospital and sees Saionji crying and saying everybody was dead. Touga wanted to know where his sister was so he gets out of bed to go look for her. Touga calls out for his sister, Nanami while they look around the hospital. Then they see a trail of rose petals that lead to a door and find a room with three coffins. A little girl, none other than Utena, was inside one of those coffins mourning her parents. Touga notices the Rose seal on her finger which Utena reminded herself that she can't die yet because she saw a girl (Anthy) that literally has the world on her shoulders. She declared that she's going to become a prince and save her and revolutionize the world. Saionji tells Touga that the castle was falling on them.

The two awaken back in the present and realized they both had the same dream about Utena. Then Touga gets a call from an artist named "Rime" much to Saionji's disgust. "Rime" called to tell Touga he's finished with his piece and Touga arranged to see it in person. Saionji is against it saying that "Rime" has a criminal history of pedophilia, kidnapping, and sexual abuse! That's gross!! 🤢🤢🤢Touga, of course, disagrees and says it's in the past, and Saionji counters that "Rime" has no redeeming qualities whatsoever and he changed his identity and ran an art school to collect more children. Despite showing him evidence, Touga still believed that we should separate the art from the artist, which is pretty tough to do given the circumstances that someone we look up to turns out to be a terrible person underneath.

(It has been an ongoing debate over the years, it's become the new "chicken or the egg". What do you think, ladies and gents? Is it possible to separate the Art from the Artist?)

Saionji is a bit perturbed with Touga supporting someone like that and pulled a sword on him saying he doesn't deserve The Revolution. They clash swords causing the all too familiar dueling arena to appear and they are wearing their dueling uniforms. This began to ring some bells with the frienemies and they duke it out some more. Then all of a sudden, the bells were tolling and rose petals began to shower them. The castle appears once more and a familiar pink-haired girl appeared before them. It was none other than Utena Tenjou in all her princely goodness! The way she descended from the sky was almost similar to Dios when he came to her. It turned out that she was the one who sent them that letter. She gives Touga a rose ring and uttered yet another cryptic message, "The power to revolutionize the world".

Once again, Touga and Saionji woke up and realize that Utena was the same little girl they saw in their previous dream. Touga gets a little teary-eyed at the fact that Utena had fulfilled her goal to become a prince. He tries to hide it from Saionji, though. Thanks to the rose ring that Utena gave Touga, they begin to put two and two together and use the Sword of Dios that was lodged in the wall as a key to Akio's Sex Dungeon-I mean Secret Chambers. There, they finally get a good glimpse of The Revolution, which is a framed painting of Anthy naked in a bed of roses. (Oh No... *has Adolescence of Utena flashback*) Then, Akio's spirit rematerializes for the last time to take back his precious Revolution. And this time, he's armed. He aimed his sword at Touga but Saionji took the hit for him. As Akio prepares to do away with the two, Touga slips the Rose ring that Utena gave him and prays to Prince Utena for the strength to revolutionize the world. He picked up the Sword of Dios and, with his newfound strength, knocks Akio's rose off, and the wicked spirit of Akio Ohtori was no more. Touga checks on Saionji to see if he's okay and begins to help him up. Touga's ring was gleaming and they notice that the ring was reacting to the painting. The painting of The Revolution had changed from naked Anthy to Anthy and Utena together. Then the painting disappeared. As they leave Ohtori, Touga believes that the reason they were chosen was that she needed help in rescuing Anthy from her brother and escape his world and that was the meaning of having the power to revolutionize the world.

Well, that's the end of this review of the first short story of "Revolutionary Girl Utena: After The Revolution"! Whew, what a ride that was. We have Touga and Saionji, two former student council members with an interesting taste in art, Prince Utena, who is the new Dios working her way up to save Anthy, and we got Akio Ohtori, the dead chairman (or genius loci) that haunts Ohtori Private Academy trying to hold on to what little power hs has left while guarding his painting of his NAKED SISTER!! This lead me to believe that sometime before his death, he painted her while she was drugged or that's what he thought (The Adolescence of Utena). That picture made me uncomfy, like "I-touched-wet-food-in-the-sink" kind of uncomfy. Though, I liked that Touga channeled his inner Ghostbuster and sent Akio on his way. But why was he crying after seeing Utena as a prince? Anyways, Part 2 will come up if I feel up to it.

~Until Next Time, My Friends! 💖☆*: .｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆

#revolutionary girl utena #shojo kakumei utena #after the revolution

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izukyu · 4 years

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𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐯𝐚𝐬 - keigo takami x reader

this is a birthday gift for my crackhead wine aunt, @waddle-yee. katie i love u so much it’s unreal! i hope you enjoy the crumbs m’lady!

reblogs are appreciated bc i worked really hard on this, heart eyes.

pairing - keigo takami (hawks) x reader.

word count - 2.3k.

warnings - very vague manga spoilers for pro hero arc, possibly ooc hawks, swearing, and just. a lot of fluff.

summary - hawks needed to gain the public’s hearts once again, and attending a charity event seemed like the way to go, but falling for the cute artist in charge of him wasn’t something he planned on.

★ - requests are open

“your ratings are falling, hawks”

being bothered during his lunch break wasn’t something keigo was particularly fond of. the one time of the day he could let loose in his office, ruined.

“is that so?” he could only hope his agent would understand his words in the midst of his chewing, making a point he was only half-interested in the newsletter.

“the hero public safety commission reached out, you need to get your approval up again before they intervene.”

keigo gulped.

what a mouthful. they were never good news - the last time keigo met with them he was deployed as a spy, for crying out loud. needless to say, he was still their subordinate, and rejecting their demands was nothing more than a heavenly reverie.

“so, got any ideas?” keigo put down his plastic plate, lamenting the unfinished state of lunch.

“well, there’s this charity event coming up, and they’re calling for - ”

“i’m in! send me the time and place and i’ll be there,” sadly. it’s not like he had any personal vendettas with charity events or the public per se, but the simple fact he had to be shoved into one to please his superiors was enough to leave a bitter taste in his mouth.

next time he’d attend to one of his own accords.

