Tumgik
#honey at least he said happy birthday :3
taexbankai · 2 months
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I only want you
This is chapter 2, chapter 1 is here https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/taexbankai/741076154678755328
also a few warnings: so this story will include foul language, weed/smoking, drinking, sexual themes and maybe more. So if you’re not comfortable with those things and not over the age of 18 (for the sexual themes) please don’t read ahead!
Also sorry for any spelling and grammar mistakes! I wasn’t able to proofread this chapter
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today is my birthday which means i’ll finally tell satoru how i feel.
“shoko i’m so nervous i feel like i could throw up right now” i said as shoko was helping me with my hair and makeup.
“don’t be nervous, it’s just gojo” she said as she tried to calm me down
“but what if he rejects me?”
“then it’s just time to move on” she said.
i sighed and looked at myself in the mirror as i let shoko finish up doing my hair. Shoko is in the same grade as my brother and satoru, we became close because she would always hang out with suguru and satoru, so we ended up naturally bonding since we were the only two girls. when she graduates i don’t know what i’m going to do without her at school with me.
“listen y/n” shoko started “you’re extremely beautiful. you’ve rejected at least 8 different guys already because of gojo and you’re not even dating him. If gojo doesn’t feel the same about you then you can finally move on and start a relationship with someone” she said
“it’s your birthday, don’t let a boy ruin your day for you” she finished
“yea you’re right” i said “plus i’m only 15, i have a lot of life left in me” i said as i felt a little better.
“exactly! now lets starting partying!”
——-
The party had way more people there than i had invited. Everyone kept bringing me gifts and tons of people i’ve never met before kept saying hi to me
“happy birthday y/n! i love your dress! you look so cute!” i turned around to see yuki. She smothered me in a hug
“thank you yuki! you look super cute as well” i said, smiling at how kind she is
“thank you honey! have you seen your brother?” she asked
“no, i was actually just looking for him. want to look for him together?” i asked her. she nodded her head and grabbed my hand as we walked through all the people dancing and partying in my house. she led me to the backyard and suguru was there as well as satoru, shoko, a girl, and 3 other guys i’ve never seen before
“i knew he would be back here” yuki said to herself as we both walked up to him
“y’all smoking without me? wow i’m hurt” yuki said as she went to stand by suguru
“my bad babe, i didn’t know if you wanted to smoke any weed tonight since you were already drinking” suguru said to her as he wrapped his arm around her waist. I smiled watching the interaction
“yes i want to smoke, where’s the blunt?” she said as suguru and their other friends laughed at her. shoko passed her the blunt and then waved at me. I waved back at her. I suddenly started to feel a little out of place and decided i would talk to my brother later
i began to start walking back into the house before i felt someone grab my wrist. I turned around and was met with gojo’s beautiful blue eyes
“wait i didn’t give you your birthday gift yet” satoru said. my heart skipped a beat
“toru you didn’t’t have to get me anything-“ i started but he cut me off
“turn around” he said. I did as he said and felt him put a necklace around my neck. i looked down at the necklace and it was a beautiful heart necklace, in the middle of the heart was a huge diamond the same color as satoru's eyes. the necklace looked extremely expensive, but giving satoru’s wealthy background, i’m not surprised.
“toru..” i started as i turned back around and looked up at him, tears threatening to spill
“i know, i know i’m the best. I saw it and it reminded me of you so i bought it. happy birthday!” he said. If i wasn’t sure if i loved him yet, i was now certain that i was madly inlove with him
“i love it, thank you so much!” i said as i gave him a hug. he hugged me back almost immediately
“ you’re welcome. don’t cry it’s your birthday” he said and laughed at me
“aww how cute” suguru said in a sarcastic tone
“yea don’t cry, you look terrible when you cry” suguru added, earning him a little slap from yuki. i stopped hugging satoru and walked over to suguru
“shut up. where’s my birthday gift from you?” i said jokingly
“i cash apped it to you already” he said as he took the blunt from yuki and took a hit
“mhm… and also why is there so many people i don’t know at the party? is this my party or your party?” i said. his friends started laughing. Suguru turned towards me
“okay this is nanami, choso, haibara, and she’s riko” he said pointing to everyone. I said hi to everyone and they said hello back
“happy birthday!” the girl named riko said to me. i told her thank you with a smile and turned back to suguru
“okay well i’m going to go back in the house and go find some of my other friends since you stole my best friend” i said to him and looked at shoko
“wait… do you want to take a hit?” suguru asked me as he held the blunt towards me
“what?… are you serious?” i asked in disbelief
“yes it’s your birthday do you want to take a hit?” he asked again with a slight chuckle. i’ve never smoked weed before so i was a little nervous but excited
“okay” i said and took the blunt from him. I put it up to my lips before i looked back at suguru
“wait, i don’t know how to smoke it” i said. suguru and all his friends bursted out laughing at me.
“here take it, i don’t want to try anymore” i said, embarrassed
“here let me help you” choso said as he walked over to me. As he walked up to me i took a good look at him and realized that he’s actually extremely attractive. I then took a quick glance at satoru but saw that he was laughing and whispering something in riko’s ear. before i could really think about what he could have possibly been whispering in riko’s ear, choso was already in front of me and had took the blunt from my hands
“it’s pretty simple. you just inhale like this. hold it in your chest for a little and then blow out” he said as he took a hit of the blunt to show me how it’s done. He then handed me the blunt and i tried to take a hit. I immediately started coughing and choso patted my back as he laughed. Nanami gave me a water bottle
“thank you” i said to him as i took it and started drinking the water.
“lets try again” choso said. I took another hit and this time was able to hold it a little better than the first time.
“there you go” choso said as he smiled at me. I smiled back at him and passed him the blunt so they can keep the rotation going. I looked over at satoru again to see if he was jealous that choso was teaching me how to smoke but he was still talking to riko. He had an arm wrapped around her waist as she said something to him before they both started laughing. My heart had dropped. Are they dating? does he like her? maybe they’re just really friendly? all types of thoughts were going through my head.
“y/n” i quickly turned my head to see suguru standing in front of me. Choso had went over to mess with shoko and yuki as nanami had lit another blunt and haibara had dared them to see who could take the most hits in a minute.
“you okay?” He asked me, his gaze slowly following to where i was just looking, stopping on satoru and riko. He then quickly looked back at me, his face turning into an expression i couldn’t quite read. My brother is really smart, even my own parents didn’t know me as well as suguru did. I knew it was only a matter of time before he put together that i had a crush on satoru and that was the last thing i wanted
“yeah i’m fine!” i said and put on the best smile i could muster up.
“you sure? you know you can tell me anything right?” he said as he looked me in my eyes.
“was it the weed? did you feel pressured? i’m sorry if-“
“no it wasn’t the weed” i said and chuckled
“ i’m happy you let me try it, you usually say no” i said and gave him a hug
“i love you. thank you for putting together my party” i said to him. He surprisingly decided to let the topic go and hugged me back
“i love you too. and you’re welcome, you know i’d do anything for my little sister.”
“i’m going to go back into the party now and hang out with some of my other friends okay?” i said as i backed up and slowly started to walk backwards into the house. Suguru said okay and turned back around to his group of friends. I turned around and walked back into the house. i went and found my group of friends, yuji, nobara, and megumi and stayed with them the rest of the night.
Once the party was over only a few close friends of mine and suguru’s were still at the house.
“babeeeee” yuki said as she clung onto suguru
“lets danceeeeeee” she slurred. She was clearly cross faded
“it’s 1 in the morning, it’s time for bed. Just stay the night here” suguru said to her as he walked her upstairs. Shoko and haibara were in the kitchen together cleaning up some trash but also clearly flirting. I laughed to myself as i watched them, making a mental note to make fun of her later. I walked over and grabbed the last piece of trash in the living room and threw it away, i turned around and saw satoru talking to riko again. She looked like she wasn’t sober as well. I watched satoru gently walk her over and then place her down on the couch and give her a bottle of water to drink. He sat down next to her on the couch and watched her as she drunk the water.
Jealousy started coursing through my veins. There’s obviously something going on between them and i wanted to know, i also have to confess my feeling to satoru still.
“hey toru, can i talk to you for a quick second?” i asked as i walked up to him
“yea sure” he said as he stood up
“actually can we talk in my room? it’s kind of private” i said, nervousness starting to creep up my spine
He nodded his head and followed me up to my room. On the way up the stairs suguru ended up coming out of his room.
“what’s going on? is something the matter” he asked me, a serious look on his face
“no! i just need to talk to toru really quick” i said to him. He looked at me for a few seconds before he muttered a quiet okay.