“i’ll send it to you by email.”

keigo gave the poor intern a frown, his eyebrows drawn. “just send me a text, sheesh.”

maybe if he had paid more attention to the text then maybe he wouldn’t be stuck in this quandary of graphite and stillness

“you do this to every guy you meet?”

you scoffed, eyes never once leaving the canvas before you. “yes, every model i work with is required to stand still, if that’s what you were wondering.”

keigo was glad he put on a smile from the start, or else you would’ve chewed him out for moving too much.

the event was still a couple weeks away, but portraits don’t grow on trees. in all fairness, keigo was a killer model - every magazine featuring him sells out within the hour, and the photographers he’s worked with never fail to shower him in compliments and praise.

his charm didn’t seem to carry on to drawings, apparently. as you’d put it before, he was but ‘an over-energetic city pigeon that would chase around little kids for fun at every given opportunity’.

oddly specific, but it got a chuckle out of him.

“i’m almost done, so just stand still for a little longer.”

“won’t be a problem, dove, i’m already a pro,” keigo had to suppress another snicker as you hid behind the canvas, your face growing warm at the dumb pet name. another tally for hawks in his imaginary scoreboard. although standing still for longer than ten minutes wasn’t something he could see himself doing ever again, teasing you would definitely be a must in the near future.

anything for your flushed, annoyed expression.

“your wing did the thing again.”

of course it did. keigo wailed silently, dreading the sound of your pencil meeting the cotton before you, scratching and imposing.

the passing of time seemed like a foreign concept the longer he posed in front of you, amber eyes preying on you. every movement, every speck of graphite staining your hands, forever engraved in his mind. you didn’t question his sudden quietness, too engrossed in finishing the first of many portraits you’d have to make for the event.

would every other hero be as jittery and energetic as the man standing before you?

would every other hero grow uneasy at the idea of standing still for no longer than fifty minutes?

“alright, you’re good to go.”

startled, keigo nearly fell off the small stool. “oh, was that all?”

you felt your eye twitch, choosing to ignore his wit, “it’s weird to think your portrait will probably go beyond five digits, someone’s gonna willingly pay to have those bushy eyebrows in their living room.”

keigo choked on his spit, coughs laced with laughter overruling the silence of the studio. “where did that come from?”

with a shrug and a triumphant smirk, you start to usher him out of your studio, “it had to be said, but you’re still cute, so i wouldn’t count it as a loss!” there were projects that needed your undivided attention and care, some with scary deadlines, and a birdman wasn’t exactly someone you needed to prioritize now. “see you at the event, yeah?”

“wait, hey, i wanna see what it looks like - ”

“no can do, have a great afternoon!”

before he could protest, he was already out and gone from your studio, the door nearly slamming on his wings. without much thinking, he turned around, his knuckles grazing against the door repeatedly. “c’mon, not even a sneak peak? i promise i won’t tell!”

someone clearing their throat behind him tore keigo away from the piece of wood in a heartbeat.

“endeavor-san, nice meeting you here! y’see, i left something inside, and i was just knocking so - “

“i don’t want to know.”

what was it with today and everyone interrupting him?

keigo snapped his fingers, “copy that.” from the corner of his eyes he spotted a neat pile of presentation cards, almost begging to be noticed and put to use.

fine, if you didn’t feel like letting him into your heart he’d just have to irk you over text.

knowing better than to bother endeavor again, keigo simply stepped out of the room, his fingers eagerly keying in the digits into his cellphone.

spoiler alert, it wasn’t you who texted him back, but your assistant was a delight, and set him up for another session after the event.

keigo has a strong, abhorrent opinion on wearing suits. they’re stuffy, constricting, and make his wings itch more than normal. despite having a custom-made, tailored suit, the sentiment of being under lock and key only ever went away as soon as he lost the jacket and shirt. something he couldn’t quite do in an event like this.

“what do you mean they’re running late?”

your second in command sighed, eyes still glued on their phone. from the brief texts they had shared, keigo would be proud to admit they’d found a friend in your friend, if that made any sense. “there were some supplies left in the studio, had to run back to get ‘em.”

keigo sighed. just what he needed in this trying time.

“but the portraits are already up if you want to check them out.”

oh.

among the sea of bidders inspecting the canvases on display, keigo’s feeble attempts to get a closer look were fruitless. his wings usually gave leverage when his height failed to do so, but flapping in such a close environment would bring more trouble than it’s worth.

with a defeated sigh (admitting to lacking in height was… disheartening) two of his feathers flew down to his feet, giving him the small boost he needed.

he most certainly didn’t expect to come face-to-face with himself.

minutes passed, and keigo remained under a trance. it was simplistic, the graphite morphing to cast an umbra on portrait-hawks. he could picture almost perfectly the light and shadow dancing together in both the canvas up for bidding and your skilled hands, the same ones that had left a nasty smudge on the back of his coat.

lo and behold, you were right, his unruly eyebrows were rather prominent.

“sorry for the delay, the traffic was horrible and the cab - don’t get me started on the cab,” you ranted as you walked through the busy hall, chanting apologies left and right. “the auction hasn’t started yet, right?”

“no, but there’s someone waiting for you.”

you furrowed your eyebrows. the people attending were either eager to see their favorite heroes in ritzy clothing or aching to take one of them home - in a canvas, of course. “don’t get me wrong, i love getting the work going, but i swear these deadlines are gonna be the death of me.”

“no need to fret,” keigo stepped down from his feathers, and you couldn’t quite read the expression on his face. happy? tired? finally becoming the paragon of tenderhearted? “i’m part of your schedule already, booked a sesh and all.”

“... you mean the one I just cancelled?”

his wings drooped almost comically, “the one you just what?”

teasingly, you pushed him back, consequently making him bump into someone else. “i’m just messing around, i’m actually looking forward to it.” you could only watch as he gave the person a brief apology, posing for a selfie milliseconds after. heroes.

“is that so? i thought i was a bad subject,” keigo tugged at his collar, making a mental note to burn the shit out of the suit once home.

“the worst, actually,” more people began migrating to the opposite side of the room before the auction started. “but you’re fun to be around, so i’ll manage.”

keigo couldn’t contain his smile this time. it wasn’t his signature snigger you’d have flooding your timeline after his photo sessions, rather just a simple, genuine tug of his lips.

“and maybe you’re kinda pretty, but you didn’t hear that from me.”

and just like that, the warm smile contorted into a smug smirk. “you got me there, dove! wasn’t expecting that to come out of your pretty mouth.”

you huffed, diving to give his cheek a good pinch before dragging him to follow the rest of the guests. “that’s one creepy way to phrase it. now take a seat, i’ve got to hand out a couple of endeavors and edgeshots.”

keigo, still savoring the compliment like a kid would with a sweet, took an extra second to process those words. “they got more than one?”

cut to his second private session. five minutes after your scheduled lunch break, some leftover fries and ice cream exiled to your desk.

“alright, something’s on your mind.”

keigo remained stationary. this time it was just a mere pencil in your hand, waltzing on the canvas without a worry on its nonexistent mind. calculated. precise. free. “i don’t know what you’re talking about.”

you sighed, tucking the pencil behind your ear, sparing the finished sketch a last glance before walking to the brooding bird before you. “your wings, they’re not doing the thing.”

“and what about it?”

“well, for one, it was much easier to jot them down, i can assure you they’ll look great once i paint them,” keigo shuddered as you stood closer, how did you even get a lead stain on your cheek? “but i think i know you well enough to deduce something’s up. you’re not even being a cocky cockatiel.”

keigo let out a long, long sigh. “i’m not a cockatiel.”

“and you’re not being yourself. c’mon, why’d you even come here if you’re just gonna be grumpy?”

a brief flash of cold, burning blue clouded his mind. “work’s getting to me, i guess.”

you weren’t a pro hero of any sorts, the only context you had regarding that chaotic world would come from whatever hashtag was trending, and the occasional hero dropping by your studio to talk business. nevertheless, you knew how to spot and comfort a gloomy friend.

“you wanna paint yourself?”

“what?”

that seemed to get his attention, and it brought a smile to your face. you bit your lip eagerly, “i need to go get some paints, but you look like you need some cheering up, so you’re not leaving this room without painting your own portrait”

keigo’s lip trembled involuntarily, your words tugging at his already-soft heart. “i’ve never - i’ve never touched a paintbrush in my life.”

“woah, not even at school?”

“homeschooled.”

your hand moved on its own, ruffling his naturally messy hair. “i’ll get you acrylic paint.”

he could only tap his foot anxiously in your absence, running a hand across his face. the commission, as per usual, found great joy to bother him through day and night, almost as if his suffering tickled their ribs. keigo wouldn’t mind playing the part of the asshole kid who took tickling way too far when it came to them, hero regulations and spy work be damned.

not to mention the dust-up he had with a certain cremated acquaintance a couple days back, leaving him featherless and vulnerable for a whole day.

but as you approached him once again, a number of paints cradled in your arms and pockets, keigo could feel the weight in his shoulders slowly mitigating.

“okay, what do you think feels like the way to go?”

thankfully, his wings could twitch to their content while wearing your apron. he would’ve been just fine painting without any safety measures, but your flabbergasted expression urged him to realize clothes are expensive.

keigo gripped the paintbrush with one hand, the other holding a red paint tube, “this can’t be rocket science, i got this.”

your boisterous laughter as he squeezed some paint straight into the paintbrush told him that maybe it was rocket science after all.

“it’s not a toothbrush, keigo!” god, he loved his name rolling off your tongue.

“oh my god, next time try cleaning the paintbrush before you start to paint with another color.” he was certain your giggles could keep him going through endless crimes and stacks of paperwork.

“hey, that’s cute, you’re using different colors for your suit.”

keigo chuckled, “can’t have the piss color scheme spicing up my living room.”

that was the final straw, and you both rightfully lost it. leaning into each other to prevent falling to the floor as a result of raw elation. even your snorts were adorable, your babbling a melody to his ears, and shrieks of amusement making his heart thump faster.

at the end of the day, keigo left the studio with a gorgeous painting, as you’d generously put it. the first time he’d truly felt unbound to everything to be forever remembered with a mess of colors and sloppy strokes hanging proudly atop his bed.

the first time keigo ever felt truly free on canvas.

★ - check out the rest of my works!

★ - wanna get tagged in my stuff?

general: @brattyquirks @quirkless-fics @tooloudarts @bringingpinkbac-k @thewaterlily @kittyatemytaco @nyantodamax145 @iachan03 @imconfusedanditsok @nishigo @torrpe @bakugo-baby @lovingshoto @yuueimagines @shigarakis-fifth-hand @uwus-for-bnha

hawks: @witchy-anna

#bnha x reader #hawks x reader #keigo takami x reader #keigo x reader #takami x reader #hawks #keigo takami #keigo #takami #mha x reader

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emjiroki · 3 years

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Hello Em! (✿≧ᴗ≦)~

I'm torn! I can't choose which I enjoyed better because I love them both ˚‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥᷄⌓˂̣̣̥᷅ )‧º·˚.

But I can comment on how I feel about each if you don't mind!

Part 1:

Seeing as this is the 1st part (which made me hooked and is actually the first Alpha Enji/Yakuza Boss AU! I have read) first that struck me and I really enjoyed fantasizing here is the thought/image of him in a yakuza au! with the tattoos🤤 (I'm quite the sucker for tattoos ever since I first met Uta from Tokyo Ghoul in the past) I really like how you connected the first statement where they already met in the auction when Daddy Enji mentioned it later in the story (while puthay gettin pounded by that big d/ck energy-). Oh, and I really enjoyed how you wrote him as a possessive and authoritative alpha yet having quite the soft spot for reader (this applies to the 2nd part too).

Part 2:

What stuck to me here is Bakugo's staring at reader and I just thought of how Daddy Enji won't stop at nothing and will probably f/ck reader infront of Bakugo 👀, showing and proving how only he can pleasure reader and Bakugo can continue dreaming on because Daddy Enji is the only alpha for reader(periodt.). (ack I honestly thought that it was gonna turn angsty where reader and Enji argued in the car 😭, but yes I'll take the punishment anytime~). I really enjoyed the part when reader finally allowed Alpha Enji to mark her and his reactions just melts me🤤.

In conclusion, I have enjoyed both of them so much! As you have said, it has different elements which made each of them one hell of an amazing ride. ❤

-☁

OMG I had the idea to have Enji fuck the reader infront of Bakugou too but then I thought about how Reader is for Alpha Enji's eyes only and with how possesive he is, it didn't seem to be in character (maybe thats my opinion😅) BTW there is gonna be a bucket load of angst in part 3 👀 I absolutely loved your commentary and really appreciate your thoughts! This gives me great insight of what made the most impact (which will only make part 3 better)

I'm super excited to try and get part 3 complete and edited out for you guys! We're making progress!