“if you need me i’ll be downstairs. I wanna have the house cleaned tonight so when mom and dad come back home tomorrow everything isn’t a mess” he said before he started his way downstairs. satoru and i continued to my room. Once we entered he sat down on my bed. I closed the door and locked it. Satoru looked to the door nob and then to me with a look of confusion on his face
“i-i just don’t want anyone walking in!” i said trying not to look even more crazy than i already did. Satoru nodded his head in understanding
“okay, so what did you want to talk about?” he asked
“well.. i.. um.. so i actually…um” i stuttered, now extremely scared of rejection. All the years i’ve had a crush on satoru, all the times i imagined myself in a relationship with him, all the times i wanted to be able to call him my boyfriend, all the times i practiced how i would confess my feelings to him, and here i have him alone in my room. It’s now or never
“is… is riko your girlfriend?” i asked. I mentally face palmed. that wasn’t what i wanted to ask him but that’s all that was on my mind at the moment
“well….” satoru started
“not yet. We kinda just hook up from time to time but i plan on asking her to be my girlfriend soon though” he said seriously as he looked at me
“so… you love her?” i asked, my hands started to shake out of anticipation
“yeah” he said without hesitation . my entire world stopped. tears immediately began falling from my eyes, i looked down at my feet, unable to look at satoru anymore
“y/n what’s wro-“
“i’m in love with you” i cut satoru off
‘i’ve been in love with you for so long. I’ve been trying to muster up the courage to tell you but… i was scared. So i planned to finally tell you tonight”
“y/n-“
“Once i saw you and you gave me this beautiful necklace i thought for sure you had the same feelings for me but…” i said, cutting him off again
“… i saw you laughing and touching on riko so i.. i still wanted to tell you though because i love you so much and i-“
this time satoru cut me off by abruptly standing up and pulling me into a hug. I broke down and started crying in his arms
“i’m sorry y/n. If i gave you any false hope i’m sorry. I gave you the necklace because you mean a lot to me, but you’re my best friends little sister. You’re also only 15, i’m 18, i just wouldn’t feel comfortable dating you right now. I love you y/n, but… i’m not in love with you…. i’m sorry” satoru said as he hugged me tighter
“i’m really sorry y/n” he said again
“it’s.. alright satoru” i said through broken sobs
“satoru?” he asked
“no more toru? you know i don’t let any other girls call me toru-“
“sorry but can i be alone please” i said, cutting him off for the third time tonight
“y/n…” he started but trailed off
“you can have the necklace back too” i said as broke out of his hug unlocked the door, opening it after
“no, the necklace was a gift to you” he said as he walked towards me, now standing in the doorway. I began taking the necklace off anyway, too hurt and embarrassed to listen to anything he was saying
“give it to your girlfriend instead” i said holding the necklace in my palm waiting for satoru to grab it, tears still running down my face. out of the corner of my eye i saw suguru and shoko standing at the top of the staircase, but i didn’t care. i was too hurt to care about who was watching
“y/n stop-“ satoru said more sternly this time pushing my outstretched hand back towards me
“take it and leave me alone! i hate you!” i yelled and threw the necklace at satoru, i then slammed the door closed in his face and locked it
“y/n… i… i’m sorry” satoru said from behind the door. i heard him walk away and say something to shoko and suguru. I then heard suguru ask satoru to tell him exactly what happened and their voices faded so i assumed they began walking downstairs. A few seconds later a soft knock came from my door. There was a brief moment of silence before i heard “it’s me” i immediately unlocked the door and swung it open to see shoko looking at me with a sympathetic look on her face. she hugged me and i started crying again. The rest of my night consisted of me crying to shoko until i fell asleep.
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hey y’all! i hope the story isn’t too confusing, it sounds better in my head but i feel like i’m not very good at getting my words/ thoughts across in story form. So just in case anyone is confused let me clarify a few things
so, y/n is 3 years younger than suguru and his group of friends which is satoru, shoko, choso, nanami, riko, and haibara. For any other characters i add in as suguru’s friend they’ll be around his age.
For the other characters like megumi, nobara, yuji, and any other characters in y/n’s class/ characters i add in as her friends are the same age as y/n.
i hope that’s not too confusing!
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chamomiletealeaf · 3 months
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❄️ Baby It's Cold Outside ❄️
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When you, a barista at a cozy coffee shop is on the closing shift, a familiar face walks in just as you’re about to get badly snowed in from an unexpected snow storm, leaving you with no choice but to stay the night, a café couch, and the company of Simon Riley.
wc: 4,184
a/n: So sorry this took so long ugh! So much has been happening recently with my birthday last week, Christmas, and some mental health issues. But! I'm doing better! And writing always helps. This was super fun to write and I hope you all enjoy! Happy Holidays everyone! <3
Warnings: None! Avoid reading if you don't want to be smothered with super adorable fluffiness.
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“Tonight’s forecast will be a high of 35 and a low of 20. Expect up to five inches of snow tonight. Stay safe, and stay warm. Happy Holidays!” The weather woman on the TV cheerily smiled as she gave the weather report. You listened to the TV as you wiped down a tiny circular table the only two customers just got up from in the little coffee shop you worked in, desperately trying to scrub away a dried coffee stain left due to the lack of a coaster used despite it being provided at the table. 
*spritz spritz*
You spray the table again, sighing as you finally wipe away the chestnut colored ring stain. Five inches of snow tonight meaning less customers, or at least you hoped. You loved your job, but man were you tired. It was a holiday weekend after all. You’ve been working at the little coffee shop on the corner of the city for what seemed like ages now. You enjoyed the ambiance of the place. How comforting and cozy it was no matter what time of year, the warmness of the fairy lights illuminating the room, the ring of the bell above the door when people walk in, the quiet chatter of customers enjoying a little break in their day, the soft clanks of dishes and cups being placed down or picked up, and the slight buzz of the coffee machines whirring. It all became something so familiar to you. Comforting in a way. Sure there was always the occasional rude customer that sometimes made you want to cry in the break room or burst out laughing with your coworkers in the back, but that made your job all the more interesting. What made up for it was the amount of good customers you had. Super kind regulars who always tipped well and shared their lives with you, some even inviting you places with the group they were with. 
But your favorite customer was quite the opposite of the other chatty regulars. You only ever saw him a few months at a time, and you never caught his name, but you always recognized him and remembered his order, always patiently awaiting his return. He was a big, tall man. Intimidating even, with light blonde hair that was always a bit messy as if he had just pulled a hat or mask off. You noticed the slightest sliver of tattooed skin on his left forearm when he would reach over to hand you a tip or to pick up the Earl Grey tea he always got with just a little bit of vanilla creamer in it. You always tried to make his orders look pretty to brighten his day, and for him to know it was special from you, so you always put whatever mini flower from the plants in the café you took such good care of in it. You hoped he would notice that his tea was the only one with the little purple flower in it. He only said a few words but tipped very well and would wait his turn to be served by you which you always thought was strange, since other baristas' lines were free. He never shared anything about himself other than small talk you would make with him, but he seemed happy to engage in your conversations due to the slight upturn of his lips when he listened to you talk. He was stealthy and quiet, like a lone wolf keeping distance from other animals, and the way he lurks in the shadows, observing like a ghost. His tired, soft, sweet, honey brown eyes never left yours as you spoke and you swore you could find the faintest hint of relief, no, comfort in them when he listened to ramble. You sometimes got lost in the way his light brown freckles on his nose, cheeks, and around his eyes looked like constellations and you wondered if any of them actually matched any. I mean, he did look like he was sent from the heavens above where the stars lived anyway. He was just that gorgeous. You wouldn’t be surprised if he was a speck of stardust turned into a human, with him being so pretty and all. He was kind of like a shooting star too. If you look away for a second, you might miss him. But if you do catch a glimpse of him once in a blue moon, you can’t help but feel like the universe is on your side. 
There wasn’t anyone left in the coffee shop but you after the last two customers left. It was close to 8 pm. The shop closed at 10 but considering the outdoor conditions, maybe you would be able to close a little earlier and get home before you wouldn’t have a way out. You finally finish wiping down the tables and pushing in all the chairs and take a second to look outside as you make your way back behind the counter. Gray dark skies darken the little part of the world you’re in and white flurries begin to fall, creating a light blanket of snow muffling the sounds of the earth the way a pair of fuzzy earmuffs might. As you watch the snowflakes fall from the inside of the café, mesmerized by their glistening, you hear the door chime. You snap out of your trance and scurry behind the counter, not looking in the direction of the door trying to make it look like you were working. Still not looking towards the customer, back towards the counter, you turn on the coffee machine and greet whoever walked in.
“Hi, welcome! How are y-”
You turn around and stop in your tracks when you see him. Blonde hair disheveled as always and sullen eyes looking ever so slightly relieved, cheery even with the way you catch the subtle glimpse of what can best be described as a hopeful twinkle in his pretty brown eyes. 
“Hi love.” The sound of his deep Manchester accent floods your body with warmth and you can’t help but smile.
“Well, look who it is. I haven’t seen you around here in ages! Started to think you found another shop.” You giggled, leaning on the counter in front of you subconsciously bringing yourself closer to him. 
“How could I? Could never find service like yours anywhere else. No one could make my tea as good as you can either.”
You look down and smile abashedly, flustered by his kindness and a bit shocked at his talkativeness. You figured it was because of the privacy you two had alone in the café.
“I’m so sorry to show up with the weather like this, but I just got back from work yesterday and I’ve been missing a bit of warmth.”
“Oh don’t apologize! I always have time for you.” You smile at him and you both look at each other for a bit, both getting lost in the other’s gaze.
You snap out of it first, jumping back from the counter to turn to put the kettle on. 
“Come, sit! I’ll make your usual.” You gesture to the bar stool at the counter and he pulls a chair out and watches you make his tea.
“Earl Grey with just a splash of vanilla creamer still, yeah?”
He chuckles and crosses his arms on the counter leaning on them.
“I don’t know how you do it.”
You smile to yourself, back still turned to him as you prepare the loose leaf tea to steep. You’re glad he’s finally opening up to you a bit.