Also if anyone would like to be tagged in part 3 send me an ask or a message and I'll add you to the list 😋❤

#onisheartpart3progress #just updates!#em writes ✍#em talks 👄#Cloudy Anon 😍☁️

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crystalitar · 2 years

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Okey. Second try. Lets hope tumblr doesnt eat this post.

So. I have been away for a while.

Managing life and figuring stuff out. I quite managed actually! So let me sum it up (again).

After failing the animation study i tried, i went to work a bit and occupy my life while aimless with the direction of my life. Got laid off and felt more pressed to finally get a study i would turn into my job.

Went with my sis to one of those days where lots of studies had a stand and were trying to "recruit" so to say. After animation/game art i was considering entertainment manager or teacher. But we also passed something else.

Goldsmithing. I always had a sort of adoration for those people that created their own juwelry, especially seeing some people in the MLP FIM fandom making necklacrd to auction for charity. That was just so cool.

So i was planning to apply. BUT. I had reckognized pitfalls i had in my own "doing" in the past years (improving after a depression session with help). But i had started reckognizing stuff from what i was reading online. When i was young i straight out rejected the idea bc back then i would think it would "be my fault" for the though years. Add more brain exhaustion. Now? It would be a RELIEF to learn more and know why i feel and act different. In a way, it would actually be less my fault as its just my brain and not something i purposefully did.

So. Tested. And found that i am in the autism spectrum. With ADHD to boot. I cried happy tears. I can learn my own "instructions". Reckognize why i act certain ways. The ADHD meds also help and i have the freedom to take em when i want.

A great improvement! With the confidence of qctually undertaking the research i also felt better for the study. And i got accepted! I am actually in my second year even! Compliments grom my teachers and i feel SO EAGER to learn stuff!

Would i have imagined myself to do this 5 years ago? Definetly not. Am i proud? Yes! Because back then, when depressed, my main thought i held onto was "the future is unknown and.. that is still so much possebility.. it would be a waste of potential outcomes."

I will post some pics of what i made so far!

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dnvrsmedia · 4 years

Text

You Feel Safe?

Carol Danvers x reader

summary: You and Carol are sent on a mission together for the first time.

warnings: none! good ole fluff! mutual pinning & my fav troupe the “only one bed” :)

AN: IM BACK! I am SO sorry i’ve been gone for like 2 weeks, but I had the WORST writers block omg! Hopefully this gets me back in the time of everything & I hope y’all enjoy! as always requests are open!

part 2

You were called to be on a mission yesterday. If it were any other day you wouldn’t have minded so much, but it was supposed to be your first weekend off in almost a month. You could almost taste the short lived freedom as you stepped into your room that friday evening, but of course, the world had other plans for you. The literal moment you set your bags down,friday informs you that steve needs you in the debrief room.

Obviously pissed off that you were robbed of your planned relaxing weekend, you trot to the debrief room with heavy steps and a frown. You’re known as the cheerful one around the compound. You’re always worried about others safety and health. So, when you passed Nat on the way to meet Steve without saying hello, she immediately knew something was off. Not wanting to interrupt you, she shrugs it off and makes sure to make a mental note to ask you what’s wrong later on.

You finally reach the debrief room and see a familiar tall blonde talking to Steve. You’ve only met Carol about two times, but you wouldn’t really call that a formal meeting. The two of you were too busy trying to save the world from thanos to really indulge in a conversation. But that doesn’t matter right now.

“Stevie, you know I love you, but why the ever loving fuck are you calling me on my weekend off. You know I haven’t gotten one in a while!” You exclaim as you go in to hug him. Steve has also been away on a mission for a while, so you haven’t seen your older brother figure in a while.

He gives out a hardy chuckle and gives you a tight squeeze before letting go. “I know y/n and I feel horrible doing so, but you’re the only gal for the job. Plus, you haven’t properly met Captain Danvers over here yet!” He points to Carol as she sticks out her hand to shake.

“Please, call me Carol.” She winks. You shake her hand as your face burns bright red. God y/n keep it together! You can’t help but to stare at her beautiful being. Everything about her is absolutely gorgeous and you can’t seem to get enough. Your eyes trail down to her strong biceps. All all you can think about is how much you wouldn’t mind if she put you in a choke hold i mean-

Steve clears his throat and asks you if you heard a word he just said. Now you start to blush profusely. She had to notice you staring, because she’s sporting a wicked smirk on her face.

“S-sorry I got a little uh...distracted.” You clear your throat. You notice Steve rolling his eyes and continues to debrief the mission. The both of you were to go undercover as girlfriends to a ball. This wasn’t any ordinary ball though. At the ball, there is an underground auction on alien tech. The reason you were picked and not Nat is because you can turn invisible. Once invisible, you were to sneak into the auction and take back that very valuable piece of tech. Carol is tagging along because of her extensive knowledge on alien tech. This mission was clearly meant for the two of you.

Soon after, you were dismissed to your quarters and packing for the three day long mission in Tuscany, Italy. Luckily for you since you don’t own many dresses, Nat popped by to let you borrow a few. She originally came by to see why you were so upset, but as soon as she saw you packing your bags she already knew.

“So, are you excited to play girlfriend with miss twinkle hands? Last time you two met you could barely take your eyes off oh her.” She slyly smirks as she folds your shirt. You immediately scoff as your face starts to heat up.

“I was just making sure she didn’t die! I do that every time with everyone when we’re saving the world!” You squeak. Nat could definitely tell that you were lying. I mean come on, she’s a highly skilled spy. She just mutters a ‘yeah sure’ and rolls her eyes. You shoo her away so you could ‘get your beauty sleep’ before you leave for the mission. Moments after you finally get settled in bed, you hear a knock at your door. Too tired to get up, you ask friday to let whoever is at the door in. Soon later, you’re eye to eye with Carol herself.

“Oh were you about to sleep? I’m sorry I can go if you want.” She shyly smiles and starts to walk away. You’ve never seen Carol like this before, and you wish you could see more of her.

“No,” you sit up and pat the space next to you on the bed. “It’s okay I promise. Come sit.” You gently smile. Soon after your smile is taken over by a big yawn. You hear Carol chuckle and sit next to you.

“You sure you aren’t gonna fall alseep on me, y/n?” She teased.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” You lazily smiled. “Now, why did you want to see me?” you questioned.

“I just uh wanted to get to know you better. I mean if you’re gonna be my girlfriend, then I should actually know you, right?” she answered. You blushed majorly at her calling you her girlfriend. Yes, you know it’s only for the mission, but you can’t help but feel giddy.

“Well, what do you want to know? I’m an open book.” you replied while looking into her eyes. You could get lost in her perfect chestnut eyes. You can tell that she is a strong and loving person, but she also has been hurt. You wish you could take her pain away, but sadly that’s not how it always works.

From then on, the two of you spent your last hours before the flight to Tuscany talking about anything and everything. You told her things you don’t even think you’ve told Nat or Steve yet. Just something about Carol makes you want to pour your deepest darkest feelings and thoughts out. She’s just so welcoming and warm. You do end up falling asleep due to the day of hard work you endured. Carol soon notices and covers you in your blanket before leaving. The two of you have about four hours before the flight and she still hadn’t packed. She leaves your room with the widest smile on her face.

You wake up two hours later to your alarm. You always set your alarms according to, so you don’t get behind schedule. Before missions, you like to get a light workout and combat in. You groggily get up from your bed and change into your workout clothes.

You get down to the gym and immediately notice Carol at the punching bag. She was wearing a black sports bra with matching athletic leggings and hair was in a pony tail. You are completely in awe. Of course you’ve seen her fight before, but that was in a life or death matter. You didn’t have time to gawk at the way her back muscles contracted every time she moves. Or hear the little grunts she huffs out as her fist collides with the punching bag.

She must’ve felt someone staring at her, because she turns around in the middle of punching the bag and smirks. Your face seems to permanently be red because of her, but you couldn’t really complain could you?

You shake your head and get straight into your workout routine. You turn on your favorite playlist and get straight to work. You get in light stretching before you do your 2 miles on the treadmill. You hit the weights right after. Throughout your whole workout, the both of you share stole glances. You catch her looking at your ass through the mirror as you back squat and chuckle. You’re just about to bench press as she walks up to your station.

“Here, lemme spot you. I don’t need the bar falling on your pretty face.” She smirks and steps behind the you.

“How nice of you, Captain. You know, I’m a lot stronger than I look. Trust me, I’m a big girl.” Now it’s your time to watch as her face gets red.

“Oh trust me I know. You can never be too cautious.” She winks and you playfully roll your eyes.

About an hour after, you finally finish your work out. You thank Carol once again and go on your way to your room to take a quick shower before meeting her at the quinjet. You say bye to your fellow avengers (well who’s not on a mission), and go on your marry way to Tuscany. The both of you arrive in Tuscany at 8pm. You were visibly tired, so you couldn’t wait to eat something and curl up in your own bed.

Carol helps you with you bag, although you said you can cary it, and takes the both of you to the room. The view from the room is astounding. Your eyes pan all over the room, then you see it. To your surprise, there is only one bed and a very uncomfortable looking couch. You can tell Carol notices as well as she starts to put her things by the couch.

“You can take the bed, trust me I don’t mind.” She smiles her adorable smile.

“Are you kidding me? We’re both adults here, Captain. We can share the bed and I’m not letting you say no! That couch looks so uncomfortable!” You rant as you move your things over to the bed. “Now, what do you want for dinner?” You turn your head to see he smiling at you.

The pair of you decided on some authentic Italian food for take out. So here you are, currently eating fancy Italian food with a beautiful girl in romantic Italy. Seriously what could get better than this. You guys talk for hours until it’s time to go to bed.

You’re the first one to freshen up in the bathroom before bed. You step out in only your towel, and Carols face heats up so quick.

“I-I’ll just go uh go in there uh I uh- yeah.” She mutters out as she grabs her things and rushes herself into the bathroom. You laugh to yourself then get dressed. You snuggle up in the bed with one of your books and start reading. You finish a chapter when you hear Carol get out the bathroom. You’ve never seen her look so casual before. You can’t help but smile at her Captain america pj pants.

“Steve gave em to me as a gag gift for my birthday last year.” she chuckled and gets into bed with you.

You put your book down and turn on the TV to entertain the two of you. The TV was nearly there for background noise, since you weren’t paying attention at all. You say there thinking about how happy you’ve felt around Carol for the past two days, and hoped she felt the same. A loud lawn broke your trace. You realized it’s getting late, so you turned off the TV and got comfy in the bed.

“Sleep well, Y/n.” You hear Carol say as you’re about to drift into sleep.

“Goodnight, Carol.” You day softly as you nod off into the dream state.

beep! beep! beep!

Your overly loud, yet useful, alarm wakes you up. You go to reach to turn it off but you can’t reach it. You look down and see a sleeping Carol lying on top of you. Her arm is wrapped around your waist as hair is strewn across her face. You smile down at her and admire how soft she looks. You take your free hand and move her fly aways from her face. She stirs awake and looks into your eyes. She throws herself back and starts to apologize profusely.

“Hey, hey, look it’s okay I uh actually enjoyed it. If we’re being honest I haven’t slept that well in a long time.” You blush as you look down at your hands. Carol soon takes your hands and gently caresses them with her own.

“I haven’t slept that well in a while either actually. I normally get nightmares, but with you...” She whispers.

“You feel safe?” You ask as she nods her head with a smile. “That’s exactly how I feel too.” You beam.

Carol scoots closer to you and places her palm on your cheek. You heart begins to race as she slowly inches forward to kiss you. Just as your lips are about to touch, your alarm blares once more and the two of you bump heads.

“I should probably turn that off.” You groan.

“Yeah,” She chuckles “You should.”

#captain marvel x female reader #carol danvers x you #carol danvers x reader #carol x reader #femxfem #gxg imagine #captain marvel x reader #marvel x you #nat x reader #natasha fluff #natasha fic #carol fic #mcu x reader #carol danvers #steve #steve x reader #steve rogers

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infinitelytheheartexpands · 3 years

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The Rake’s Progress (Glyndebourne, 2010): Reactions, Part III

well things went downhill quickly also I LOVE this scene also also I love the black-and-white palette

that is not a thing

Anne is really trying her best

I love Sellem so much

‘...I know the kings of England and I quote the fights historical from Marathon to Waterloo in order categorical...’