The weather woman on the TV comes back on, gaining both of your attention. You turn your head from the tea kettle to the TV above the counter to the right, leaning back a bit to see and Simon looks too. 
“Well it looks like we’re getting more snow than initially expected tonight. From now until early morning, expect blizzards with over ten inches of snow. Stay safe and warm everyone!”
You and Simon look at each other after the weather woman finishes and the TV goes to a commercial break.
“Damn, I should take this to go then. Don’t wanna keep you open too long. They got no one else helping you close? Would hate to have you drive home in this.” He says.
You panic for a second hearing his plans to leave the shop so you can close and your eyes widen.
“No no! It’s- it’s ok.” You say a bit loudly.
“If anything, I’ll take the subway. I don’t live too far from here.” You reassure him.
He frowns at the thought of you traveling home alone.
“Well, maybe I’ll walk you then. It’s the least I can do to thank you for your hospitality.”
“I’d like the company.” You say with a smile.
You pour his tea into the cup and go to place it in front of him, but pull back at the last second.
“Oh wait! I almost forgot, don’t drink it yet!” You say as you jog over to the flower plant by the coffee machine, picking a tiny purple flower off of it. You bring it over to the cup of tea in front of him and place it in.
“I take care of the plants myself. Don’t worry, they’re clean.” You smile and he looks at the little flower floating around in his tea.
“You know, I only put flowers in your tea.” You giggle, and he looks up.
“Thank you. It’s lovely.” He lets himself smile back at you, heart melting at the way you’re so giddy and happy to serve him and treat him so special that he doesn’t even notice the storm outside, and neither do you. 
You do notice, however, that you never caught the man’s name.
“You know, I never got your name, after all the times you’ve been here.” You say to him.
He takes a sip of his tea, and hesitates for a second, thinking about whether or not to tell you his real name. You don’t know about his job, or who he is at all. No one other than the Task Force does. He wouldn’t want to put you in any danger. He’s already risking enough going out in civilization without his balaclava, figuring that it would attract more attention due to him sticking out being the only one with a mask on. But as he places his cup down on the saucer and looks up at your wide, patient eyes awaiting his answer, what kind of person would he be to let you down and kill the anticipation in your eyes, let alone lie to you? After all you’ve done for him? All the kindness you’ve shown? Maybe just a first name would be ok. After all, anyone could find out his first name from anything really. He opens his mouth then closes it, then opens it again.
“Simon.” He answers. “My name is Simon.”
Your heart flutters and melts like a snowflake falling on salted pavement at the sound of his name coming from his voice. 
“Simon.” You repeat back smiling. “Simon Simon Simon.” You chant in a sing-songy voice, getting used to the name. “That’s pretty. It suits you.” You say, cheeks starting to hurt from the smile plastered over your face.
Simon blushes at the sound of his name falling from your lips, finding himself wanting to hear it more often.
“What’s your’s love?” Simon asks.
You tell him your name and it was his heart’s turn to flutter and melt. He smiles at you and whispers your name to himself, familiarizing himself with it. He’s never felt so warm before, and he was quite shocked with the feeling, almost alarmed at it. He straightens up in his chair to try and stop himself from losing himself in you.
“That’s beautiful.” He smiles again, and takes a sip of his tea again.
A bang on the glass of the window on the other end of the shop grabs both of your attention. You both turn your heads and look outside, forgetting about the storm out there.
“Geez I forgot it was a blizzard out there.” You say worriedly. A gust of wind picked up a fallen tree branch and thrusted it against the window pane which caused the noise. 
Simon notices the worry in your voice and expression and an instinct to comfort and protect you takes over his being. He’s afraid of it. It’s unfamiliar, but he can’t help it, especially not when your pretty face looks anything but happy and the way your baby hairs messily poke out from your ponytail.
“Let me help you clean up. I don’t reckon anyone else coming by tonight. I’ll walk you to the subway.” Simon says, almost too enthusiastically and who are you to say no to those warm, honey brown eyes. 
But as you open your mouth to answer, the power goes out. Causing you to yelp instead of speak, leaving you and Simon in the darkness, both snapping your heads up at the ceiling to try and find where the light bulbs were that just flickered out. 
“Well, closing is gonna be a bit more difficult tonight than expected.” You say.
“Shit.” Simon says. 
There isn’t any light except from the glow of the snow from outside, but you can still make out Simon’s strong features, still looking so handsome, even in the dark. 
“There’s a fireplace by the couch. It’s gas powered so it should work.” You leave from behind the counter, stumbling around to find your way over to it. You feel around the mantle and sigh in relief when you find the switch. You switch the fireplace on illuminating the coffee shop and Simon gets up from his seat to walk over to the window, leaving his tea on the bar top. He looks outside and you make your way over to his side, and look out the window too. 
“The snow is too high to open the door, let alone walk in.” Simon says.
“Simon?” You say in a quiet voice.
He looks down at you, and you never really realized the height difference between you two, considering he’s normally sitting down at a table when you are talking to him.
“Yeah hun?”
“I don’t think either of us are going home tonight.” You say and wrap your arms around yourself due to the sudden chill in the room from the power outage. 
Simon looks out the window again, thinking of how to answer, or what to do next. Then, he laughs to himself, then looks back down at you.
“Unfortunately, I think you might be right love.” He says, and the pet name immediately warms your insides up again. 
You both stand there staring out the window a bit, unsure of what to do next.
“Well.” You say, breaking the silence. “Might as well get comfortable then. Looks like we’re staying the night.” You blush to yourself at the thought of spending the night with Simon. You also think to yourself how you’re asking for a raise when you get out of this mess. You move to sit on the couch in front of the fireplace, and Simon follows, sitting on the opposite side, nervous to get too close to you. You take off your apron and let out your hair, and Simon can’t help but watch you and how your features become more defined with the light and shadows created by the luminosity of the fire. You looked so beautiful and Simon has never felt so safe and happy. It’s weird to him, considering he barely knew you at all, and he’s not used to feeling this way, but he lets himself, just this once. 
“So.” You say, leaning back into the couch, taking off your shoes and pulling up your legs to sit criss crossed. 
“What do you do for work?” You turn and ask him, and his smile fades a bit. He turns his gaze towards the fire and you notice the change in his demeanor and you regret asking. 
“Can’t exactly talk about it.” Simon says, remembering that, right, he had a job. A scary and difficult one. 
“Oh. Sorry.” You apologize, and turn your gaze to the fire as well. 
Simon notices the embarrassment and regret in your voice and he snaps his head back to you.
“Oh no no it’s ok love. Not your fault.”
His reassurance makes you feel a little better and you regain some of your confidence.
“Well, you already know what I do for work.” You joke. 
Simon chuckles at that and leans back in his seat, looking back at the fire, getting more comfortable. 
“That I do.” He says, and he spreads his legs and puts an arm on the ledge of the couch behind him, making you blush since his arm was almost touching you. 
“And you do a damn good job at it.” He smiles.
You look at him looking at the fire and you notice the reflection of the fire in his eyes and how well the warm colors compliment each other. You wished you could stay here like this forever, just looking at him, just being with him, even if you barely knew him at all. There was something so domestic about Simon. Something so… homely.
Even with the fire going, and despite the warmth Simon made the inside of your body feel, the cold air of the dark coffee shop began to prick at your skin once again, causing you to wrap your arms around yourself as you and Simon sat in a comfortable silence staring at the fire as if it were telling you both it’s deepest darkest secret. Simon notices you curl in on yourself and he turns his head towards you.
“Here.” He says after a second, analyzing why you curled up, and he begins to take off his fleece lined cargo jacket. 
“Oh no I’m ok.” You lean away from him a little, not wanting him to sacrifice his comfort for yours.
“You’re shivering love. It’s ok, here, take it.”
You reach out and grab the heavy jacket and place it over your shoulders. It was big, heavy, warm, and smelled like him. Like mahogany teakwood and firewood that once burned but went damp from rainfall, leaving only clouds of smoke as evidence of it ever being set aflame. He smelled earthy, musky, but nice and clean with a hint of raw sweetness like a jasmine flower, and you drowned in it.
“Thank you.” You said shyly, flustered at how intimate wearing his jacket was.
“Looks better on you than it does me.” Simon says, and you giggle. 
You look at each other and smile for the millionth time that night and scooch a little bit closer to him and he does the same. The blaze of the gas fireplace lighting up the little corner of the coffee shop you two sat in with a low orange glow. 
You glanced out the window which reminded you of the storm outside. All of a sudden, you remember something.
“Oh my god!” You gasp and stand up, startling Simon a bit.
“What is it?” Simon asks, a worried expression on his face.
“I completely forgot oh my god.” You say as you throw his jacket off and scurry off the couch to a closet hidden away in a tiny hall for the employees to walk through to get to the break room next to the kitchen. Simon turns his body and watches you run away, hearing your shuffling about in the hallway.
You feel around the closet and finally feel a cardboard shoebox.
“Ah, yes.” You whisper to yourself as you pull the box down and search in the dark through it. You feel what you’re looking for and you smile to yourself, picking it up out of the box and holding it to your chest and you place the shoebox back into place and begin your way in the dark back to the couch.
“Everything alright back there?” Simon asks, body still turned towards you and you emerge from the dark back into the light of the fire, something small and rectangular in your hands. 
“I remembered that we have this for emergencies.” You say, and pull the item away from your chest, presenting it to Simon as you take your place back next to him on the couch, sitting on his jacket. 