(even though it’s technically not in the correct order that last bit of the line in the screencap ALWAYS makes me think of that song)

we love a good auction

this one just gets so out of hand

this gets me EVERY TIME

do NOT mess with her

their FACES

poor Baba

the tea is HOT and you know the Brits and tea...

no hard feelings from Baba

I love them <3

the chorus is having the time of their lives

QUEEN

and it was such fun!

I love this score

not creepy at all

remember: Tom technically never agreed to give his soul up

well at least he has some say in how he goes???

just a game :)

this scene is so cool. like, it’s just vibing to weird harpsichord arpeggios for several minutes

one card down two to go

two down one to go

cheater cheater also lol @ the gravestone (although I can’t read most of it)

ANNE!!!!!

when you try to cheat a tenor and you still lose

this is so cool

noooooooooooooooooooooooo

bye-bye

oh buddy also yet again: another great set

the masks are cool

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

they’re so sweet

too pretty...

PRECIOUS

good father-daughter duo

“you thought the opera was over but JOKE’S ON YOU”

this bops

I love her

you tell ‘em Baba

learned his lesson

“well FINALLY”

I love that line

the moral of the story

I love them ALL

what a fantastic show

#opera #opera tag #opera liveblog #The Rake's Progress #Stravinsky #Igor Stravinsky #seriously just a DELIGHT start to finish

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helbramstrauma · 3 years

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Unkillable Chapter 2

Hello welcome to the second part of Unkillable, as always you can find it on AO3 if you prefer to read that way. In case you missed: Part One

Now for a quick synopsis: You are a former knife thrower that now lives undercover with other escapee’s trying to make ends meet. This leads to some morally questioning jobs, you aren’t assassins but everything has a price. Just like any other job you were prepared, although your intel failed to mention something incredibly important. There seem to be other people trying to steal from the infamous underground auction as well.

Tw: Blood and Gore

Word Count 1470

“You are not going to guess who is in town!” Lue exclaims when you drop into the small room, covered with loose wires, connecting to Adam’s corner. Next to that is a small couch and a mini-fridge, above that, is a small loft area where the two makeshift bunk beds are. That is all we can fit in this place, but what else would you expect from squatting in a roof access area from a basically abandoned building. The only thing below us is a bakery on the first floor, but they are some of our clients so they don’t mind.

“Where is Aim?” you ask, noticing their absence.

An audible sign leaves Luebella’s lips, “did you even listen to be, they left on a mission, something about getting information from a boat for some CEO” Lue’s lips curl into a smile, “But more importantly the Sadler’s Circus is in town, why don’t we give ‘em a truly deadly finale”

The name Sadler’s sends a shiver down your spine, it's been about a year since everyone escaped from that hell. However, it is ironic how the circus gave us the tools we needed to escape and make a living. Aim was able to transfer their trapeze and tightrope skills to parkour, not to mention their natural talent with a sniper. Adam worked in tech instead of putting on an act, but without those skills, we would have all been dead on our feet. Lue lives off the thrill and can practically do anything if it’s dangerous- it's the lion tamer in her- she is also the best at close combat between all of us. Then of course you are practically nothing without your knives, even though you are more comfortable with throwing them and running away. Aim was my tutor in a lot of things, when we were first abducted by the circus, Aim helped you with precision, and you helped them with their agility.

“Where’s the bone staff? Indigo isn’t going to go away empty-handed” Lue points out

“Haven’t you looked out the window, the auction is up in flames,” you say.

A look of worry comes over her face as she rushes towards the window, “Is Adam okay?”

You explain to her how he had her turn off the radio, she walks over to his corner and to see if she can access his view. His lenses are cracked but you can see the surrounding pretty well. He is in some sort of vehicle, but all you can see is the city zooming by, and he is in the back of this vehicle. “Where is Aim, when you need ‘em,” Lue says, “Looks like we have to swoop in and rescue him”. She quickly transfers the feed to a phone and she is already out of the small hideout.

You quickly follow Luebella out of the hatch, “Where is it heading”.

“Looks like he's heading toward the Eastend, probably by the river that is where the police station is. But he is definitely on 3rd Avenue”

We make our way towards the intersection two streets away from the station, which should give us enough time to get Adam and get out. The sound of sirens is getting closer, and you cut your palm and materialize a throwing knife. A police wagon is flashing and coming towards the station, you quickly take aim and throw the knife at a front tire, the vehicle almost immediately serves and falls on its side, Lue is running towards the accident in a hope of receiving Adam. However, you don’t stay on the ground long, taking the fire escape and going to your safe haven, the roof. On the river you see, a boat making its way off the deck, that must be where Aim is at. That doesn’t hold your attention for long as you look down and you see Lue grab Adam. A police officer is coming around to shoot at them, but before they can fire one of your blood made knives are already in their neck. Soon enough Adam has his cuffs off and he begins making his way to the loft on the ground, while Lue stays back to hold back the oncoming police officers, once you see the whip leave her side you know she has it handled.

Call it stupid you decide to depart off of that roof, in the opposite direction of the loft, instead of heading towards the location of the auction. Someone catching up to you does not settle well and you just have to see the man in black again, you need to fight him again and win. The only person who is able to keep up with you is Aim, and you need to keep it that way. By the time you get to the location you see a car take off recklessly, and decide to follow it, however, you are not the only one who had that idea. You see a helicopter start to chase the car as well, and you decide to hitch a ride on it. That is short-lived, as the car you are following shoots the engine causing a small fire as the helicopter begins to spiral out of control. You have to get off of it and quickly, in the haste you are unable to keep you cool, and you jump onto some scaffolding, but you hurt your ankle, as it catches on part of the handrails, causing your body to plummet to the ground. By the time you would be able to heal yourself and get yourself together the car would be out of sight.

Whoever that man was you certainly know they don’t work alone, and that certainly complicates things. All you can

#feitan hxh #feitan #feitan x reader #hunter x hunter #fanfiction #anime #unkillable #fanfic #slowburn #enemies to lovers

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ravengirl94 · 4 years

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Dust (Epilogue)

Summary: One year later, Dean’s got some big, big plans.

Pairing: Cowboy!Dean x Reader

Warnings: none I can think of

Word Count: ~2,500?