I thought this would be helpful so we don’t have to drain the battery on our phones.
In your hands was a tiny, black, battery powered AM/FM radio.
Simon looks at the item in your hands and smiles at how cute you are. You would have no way of knowing Simon’s expertise when it comes to radio and communication especially in a dire situation. He finds your enthusiasm so adorable and he lets you have your moment, especially when you look so proud of yourself.
“Smart.” Simon says with a smirk.
“The batteries should be fully charged, since we never used it before.” You say as you fidget with the tiny box, trying to find the switch to turn it on.
“Who knew we would ever have to us-” The sound of static abruptly interrupts you and you jump a bit.
“Ah, there we go.” You say and adjust the dial on the side to find a signal, and the sound of a weather report slowly fades in, drowning out most of the static.
“Blizzards tonight with winds exceeding 40 mph at the least. Power outages have been reported across the city. It’s unsure when the power will come back but live updates will be provided.” You and Simon stare at the radio in your hands and listen to the report with eager ears.
“You know, it’s funny.” You say, speaking over the radio, gaining Simon’s attention. “One of the first things you said to me was that the reason you came by today was because you needed something warm, which is kinda the exact opposite of what’s happening now.” You say with a chuckle. Simon nods his head with a smile.
“Well, I didn’t exactly mean something warm like the temperature love.” He says, and you blush at his reference to what could only mean you, keeping your gaze on the radio in your hands, trying to ignore his eyes boring into you.
You adjust the knob on the radio and switch it to FM, trying to find some music to ease the tension in the air between you two. After a few adjustments and turns, the static fades into soft jazz music and you light up at the lovely, rich sound of the saxophone and piano through the tinny sound of the old speaker. You place the radio on the coffee table between the couch and the fireplace and wrap Simon’s jacket around yourself again. The warmness of him, the fire, and the relaxing jazz music made your head fuzzy, and you could feel yourself getting tired. You move in closer to Simon and he puts his feet up on the coffee table, crossing one ankle over the other. You feel him hesitate a bit before he places an arm around you, securing you by his side.
“Is this ok?” He whispers to you.
“It’s perfect.” You look up at him and whisper back with a smile. “Even though we don’t know how long we’re gonna be stuck here.” You laugh to yourself at the absurdity of the situation, still finding it hard to believe.
Simon hums in agreement, but he doesn’t mind, and neither do you. Not when you two are together like this. You lean your head on Simon’s chest and he turns his body towards you slightly, making himself more comfortable for you. You two hardly knew each other, only the feeling you both got when you were in each other’s presence, but it still felt like you two didn’t know anyone in the world but each other for your whole lives. You let yourself drift off to sleep against Simon’s chest, wrapped in his jacket with the soft light of the fire and slight staticy jazz music from the mini radio, letting yourself leave the stress and worry of the aftermath of being trapped at work for the next day. Simon lets himself drift off to sleep too. The snow is too piled up for anyone to come in or out, and it’s not like you two are completely stranded, so Simon’s survival instincts could be put off for a while. This was a problem to worry about tomorrow. Because right now, all that mattered was the softness Simon was experiencing inside that he never felt before, even if it terrified him. It just felt right. 
And even though Simon’s heart was cold, harsh, and sometimes unforgiving, matching the conditions of the current weather, the only thing that was cold right now, was the world outside the coffee shop on the corner of your little city.
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lvlystars · 8 months
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his birthday, his shitty navigation skills, and your paranoia! — c.sc
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pairing. choi seungcheol x gn!reader
genre. fluff, a bit of panicking and reader overthinking and being paranoid.
summary. when your boyfriend trusts his ability to get his way around an unknown area, you can expect that all goes to shit.
warnings. none really :/
a/n. this is so poorly written i'm so sorry 😭. also happy (belated) birthday, seungcheol (aka my pookie 🫶🫶🫶)
wc. 1.1k
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“those falls over there, they lead to–” you turn to notice that once again, seungcheol is not beside you. “oh my god.” you groan, rubbing your temple in an attempt to remember where you last saw him out of the corner of your eye, snacking on some shrimp chips he bought after lunch.
walking back to the café you both were previously at, you look around, hoping to find your boyfriend just wandering around the café, waiting for you to find him again. to your dismay, seungcheol was nowhere to be found, and knowing seungcheol, he trusted his poor navigation skills once again and got himself lost.
pulling out your phone, you dial his phone number, hoping that his phone was on ringer mode. as your phone rang on, your heart sinks as the line goes to voicemail, the panic settling in.
“fuck, where did this kid go?” you whisper, sending him a message to reply with his whereabouts.
you're startled when jeonghan’s caller id pops up, yelping out loud and making a few eyes turn to you. apologising and bowing, you walk away to pick up the call.
“jeonghan, we have a problem.” you mumble as soon as you slide the green icon, pressing the phone up to your ear.
“what? why?” he replies in a confused tone.
“i lost seungcheol.”
complete silence is heard on the other side of the line as you bite your nails—a habit that you never seemed to shake off, and a habit that seungcheol seemed to dislike, explaining that it’s not good for you and he loves seeing your nails “long and pretty”.
“y/n, what do you mean you lost–”
“I LOST SEUNGCHEOL.” you hiss. “i went out with him for brunch like you wanted me to, then we went to a café nearby and just chilled for a bit, before we went on a little stroll for fun! i don’t know how i lost him but i did!” you ramble, your breathing quickening as you take in the situation. possible scenarios pop up into your brain as you try to control your breathing, and it only induces your panic.
“y/n, honey. i need you to calm down first, and i want you to know that seungcheol just called me and said he’s at some park, so breathe.” you calm down when you heard that he was at least someplace safe and public. “second, he said he doesn’t know where the fuck he’s at and he sounds pretty scared which is really fucking funny when he prides himself in his apparently wonderful fucking navigation skills so that’s something to laugh about.” you hear jeonghan snicker on the other end of the line, making you roll your eyes.
“jeonghan, let him live, won’t you? he’s just…”
“full of himself? fuck yeah he is.” you scoff as you shake your head. “you’re so mean.” you chuckle. “alright. i’ll see if there’s any parks nearby and call you guys back if i find him.” you say before you cut the call and start walking around.
you’re now on the verge of tears when you approach a park full of children, all happily running around and sliding down slides.
you walk over to a nearby bench, shoving your head into your hands as you silently sob. you’ve never really been away from seungcheol like this in the 4 years you’ve been with him. well, yes you have, but you never lost him like this. you’d always manage to find him within an hour or so, and now, it’s been almost 3 hours since you lost seungcheol. there was no doubt that you were scared now. as more time passed by, the worse the scenarios in your head grew.
what if he got distracted by a dog on the street and got himself bitten? what if he met up with a friend and went on a coffee date with them, only to find out that he was a bad person and he hurt him? what if someone tried robbing him? what if he got hurt? what if–
the sound of a familiar giggle pulled you out of your thoughts, and you immediately look up.
lo and behold, your boyfriend, choi seungcheol, was playing around with some 5-year-olds on the playground, pushing them on the swings and laughing along with the children.
immediately getting up, you sigh out in relief and run over to seungcheol, tackling him in a hug and completely losing it.
“woah!” he laughs out, bringing one arm over your shoulder as you hide your face in the crook of his neck. “youdon’tknowhowlongittookformetofindyouiwassosca–”
“hey, hey.” seungcheol pulls out of the embrace and holds you by your shoulders and bends down to your eye level, bringing his hand up to your cheek to wipe away your tear that had fallen, adorning a stupidly dopey smile on his lips which almost immediately washed away all the anxiety and fear that once coursed through you.
slinging your arms around his neck once again, you held him tight as you planted a fat kiss on his cheek, making him giggle like a schoolboy as he snaked his arms around your waist, pressing you close to him. “i don’t even know how i lost you, baby.” seungcheol murmured into your hair as he squeezed your waist in a reassuring manner.
scrunching your eyebrows, you pull away and look up at your boyfriend, and he looks back at you, feigning an innocent face with playful nature underneath it. “you got lost yourself and you know that, you son of a–”
“ah! there are children here.” seungcheol presses his index finger on your lips, effectively hushing you. out of the corner of your eye, you spot jeonghan and joshua waving towards the two of you and making faces that clearly indicated that we have to get the fuck out of here because the restaurant reservation we made is in less than 10 minutes and we are 10 minutes away from the goddamn restaurant.
“cheol, honey.” you mumble, noticing that seungcheol was clearly leaning in for a kiss, despite the young audience around you. he hums, still leaning in, and you pull away, making his eyebrows furrow in confusion. you point behind him, and he turns, groaning when he notices the two.
“oh god,” he pinches his nose bridge. “they planned something and now they're late for it? what's it for? my birthday?” you slowly nod, sheepishly smiling. seungcheol widens his eyes as he connects the dots, and gasps.
“YOU WERE IN ON THIS?!”
“...happy birthday?”
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tags 🏷️ –
@star1117-archives @kyeomyun @seonghwas-lighter @jaehunnyy @leo-seonghwa @wqnwoos
networks 🔗 –
@preciousillusions-net @caratsland @cacaokpop-fics @k-labels
SVT WORKS
send an ask or drop a comment if you want to be added to my general taglist!
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ⓒ lvlystars
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goddess-of-green · 2 years
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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐭 | ℍ𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕪 𝔹𝕚𝕣𝕥𝕙𝕕𝕒𝕪 ℕ. 𝕂𝕠𝕞𝕒𝕖𝕕𝕒
(i've had this concept in mind for a while and decided to put the bday spin on it since it's lucky boy's birthday!! i hope we can make it a good one for him <3 also this fic was pretty much inspired entirely by the pic + gwen stefani's bubble pop electric)
Warnings: GN!Reader, NSFW, making out, car sex, hand jobs, dry humping, pet names (honey, lovely, pretty boy) Komaeda cries lol what's new
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"Tonight, I'm gonna give you all my love~ in the back seat." You hummed under your breath as you drove to pick up Komaeda.
You bit your lip to contain your excitement as you pulled up outside the library.
Today was special.
It was Komaeda's birthday.
He didn't know you knew. You had asked him a couple months ago when his birthday was (shortly after you two started dating), but he'd deflected and insisted that you shouldn't bother remembering the birth date of "someone like him."
You'd been working really hard with him to try and raise his self-esteem, and while he was still self-deprecating, it was progress.
You'd gotten the date from Ms. Yukizome though, who giggled knowingly when you asked.
__
"You make it a good one for him, Y/N! You know he needs it."
You smiled at her.
"You have no idea."
__
As you'd learned through dating him, Komaeda was very pent up. The first time you two kissed, he got an erection.
He was mortified, but you thought it was cute how embarrassed he was.
Unfortunately, chaste kisses were as far as you two had gone. Any time you tried to take it further with him he got too nervous to continue.
You'd never rush him, of course. You wouldn't dream of forcing him into something he wasn't comfortable with and taking advantage of him. Though you would be lying if you said you weren't itching to take things further with him.
Maybe if you showed him some extra love today, he would start to loosen up.
That was the plan, at least.
After a few minutes of waiting outside the library, you got out your phone to text Komaeda of your arrival, somewhat surprised he hadn't come out by now.
It alerted you that he read the message immediately, but it was still a few minutes before he came outside.
Komaeda had been avoiding you all day. Running off to the library for something right after your classes ended for the day, and seeming hesitant to accept your offer to come pick him up when he was done.
He couldn't seem to say no to you though, and he concessioned that you could pick him up after a few hours.
Now, here you were, waiting outside the library with Komaeda's gift in your glove box.
He'd stayed at the library until nearly closing time, it was now dark out and very few cars remained in the lot, all of which you were sure belonged to the few staff members still here.
The gift you'd gotten him was a Hope's Peak ring. It had been rather difficult to get your hands on, but knowing how much Komaeda adored the school, you knew it was worth it.
You had almost gotten some sweets as well, for lack of a better idea, but you knew Komaeda prefered savory snacks, so you opted for an alternative. (Which was also in your glove box.)
Your eyes followed Komaeda as he finally emerged from the library.
Despite the initial wait, Komaeda approached your vehicle quickly, looking excited to see you.
He opened the passenger door, but you stopped him before he could so much as greet you.
"Get in the back."
"Huh? Why?" He tilted his head curiously, but you only sent him an enigmatic smile.
He complied, of course, closing the passenger door and getting in the back. He sat in the middle of the two seats and leaned forward to be closer to you, after setting his bag down beside him.
"Hello, my hope. I'm very happy you made an effort to see me." He smiled. "Ah, but I'm back here. Is this your way of saying I'm not worthy of being so close to you? Forgive me for making you wait."
You sighed, but it was good-natured. This was just the way Komaeda was.
"Of course not, honey. I just had something else in mind. I'm happy to see you too."
Before he could respond, you opened your own door and joined him in the backseat.
"Besides, I wanted you back here so that we could be closer..."
You climbed into Komaeda's lap and wrapped your arms around his neck, smirking as his eyes widened.
Leaning to press a sweet kiss against his lips, he returned it easily, though you noticed the slight tremor that ran through him.
Running a hand up and down his forearm in a manner of comfort, you smiled at him. "Happy birthday, Ko."
His eyes widened at the sentiment, and he suddenly seemed less comfortable in your car.
"Ah! H-How did you...?" He smiled, though a hint of confusion and distress was present on his face.
You just giggled, tucking your face into his neck. "I'm your partner, Ko. It's my job."
"J-Job...? Wh...I-... You didn't have to..." His lip quivered and he looked away from you, looking suspiciously like he was about to cry.
You snorted, running your fingers through his hair and setting a hand against his cheek.
"But I wanted to. I want to make you happy. I want this to be a good day for you. How come you've been avoiding me all day?" You asked, frowning as you continued to run your fingers through his hair.
Komaeda looked down. He was still smiling, but you knew that he felt ashamed.
"Well, my luck tends to act up on this day. I can never tell what's going to happen, but it's usually not good." He explained, confirming your suspicions.
"You thought it'd hurt me?" You asked softly as your thumb caressed his cheek.
The lip quiver was back. You continued to caress his cheek as he nodded against your palm.
"F-Forgive me for my insolence-" He began but you cut him off.
"Shh, shh. No need for all that, lovely." You leaned in to kiss his cheek.
"Let's just focus on making this a good day for you, 'kay?"
You felt him shiver. "If that's what you want."
"That's always what I want." You replied, kissing him again.
He kissed you back with a whimper, tentatively letting his hands come up to rest on your waist.
You twirled a strand of Komaeda's hair as you kissed him, holding back a smile as he hummed against your lips.
After kissing him for a few moments, you gained the courage to try and push things a little further--licking against his lips with your tongue, silently asking for entrance.
Komaeda gasped, but opened his mouth a moment later to let you in.
You felt him start to harden underneath you as you sucked at his tongue, and couldn't help but laugh a little.
You really liked doing this with him.
Still making out with Komaeda, you relished in all his little noises of pleasure as you rolled your hips against his experimentally.
The reaction was even more than you were expecting.
Komaeda moaned a little louder than he would have liked, and instinctively reciprocated the motion.
Taking that as a green light, you kept grinding against him as you started to trail your kisses down his neck.
Komaeda groaned as you started to suck hickeys into his neck, and wrapped his arms around your waist to tug you closer to him.
"Y/N...Ah..."
"Yes?" You replied teasingly, knowing it was rhetorical as you went back to leaving love marks on his pale neck.
"You...You're good..." He slurred, "...I wanna kiss you again."
Not needing to be told twice, you brought your face up from his neck to meet his lips.
He was completely hard now, and you couldn't resist the urge to trail your hands down to work his belt buckle out of the loop.
Seeing where you were going with this, Komaeda whimpered against your lips, but he didn't stop you.
Still, you needed to be sure.
You pulled away from the kiss, smiling as Komaeda tried to follow your mouth with his own, his lips pink and swollen from your advances.
"Are you okay with this, lovely?" You asked gently, looking him in the eyes for confirmation as you gestured to where your hands had headed.
Tears actually pricked at his eyes this time, and he nodded as quick as he could-- he wanted your hands back on him.
"Yes- Yes of course! I want it. I always have..." He admitted, flushed and out of breath.
Without another word, you smirked, working his pants down his legs just enough to reveal his clothed cock through his underwear.
You palmed it and went back to kissing him, swallowing all his moans and loving the way he rubbed up desperately against your hand.
Feeling his pace start to increase, you pulled your hand away, not wanting him to cum immediately
He whimpered at the loss of stimulation, but didn't say anything, waiting for your next move.
You pulled his boxers down to finally reveal his cock. The tip was flushed a pretty pink and precum dripped from his weepy slit.
You spread it across the head with your thumb, and he moaned as your thumb rubbed over his frenulum.
"F-Fuck." He gasped. "Y/N..." He arched his back.
Stroking his shaft now, and increasing the pace as you saw fit, you went back to kissing him.
You pressed your kisses to his cheek at first, then moved towards his mouth, coaxing him to return your kisses.
Breathing heavily, but understanding, he tilted chin up and tried to meet your kisses best he could, but often broke away to let out a noise of pleasure.
Komaeda couldn't believe that he was doing this with you.
You, his gorgeous partner that he didn't deserve at all, had gone to the trouble of finding out his birthday, spending it with him, and doing- doing this with him!
He was...ecstatic! Excited! His heart was warm and buzzing with butterflies as you kissed him again and again.
He swore he could die happy under you like this.
You giggled at his blissed out face, kissing him where his neck met his jaw, and feeling his cock start to twitch in your hands.
"You're such a pretty boy...aren't you?" You murmured into his skin, tone sultry as you looked at him like he was your greatest treasure.
That was it. There was nothing on his mind then but the blissful white hot pleasure that ran through him, his beautiful partner's skin and lips against him, whispering sweet nothings and touching him more intimately than he'd ever known.
He came a lot, making a sticky white mess of your hand and his shirt, luckily missing your seats.
He gasped and breathed heavily as he came down from his high, and you kissed and stroked him through it, only pulling away when he whimpered and twitched at the overstimulation.
You pulled out some wet wipes you kept in your car and started to clean off your hand and then Komaeda.
He leaned back, limp against the seat as he tried to regain his breath.
"I've- I've never..." Komaeda panted, his head leaned back against the seat.
"What? Cum that hard?" You grinned teasingly, stroking his hair after you tucked him back into his pants.
Unembarrassed, Komaeda nodded, eyes closing tiredly.
You giggled, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. He was so cute.
More than cute...