A/N: I can’t promise it’s any good, friends, but here it is! It’s been awhile, so I’m a little rusty! Hope you enjoy. You guys can thank Chris Lane and his song Big, Big Plans for kickstarting my brain. Because wow, it needed it.

Catch up on the series (or re-read) HERE

You practically bounced in your seat as Sam slowly inched the truck and trailer into place near the barns. He didn't need to say anything, you knew he was smirking over there at your impatience to get back and see a certain someone.

You wouldn't outright admit it, but you missed Dean the past few weeks on the road. A busy summer had meant some tough choices at the farm, sending you out to a string of shows with a crew of horses while Dean remained at home. He continued the training schedule as well as he could without you and trucked out to a few nearby shows every now and then.

Riding and training without Dean felt like you were missing a limb, but the runs with your horses had gone well and you'd made some decent money and you were returning home feeling victorious.

Sam had gone along to give you a hand, since moving and showing six horses wasn't exactly a one person activity. He finally put the truck in park and turned to you with an infuriatingly knowing smile. You flipped him off and shoved out of the cab, Rowan on your heels, silencing his laugh with a slam of the door.

The barn staff was already convening to get the horses unloaded and settled, and you nodded in greeting as you ducked into the barn, mercifully cool even in the summer heat. Rowan dashed off down one of the side aisles, and soon enough Benny's booming voice greeted the dog.

"Hey, Benny," you greeted, rounding the corner to find the farrier on the floor with Rowan, both of them grinning.

"Hey cher," he said, still patting Rowan, "Dean's in his office."

"Thanks," you replied, trying not to be in too much of an obvious hurry as you walked away. The giant fans in the wide open doors created a nice breeze through the barn and muffled most of the noise, so Dean didn't hear your footsteps as you approached his office. You stopped and leaned in the doorway, and his attention quickly snapped up from the papers on his desk.

"Hey," you said with a grin. He looked so good it hurt. He was wearing a black Singer Performance Horses t-shirt, his hat abandoned on the hook nearby. He was tanner than usual, the freckles on his face more prominent, his hair cropped short.

Dean stood slowly, his eyes never leaving yours. Then he stepped around his desk, grabbed your hand and pulled you towards him into a kiss. You kissed him back, throwing your arms around his neck as he grabbed your hips.

"Welcome home," Dean said, pausing briefly and pulling back.

"Thanks," you laughed, staring up at him in an effort to re-memorize the details of his face. Dean Winchester was a lot to take in.

"I was busy while you were gone," Dean continued, making you raise an eyebrow. In response, he reached around you to close the door and then turn the lock with a resounding click.

"You put in a lock," you realized, tilting your head suspiciously.

"Just for this," he replied, pulling you back to him.

>>>

"Can I open my eyes yet?" you complained for the umpteenth time, slouched dramatically in the passenger seat of the impala. You had tipped your hat down low over your face after Dean had insisted you not look to maintain the surprise he was planning. He considered the request for a moment thoughtfully. It wasn't like you could know where he was taking you, he was just being dramatic with all the secrecy.

"Yeah alright," he finally agreed, watching as you ripped your hat off excitedly, only to frown at the endless blank landscape around the highway.

Good. You didn't have a clue where he was taking you.

"Where are we going?" you asked again, giving him an imploring look. But Dean only smirked, beyond pleased with himself. It had been a year since you came to the farm, since Dean first met you, and he wanted to do something special for it.

Because you changed everything, and Dean had some big, big plans.

You scowled and crossed your arms with a huff, making Dean chuckle.

"Patience..." he advised, already knowing that wouldn't go over well.

"How much longer?"

"Half an hour."

"Please tell me where we're going."

"Not a chance."

"Dean..." you whined, dragging out the vowels.

"You'll like it, just relax," he insisted, adjusting his grip on the wheel. It wasn't often that he had an excuse to take baby out for a nice long drive, not when so many aspects of his job demanded the towing capacity or the storage space of a pickup. Thankfully, this trip had allowed him to take his prized possession out for a well-deserved joy-ride, with the added bonus of confusing you even further about the nature of this trip.

"I'm not really dressed for a nice dinner," you informed him, making Dean chuckle. You were determined to get the answer out of him.

"I told you, we're not going anywhere to eat," he said, making you hum thoughtfully.

"Are we going to see your dad?" you asked suddenly, and Dean barked out a laugh.

"Definitely not."

You huffed in annoyance again, staring out the window at the fields rolling by, eyes flicking to every sign on the side of the road, likely hoping to pick up on some clue. Dean knew there wouldn't be anything obvious to point out your destination, though. There was a sign, but it was simply for a national park, and those weren't exactly uncommon out here. You perked up a little when Dean finally turned off the highway, but were silent until he pulled down the driveway.

"Devil's Garden?" you asked incredulously, reading the sign at the gate, "what the hell is this?"

"You'll see," Dean replied, easing the impala down the dirt road. He had been here once before, mostly to do some scouting and get more information. Then he had gone straight to Bobby, who had given him a long, strange look before agreeing that it was a fantastic idea.

"I swear to god if you hauled my ass out of bed for a goddamn auction on our day off, I'll kill you," you grumbled as you spotted corrals and holding pens. But there was something different in your voice and you sat up straighter, like you knew there had to be more to this place, more to Dean's plans. And it didn't take long. Up ahead there were more gates, more fencing, and at least a few hundred horses. As the impala crept closer, more details made the picture all too clear. The horses were separated into smaller groups, many with brands or paint on their hip indicating age, which ranged from foals to seniors. Some were skinny, bones poking out of their hides where they shouldn't, and others looked healthy as anything, but they all bore long, tangled manes, and they all were wild.

"Are those..." you breathed, hands gripping the dashboard as you craned your neck to see everything, anything, "mustangs?"

>>>>

You couldn't stop staring.

There were so many horses, and it broke your heart.

Wild, majestic and proud - only to be rounded up and confined to holding pens. The mustangs were becoming a controversial problem as their numbers climbed and their habitat shrunk. Farmers put up fences, landowners didn't want them around, and more and more the mustangs, something you considered a symbol of freedom and strength, were being viewed as a nuisance.

Dean was standing beside you, quiet, as if he knew you needed a moment to sort through your emotions.