"I know I might be moving kind of fast here, but..." You smiled at Komaeda's flushed and sleepy face.
"I think I'm in love with you."
Suddenly, two surprisingly strong arms pulled you in close as Komaeda nuzzled into your collar bone.
"D...Do you really?"
You smiled and hummed in affirmation, feeling tears against your skin.
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meetmeonafineline · 1 year
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i couldn't want you anymore tonight
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honey i'm home! chapter 3
series extras | ask me anything | masterlist | series taglist
TW: alcohol consumption, partying
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february 1st, 2019.
"Happpyyyyyy birthhhdayyyyyy tooooooooooooo youuuuuu" the group chants as they surround Harry, y/n holding a large chocolate cake in front of him; candles illuminating his joyful expression.
He blows out the candles as they cheer around him. Harry then jokingly pretended to go to smash y/n’s cake into the face, her then doing the same to him followed by y/n pressing a kiss to his cheek and ruffling his hair. The usual group of friends, along with some of Harry's other closest friends and family, had gathered in his favourite london restaurant after he had agreed to meet his mum and sister there on the evening of his birthday. Little did he know, the rest of his friends were waiting behind the restaurants bar to surprise him to celebrate his birthday.
The aqaurius in Harry always loved being celebrated, but hated the idea of other people going out of their way in order to do things for him - It made him uncomfortable to say the least. However, the people around him made him feel the opposite from uncomfortable. After being surprised by his friends, Harry was a little overwhelmed by all of the support, and felt guilty that they had gone to all of this effort for him. He was expecting a quiet dinner with his mum and sister; and now hes surrounded by the rest of the people he cares for most in the world. Some of his friends had even flown in from LA and even Japan in order to celebrate with him.
On top of this, Harry knew that this was all y/n's idea. She wouldn't take credit for it if it was the last thing she had to do. Y/n wanted to make sure Harry was properly celebrated, he works so hard and often goes off the radar when working, keeping his work life entirely separate. When Harry's working they don't see him often, so it was moments like these where he felt so lucky that they still valued him and cared for him in this way.
Y/n was the kind of person who always checked in on him, knowing that when he'd go to work or book a studio session, that it was likely he would be out of contact for as long as it took him to complete something. Y/n would always encourage (not force) Harry to talk about his feelings, and encourage him not to entirely fall off the face of the earth. She knew Harry didn't want to burden people with his feelings, and Y/n knew how this felt. That's why she made sure she was always there for him, because she didn't want anyone she loved to be made to feel like a burden for something so human as feeling emotions.
Perhaps that's also why it was so important for Y/n to make sure he knew how loved he was on his birthday, reiterating how important he was to all of those around him. She'd planned the party with help from Jeff, Harry's manager, who managed to rent out the restaurant, (as the owners were more than happy about it once they knew it was one of their favorite regulars) and also managed to fly out some of his other closest friends from across the globe whilst she sent out invitations for the surprise and sorted out food and ensuring that Gemma and Anne knew the plan very thoroughly.
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She was thrilled that Harry was in his element as they gathered around him and whooped and cheered loudly as he blew out his birthday candles. Harry then quickly came over to hug Y/n, whispering his thank yous to her repeatedly. Y/n was quick to hug him back and ruffle his curly hair "Anytime darling" she said with a large smile at him. She handed him another tequila and soda after pouring one for herself, y/n joined in Harry's conversation with some of his school friends, as he drunkenly introduced her to them - forgetting that they'd already met many times before at different events like this. He was drunk and slightly slurring his words, a slight lisp peeking through his words on occasions - but if you can't get drunk at your own birthday party, when can you? He was quick to gasp when one of his favourite songs came on, Dreams by The Cranberries, and rounded the group up to dance together. They were all laughing at his drunken dance moves and his attempt to almost yodel at the end part of the song.
The clock had then passed 2am and it was just Y/n, Jeff, Tom, Tyler, Harris, Glenne, Ben and Meredith left as they all were very drunk after far too many shots of far too many different types of alcohol. They hopped in a large taxi to go home. Harry had become very energetic, almost resembling a toddler with the amount of energy he somehow had. He'd extremely enthusiastically said goodbye to all of their friends, until it was just y/n and Harry left in the taxi, as y/n was the penultimate stop before Harry was dropped home.
When the taxi pulled on to her street, y/n made sure to tell the driver where to pull up and Harry practically leapt out the car - whilst it was still moving - to get to y/n's side of the car to open her door for her. He held his hand out and the two giggled as Y/n accepted it to get out of the car and uttered a "Thank You Mr Styles, What a Gentleman for once" as she began to walk up the steps to her house. Harry followed her up and after she'd fumbled around for her keys, she went to step into her flat's building. Harry was quick to grab her waist and pull her in towards him. Without any time to think, Harry pressed his lips to Y/n's and kissed her with all the passion he's had for her since the day they met. She didn't pull away. Y/n reciprocated the kiss as Harry pulled her closer to his own body and she tugged on his brown curls. Sure, they're both drunker than drunk; but doesn't this epitomise the huge amounts of love for each other? They both know what they're doing, but they don't know what will come next.
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HEHEHEHEHEHEHHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE Chapter 3, et voila. let me know what you think!! its going to be a bumpy ride from here, buckle up folks. talk to me too, i'm lonely!! shares, reblogs & likes are all hugely appriciated!!!!
series taglist
taglist: @cookielovesbook-akie @tobesolily @isaidoop @tbsloneely @kayodxo-blog @b-reads-things @harrysgraceland @grapejuice-rry @rileyjadee @lightsupvol18 @humptyhoran @alienorknight @harianaswhore @arichella @lilsiz @sunsol-22 @tenaciousperfectionunknown @lilfreakjez @onlystylesss28 @floras-33 @sunshinemoonsposts @lomlhstyles @harrysdaydreamm
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sanjis-all-blue · 11 months
Text
Ch. 1 - Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous
Modern AU Bodyguard!Law x Socialite!Reader
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summary: it’s the first day with your new bodyguard. will he be able to keep up with your lifestyle?
wc: 5k
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SFW - Discretion is Advised. See Warnings.
•——————•
warnings: y/n is a bit of a spoiled brat, alcohol consumption/descriptions of inebriation, swearing, rehab mention, murder mention, cult mention, y/n gets slapped, pudding mention, femme reader in mind (ma'am is used)
•——————•
AN: hi welcome. I’ll try and keep my notes quick here but you can read extended notes and character tags on ao3 if the mood strikes you - I tried to leave some preferences intentionally vague for y/n (colors, food, music, style, etc). Law is maybe slightly OOC. Not every character relationship will be 1:1 to canon (ex: Doffy is not considered Law’s uncle in this AU.) Hope you enjoy ch. 1!
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Vivi: You’re meeting your new bodyguard today right? Nami: how much does that even cost anyway? Boa: LOL what if he’s ugly
Your phone pinged with messages from your group chat as you impatiently waited in your living room for said bodyguard to show up. It was the morning of your big birthday celebration and you had a lot to do: get your hair and nails done, deliver the song requests and guest list to the club you rented out, make sure the decorations were to your specifications, check that your cake was done correctly this time, then come home and actually get ready. The last thing you needed to be doing was waiting around.
It seemed as your business mogul daddy got richer and more powerful, his list of enemies grew longer. So, he insisted he hire you a full-time bodyguard. 
There was little room to argue on the matter, but now you worried that Boa’s text was more prophetic than funny. What if your bodyguard was ugly and you had to be seen with him in paparazzi tabloid photos? You shuddered at the thought. 
This guy was 10 minutes late, so the arrangement was off to a poor start already. After everything you did for him too? You had to give up one of the guest rooms in your lavish-yet-understated mansion for him so he could be with you 24/7. You couldn’t even put him with the rest of your team in the detached staff house.
Almost as if your thoughts summoned him, the doorbell rang. You heard your house manager, Shachi, welcome him in and they made their way to your location in the house.
One look and you were happy to be worried about nothing. This guy was handsome. He had to have been 6 foot 3 or so, with long legs, a slight but toned frame, tan skin, black scruffy hair with sideburns, a trimmed beard, and honey-colored eyes. At least, it seemed, he had some sense of fashion with small gold hoops in his ears that matched a gold chain around his neck, steel-toe boots, crisp black jeans, and a tight white tee shirt under a black bomber jacket. And were those tattoos on his hands? Giving him another once over, it looked like he could use a nap, but he wasn’t hard to look at in the slightest.
He extended a hand to shake yours. “Trafalgar Law.” His voice seemed softer than his appearance.
“Great to meet you, but you’re late. We need to get going.” You brushed past his hand. “Shachi, tell Ikkaku to have my smoothie ready by the time I get back.” Shachi nodded and followed you as you headed towards the door, Trafalgar in tow. “Also can you have Penguin switch out the lightbulbs in my powder room for something with more natural lighting? I have to do so much editing on my selfies so I’m not so...bleh.” Get warm bulbs, the interior designer had said. 
Stepping outside, you saw a new armored BMW in your roundabout driveway. You huffed because it wasn’t nearly as cute as your regular car.
“This is what caused the delay.” The bodyguard said, stepping around you to open the backseat door. “There was some extra paperwork.”
“Couldn’t Daddy have gotten me something cuter?” You slid into your seat, getting a fresh whiff of new-car smell.
Trafalgar leaned over the door and before closing it said: “It’s about safety, not cuteness.”
You scoffed. He walked around to the trunk and pulled out his suitcase and luggage trunk to hand off to Shachi - presumably his clothes, toiletries, and other things to get him settled in your house - then climbed into the driver's seat.
You: He’s hot but kind of a dick.
You hit send on the message to your group chat.
“Where to first?” Trafalgar asked, putting on black sunglasses and fastening his seatbelt.
After giving him the name of your high-end salon, the two of you were on your way. Trafalgar Law was a good, cautious driver, and clearly knew his way around the other psychos on the road. He asked if you wanted to listen to the radio, which you declined. He asked about the itinerary for the day, then wished you a happy birthday after you filled him in.
“My actual birthday is on Wednesday, this is just the beginning of my birthday week,” you explained.
He smirked and looked at you through the rearview mirror. “You need a whole week to celebrate your birthday?”
“Well today is the party, tomorrow is brunch with my girls. Monday is dinner with Mama and Daddy. Tuesday, some guy I’ve been seeing asked me to block out time for him. And, uh. I guess I don’t actually have anything planned for the day of. Maybe I’ll fly out somewhere for a solo adventure.”
Trafalgar raised an eyebrow at “solo.” You rolled your eyes. This was going to be more annoying than you originally anticipated.
Once you reached the salon you stepped out of the car and Trafalgar followed suit. The receptionist welcomed you in, knowing you well, and handed you a glass of champagne.
“Would he like some as well?” She asked.
Trafalgar, who had already made himself comfortable in the waiting area politely declined. That’s when an idea struck you.
If this guy was going to be glued to you 24/7, he had to learn how to hang with you.
“Actually, do you think you can squeeze in an extra mani-pedi?” You asked mischievously, tilting your head towards him. Trafalgar looked up at you with a stern expression, his tattooed fingers gripping his knees.
“Of course!” The receptionist smiled politely.
You heard Trafalgar’s voice, low and stern behind you. “What are you doing?”
“Chill out, Traffy, it’ll be fine. You look like you need to relax anyway.” You grabbed his elbow and pulled him over to the wall of polish. “Now pick your color.”
“I’m not picking a color.”
“If you don’t pick a color, I’ll pick for you.” Your hand hovered over the neons.
With a clenched jaw, he picked black - of course - and pushed it to your chest. “Toes only.” Your eyes narrowed but you accepted the compromise.
Throughout the entire process, he looked rather uncomfortable. His body tensed as they massaged his forearms and calves. He could barely stand to look as they applied the lacquer to his toenails. The tension in his jaw alone looked like he could have cracked a tooth. It was all for the best, however, as his cuticles were in horrendous condition.
It took a few hours, but now that you were pampered, you were ready to move on with your chores for the day. 
Trafalgar slammed the door shut after he let you in the car, which made you jump. After he settled behind the wheel you asked: “What is your problem?”
Law inhaled through his nose. “Nothing, ma’am. That was just a little out of my comfort zone is all.” You crossed your arms at the answer.
Nami: who doesn’t like pedicures? Boa: I woulda made him get his nails too tbh Vivi: Don’t torture the man, [Y/N]
He punched the address of the club into his phone to get directions and took a deep breath before starting the car. Maybe Vivi was right. He was here to do a job, after all, not be your friend.
Once you got to Ivankov’s you ran through the checklist with the party organizer, Inazuma. Trafalgar went to talk to the flamboyant owner to get details on the security for the place. 
The decorations looked great. The club had your guest list. The DJ, some up-and-coming social media guy named Scratchmen, had a killer playlist. The cake was due to be delivered in a few hours.
You turned to see Trafalgar talking to the bartenders. They were showing him those lids they could put on drinks to make sure no one got drugged without their knowledge. You grumbled. They weren’t very cute, but if it meant your guests were safe, you figured it was for the best.
You knocked on the bar top to get Trafalgar’s attention. “You’re not gonna be, like, following me around all night are you?”
“No, actually.” He said turning towards you. A wave of relief washed over you. “I’ll be sitting up there to keep an eye on you.” Your gaze followed his pointed finger to the mezzanine level of the club, to one of the private tables.
“Ugh, but that table is for Uta!” You put your hands on your hips.
“Then move Uta.” Trafalgar said sternly. Something about his tone gave you the impression there was little room for argument.
You threw your hands up in defeat and turned to Inazuma to go over the seating situation. The fix ended up being to give Uta that weirdo Doflamingo’s table. If he didn’t like it, he could leave.
Even though it took some extra time, you and Trafalgar were finally on your way to the bakery to make sure the cake was to your specifications. There had to be enough for everyone, and last year, the color was a blush pink when you asked for rose gold. 
Pulling up to the bakery, Trafalgar’s face dropped a little, and you caught it.
“What’s wrong now?” You asked, exasperated with his peculiarities.
“I thought it was going to be more like a confection shop,” Trafalgar responded. 
You chuckled. “No, the Charlottes bake all sorts of things here.”
The man mumbled something you couldn’t quite hear. Ignoring him, you stepped out of the car and he followed. The smell of freshly baked bread wafted through the air. At that, Trafalgar’s nose contorted.
“I’m going to wait outside.” He declared. “Don’t take too long, please.”
You pitied him a bit, figuring maybe you’d put him through enough today, and there was still more to come with the actual party.
Inside the bakery, it was apparent that Pudding had worked her magic on your cake, that bitch. You didn’t like her all that much, cause she was apparently super manipulative to her boyfriends. But, she made the best sweets in town, and they looked good in an Instagram carousel.
Last year, your birthday barely made a splash on the socials, so this year, you wanted the good press. GRWM’s, best and worst dressed lists, an a-list guest list, and well, whatever else you wanted.
After passing off Inazuma’s number to one of the Charlottes so they could coordinate, you paid and left.
Trafalgar was leaning against the car, holding his nose, eyebrows furrowed under his sunglasses.
“Do you not like the smell of bread?” You asked with a raised brow.
“Can’t stand it.” He opened the car door for you.
Boa: what kind of person doesn’t like bread? Nami: we love a gluten-free moment Vivi: This guy sounds so interesting.
After you made it home, you picked up the smoothie Ikkaku had made you from the kitchen. Trafalgar excused himself to go unpack his things. Waiting for you in your powder room was renowned make-up artist Bon Clay.
“Let’s get you gussied up, baby!” He cheered, handing you a flute of more champagne.
As he did your make-up, you two swapped the hot gossip. Yonji had gone to rehab again; apparently, that yoga guy Eneru was starting a cult; and Porche got her nose done. When you brought up that you had to give Doflamingo’s table away, Bon Clay gasped. “Viola just totally left him too, so he’s going to be in such a bad mood.” You rolled your eyes. He was a grown man, he could deal with it.
With hair, nails, and makeup done, and the moon high in the sky, you could finally get dressed. Bon Clay gave you a kiss on the cheek then frolicked out the door after he finished packing his kit.
You put on a new dress, and your jewelry, and you set your shoes aside. Now it was just the waiting game for your entourage and limo to show up.
Wanting to get a good base in your stomach, you sauntered into the kitchen to see Trafalgar, Shachi, Penguin, and Ikkaku standing around the island chatting. The three members of your house staff seemed absolutely smitten with your new bodyguard.
“Ikkaku, what’s something I can eat before drinking that won’t make me super bloated?” You asked, opening the fridge.
Ikkaku pulled herself away from the conversation to fix you something. They must have been talking about Trafalgar’s job.
“Have you ever killed anyone?” Penguin asked him with a grin that he shared with Shachi. You gasped.
“What answer makes you feel safer?” Trafalgar asked with a smirk, taking a sip of his water. 
This made your house manager and groundskeeper howl with laughter. Ikkaku handed you a rich protein shake, just in time for the doorbell to ring.
Shachi moved to answer it, but you’d rather not be here for the response to the original question. So, you motioned for him to stay then shuffled to answer the door.
There stood Nami, Vivi, Boa, and Robin, all looking super hot.
“Robin you haven’t said anything in the group chat all day,” you joked. She just shrugged with a chuckle. Robin was one of those supermodels who had millions of followers on social media but only posted once a month, sometimes less. She was “unplugged” - as some say. She gave you a kiss on the cheek and walked past you.
The second raven-haired beauty stepped through the doorway. Boa, on the other hand, was very engaged with the limelight. She built her own women’s self-defense and fitness empire with her two sisters, then leveraged it into book deals, small-time acting gigs, and was in the middle of negotiations for her own talk show. 
After her walked in Nami, an actress and model, who really made her fortune in well-timed and smart investments. She had brand deals with many luxury companies, which always kept her well-dressed and well-traveled. The fact that she was in town for your birthday week was its own blessing.
Last came Vivi, bonafide royalty. She was beautiful and kind to boot, but old-world wealthy in every sense. If anyone was keeping you all on your best behavior, it was her. Anything that involved potential debauchery, she politely declined.
You waved behind Vivi to her two bodyguards, Chaka and Pell. They nodded in response. At least you knew Law wouldn’t be alone at that table tonight.
“I wanna meet the bodyguard!” Nami cheered.
“He’s not a puppy.” Vivi laughed.
The girl squad rounded the corner to your kitchen, where Ikkaku had thoughtfully prepared more smoothies for your friends, but otherwise, it looked like she, the house manager, and the groundskeeper had dispersed.