"Are they- are they for sale?"

"Adoption," Dean corrected, "we're here to pick out two."

"Two?"

"Well yeah, I want one too."

You turned to find him smirking at you, which only made you grin.

"Where do we start?"

One of the staff members led you around to a few of the corrals, showing you the different horses, separated into age groups. It was an impossible choice, really, but you were sure that you'd know the right one when you saw it. There were a few that caught your eye, a large grey with a dark mane, a couple paints and bays that tugged at your heartstrings, but you couldn't make the choice.

Until you spotted them.

A pair of horses stood near the edge of one pen, almost shoulder to shoulder. One had it's head lowered, eyes half closed in sleep, but the other was alert, ears swiveling to catch sounds from the workers and other horses. They were dark brown bays, solidly built and in apparent good condition, tails swishing idly.

"They're brothers we think," the girl said when you asked, "they're always looking for each other. The bigger one nearly killed us when we separated them for vetting."

You glanced sidelong at Dean only to find him chuckling, scuffing his boot in the loose red tinted dirt.

"Them, I want them," you said firmly, and when Dean met your eyes, you saw approval in his gaze.

"We'll take em," he agreed.

"Do you want to pick them up when you come for the others?" The woman asked, scribbling down the horses' hip numbers on her clipboard.

"Others?" You demanded, whipping back around to face Dean, who only gave you a cheeky grin before answering.

"Yeah, but we'll use a second trailer. Pulling them from this group will be hard enough on them, don't need to do it again."

"Fair enough," she replied, handing her clipboard to Dean for a signature.

"Who are the others?" You hissed as the woman walked away, leaving the two of you leaning against the fence and watching your two new mustangs. They eyed you back suspiciously, the larger one pinning his ears and snapping at a passing chestnut. You knew to be patient with Dean, that pushing for more information too hard wouldn't get you anywhere, but god was it frustrating.

"When we heard how desperate the mustang problem is," Dean finally began, eyes trained on the wild horses before you, "Bobby offered to take a herd."

"A herd,” you repeated, dumbfounded.

"An entire family. So they could stay together, stay wild and unbroken and in their homeland. The back field behind the cabins will be theirs, to live out their days. We won't ride em, won't break em, just give them a safe place to live."

You couldn't help the tears that sparked in the corners of your eyes, and Dean slid an arm around you, pulling you into his side.

>>>>

Dean leaned against the rails of the roundpen, his eyes trained on you where you worked with the slightly smaller of the mustangs, who you had named Gunner. The whole taming wild horses thing was going well, he supposed, all things considered. The transition had been hard on everyone, but things had settled down and the horses were starting to respond. Gunner and Zeppelin hadn't taken kindly to being separated, but everyone agreed that they had to learn to have some independence. For now they lived in adjacent paddocks that Bobby had set up specifically for the mustangs, where they could see each other most of the time.

You'd been brought close to tears by their fear and outrage the first night, slumped, exhausted after a long day on the cabin porch, the horses' panicked calls audible in the distance. Dean had sat there with you for a long time, one hand running back and forth across your back, until finally the calls stopped. The next morning found both horses calm, crunching contentedly on their hay, but they still fell back into their dramatics every now and then.

The days since had brought bruised egos and limbs, frustration and fury, relief and pride. The process of gentling - not breaking - the wild horses was grueling for everyone. Just getting a halter onto them had been a monumental step, and building from there sometimes felt agonizingly slow. Dean had a slightly different approach than you did, but ultimately your goals were the same: build a partnership based on trust and respect.

More often than not Dean would find you sitting in Gunner's pen with your phone or a stack of paperwork or even your lunch, offering and asking him only for companionship. Usually the mustang would ignore you, but lately he’d been getting more curious. Dean had taken to using Kaz to help him with Zeppelin, hoping her model behavior would help the horse understand that he was safe to trust.

Dean bit his tongue before he could call out a suggestion, knowing he would only distract Gunner and that you knew well enough to do your own training. As if you'd read his mind, you turned and did exactly what he would have suggested, a wide grin breaking across your face as Gunner responded appropriately. You had ditched your hat in the late-afternoon heat, hair pulled up into a messy bun, a few strands escaping to fall down to your shoulders. With a start, Dean realized your Singer Performance t-shirt was actually his, the extra length tucked into your jeans. Not a huge surprise, considering you and Rowan practically lived with him now, but it was an oddly welcome sight. He liked seeing you in his clothes.

You ended the training session on a good note, patting Gunner on the neck and leading him out of the pen, back towards his paddock and his brother. Zeppelin whinnied as he heard them coming, and Gunner replied with his own nicker, trotting over to check on his brother as soon as you released him.

"He's looking good," Dean commented, slinging an arm across your shoulders as you joined him.

"That felt really good. I think we made some progress," you agreed, hip-checking him playfully as the two of you set off towards the main house for dinner, "think we can start backing them soon?"

"I think so. Need to go slow, but I think they're ready to try."

"Zep hasn't tried to murder you lately for leaning on him, so that's promising," you laughed, making Dean smile.

"I'm glad you find the thought of my death so funny," he said, pulling you closer and kissing the side of your head roughly. Still laughing, you shoved off of him, jogging a few steps towards the house before turning to face him.

"You almost died once on me, Winchester," you said, smile still on your face but something more serious in your eyes, "no more of that."

"Cross my heart," Dean promised, stopping just in front of you.

"The rest of that is 'hope to die,' dummy," you scoffed, scowling up at him.

"Shut up," he muttered, leaning down and kissing you, long and slow, your arms coming up to circle his neck. He pulled back after a second, staring down into your face and was hit suddenly just how hard he'd been falling. "I ain't goin anywhere," he said, “I’ve got plans.”

“Do you, now?” you asked, tilting your head questioningly. Dean only grinned, his mind wandering back to his cabin, to the ring hidden in one of his boots and the three acres he’d bought from Bobby last year.

Big, big plans alright.

>>>

Devil’s Garden - yes it’s real, and no, I didn’t have to make up something so appropriately named. You can find them on Facebook, too.

#dust #dust epilogue #dean x reader #cowboy!dean #cowboy!dean x reader #dean winchester x reader #dean winchester au #spn au #supernatural au #dean winchester #benny lafitte #sam winchester #bobby singer #singer ranch #omg look i finally finished something

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