Law sat at the corner of the island, scrolling through his phone. He stood as your group walked in, sliding his phone into his back pocket.
You introduced everyone to each other and he gave nods to all of them, bowing his head extra deep for Vivi. 
“How’d you like getting your nails done, Mr. Bodyguard?” Robin asked with a polite smile.
He raised an eyebrow at her way of addressing him. “It was fine.”
“He’s just being nice, he hated it.” You said. He didn’t deny it.
“By the way, [Y/N], I figured you wouldn’t want me to crash the party in your limo, so I’ll be following behind in the BMW.” Trafalgar said. It was all business with this guy.
“Oooh, that’s your car in the driveway?” Nami cooed.
“[Y/N]’s father purchased it for her protection.” He explained.
They chatted more about the car while you zoned out. All you could think about was just having a good time tonight.
It wasn’t much longer until Shachi came in to let you know the limo arrived. You stepped out into the cool night air, giddy with excitement. This party had been in the works for months.
Trafalgar introduced himself to Chaka and Pell and they set off about bodyguard things while you and your friends got in the limo.
Boa immediately popped the champagne while you all got settled. The five of you listened to music and sipped and gossiped until you pulled up to the club.
The paparazzi were, of course, already waiting for you while also taking opportunistic shots of some of your high-profile guests as they got out of their own cars.
The flashing lights and people calling your name were something you don’t think you’d ever actively like, but you were used to it nonetheless. After throwing them a few sound bites and blowing a few kisses, the bouncers led you into your party.
There were so many people to say hi to, so many hugs, and so many kisses on the cheek. So many friends and frenemies lurked in every corner of this dark club. Music thumped through your body, shaking you down to your bones. Slowly you made your way to your table where some of your other close friends were waiting for you.
Zoro, the most reluctant male model and action star you ever met, was pounding a beer. Sanji, a child actor turned celebrity chef, immediately stood to greet you and your lady friends. Usopp, a stand-up comedian, seemed to be deep in an argument with Luffy, a stuntman both professionally and recreationally, about pissing etiquette (“Usopp, where do you stand if someone has taken the middle urinal and there’s only three?”). Gross. Next to them was Franky, a race car driver, and Soul King Brook, a career musician turned producer, and they were arm wrestling. Your friends were silly, but they were your friends.
(Unfortunately on this evening, two other close friends were missing. Regrettably, Jinbe, the co-owner of Brook’s label, couldn’t make it due to something involving alleged tax evasion, and Chopper, a child prodigy, was simply too young for this kind of party.)
You slid into the booth, and Sanji immediately started asking about your day, which was inconvenient with the loud music blaring around you. 
“Sanji, I want to drink, and dance!” You yelled at him. While you were happy to be here and enjoy your party, you still needed some liquid courage before cutting a rug. He pouted a bit, but then flagged down a bottle girl.
“Luffy! Usopp! Please stop talking about this!” Nami scolded.
“Oh thank fuck, it just was non-stop.” Zoro groaned.
Once your drinks were in front of you, the group toasted to your birthday. Scratchmen even paused the music to announce that you were in the building and ready to party, causing a cacophonous cheer in the crowd.
After you slammed your drink, you were jumping out of your seat to go dance. Sanji, Usopp, Nami, Vivi, and Boa followed. Franky was about to stand up, taking Robin by the hand, until Luffy asked “So Franky, so you wipe front to back or back to front?” which caused him to sit back and contemplate, and was also Zoro’s cue to leave.
Down on the dance floor, you moved your body to the music, enjoying the shared revelry. Every once in a while, a familiar face would pop into view, and you’d say hi, laugh, and give hugs. The close proximity was making you warm, but you were having so much fun it hardly bothered you.
Wanting another drink, you squeezed your way to the bar. After putting in your order, you turned to look at the crowd, then glanced up at Trafalgar’s corner. He was sitting with Chaka, Pell, and a few other strong-looking people, presumably other bodyguards. His face was illuminated by his phone screen, but he’d occasionally glance around the room. His eyes met yours, and you quickly turned away.
Suddenly you felt two arms hang around your shoulders, one from each side. “Yo, let me get some shots for the birthday girl.” 
You looked up to see Luffy’s brothers, Ace and Sabo, with Ace holding up three fingers toward the bartender. Like their brother, Luffy, they were in acting. Ace had accidentally pigeonholed himself into leading man rom-com-type roles. Sabo, on the other side of you, was a familiar face for horror and suspense fans. Sometimes he’d cross over into blockbuster films as a villain, but he claimed to like smaller-budget films more.
The bartender poured three shots, and you all slammed them back. You grabbed your original drink, as Ace and Sabo gave you pats on the back before going off to make their own mischief. 
Every time a new celebrity walked in the door, the crowded dance floor would hoot and holler. Sometimes you’d try and see who walked through the door, but most of the time, there were just too many bodies in the way.
The party went on, and the music stayed great the whole time thanks to your excellent curation. You tried to pace yourself on the drinks, but everyone wanted to get you a shot or a drink or have you sit at their table for a bit. 
Things were getting a little hazy, and you were getting a little sleepy. You could hear the swell of the crowd when another guest walked in but no longer had the wherewithal to try and identify this person. The music moved your body on the dancefloor, which was exactly what you wanted for your evening.
You didn’t know how long it was between hearing that sound and feeling a hand on your shoulder. You turned to see bleach-blond hair, a giant pink feather jacket, and the tackiest fashion crime of all: sunglasses indoors. “Doffy!” You chirped.
“Don’t give me that you bitch! You gave away my table.” He yelled. A few people around you turned to witness the outburst.
You shrugged, a drunk smile on your lips. “I’m ssorry,” you said. “I had to make room ffor Uta.”
“For Uta-” Doffy mocked with a scoff. “Do you even know who I am? I’m leagues ahead of that little pop-tart. How dare-”
“Is all thiss anger ‘cause of Viola?” you said, pointing an accusatory finger at him, feeling smug. That was until you felt a sting across your cheek as Doflamingo backhanded you.
A few things happened in quick succession:
You stumbled back but were luckily caught by someone. 
The disorientation swirled the room around you so that you couldn’t quite observe Trafalgar delivering a picture-perfect right hook to Doflamingo’s own cheek. 
A few people around you cheered as the pink menace fell to the floor. 
Ace and Sanji seemingly appeared out of nowhere to help you. 
You could hear Doflamingo’s protests over the music as some bouncers and Trafalgar threw him out of the club. 
The two handsome men were pulling you to the bathroom so they could take a look at your cheek.
It took a little bit for the shock to set in but on the way to the washroom, your eyes started to overflow with tears. The pain was mostly gone but it was embarrassing. It was mean. It was just a fucking table for fuck’s sake.
Ace sat you on a chair in front of a vanity while Sanji held your hand. The two of them were asking if you were okay, telling you that you were safe now, but you couldn’t help but cry. 
It was quieter in the powder room, but you could still hear the music through the walls. You were even missing your favorite song to deal with this. 
Nami rushed in with a towel wrapped around ice, which she held against your cheek as she kneeled in front of you. “Luffy, Zoro, and Boa went after him,” she chuckled. “But your Trafalgar guy really got him good.”
Your hand replaced hers on the ice, the drunkenness ebbing and flowing with all the adrenaline in your body.
With a soft sniffle, you looked at yourself in the mirror. You were gonna have to send some extra money to Bon Clay later because your makeup had barely budged. While getting slapped was jarring, you mostly just wanted to forget about it for now, and deal with it later. The beautiful cake you had gotten for this party was still waiting to be cut into.
“D-Do you think…” you started. The three friends leaned in, ready to help you however they could. “...Do you think Scratchmen will replay my song?”
The three of them laughed and helped you up. Nami checked over your outfit and your makeup, helped you reapply lipstick, then the four of you stepped out.
When you rejoined the crowd, a bunch of people cheered. It helped, knowing that these people thought Doflamingo sucked too. He was an actor by trade but made most of his online fame through being a generally awful person on his podcast. 
You saw Nami run up onto the stage, hollering something in Scratchmen’s ear.  He nodded.
“Aaaaall right people,” he spoke into the microphone, turning down the music a bit. “Who wants cake?!”
The crowd cheered. After a few beats, the cake was rolled onto the stage by one of Pudding’s cute brothers (you were pretty sure that one was Katakuri). Two others followed behind him, pushing carts with a stack of plates and cutlery respectively.
The rest of this was a blur in your memory as the alcohol caught up to you. You remember going on stage and everyone singing happy birthday to you while you took a few pictures with your cake. The brothers started doling out slices of cake to whoever was within reach. Scratchmen played your favorite song again. You danced a bit more and tried to get some water in you. 
Eventually, you knew it was time to go. It must have been the earlier hours of the morning at this point, but this party still hadn’t slowed down. You checked your phone to see the status of the girls you came with.
Robin: I’m leaving with Franky, but I’ll see you all at brunch tomorrow. :) Vivi: Chaka and Pell are taking me home, and we’re dropping Nami off too. Thank you for the good time, ladies! Boa: Wait, @Robin - Franky?! Anyway, I left with Crocodile. We have business to discuss. See you tomorrow!
That at least took one thing off your plate. So you opened a new text.
You: I’m ready to leave, please.
You headed towards the door, looking around for Trafalgar. You started to get worried. Last you heard of him he was taking Doflamingo outside. You hoped nothing bad happened to him.
Again, as if your thoughts summoned him, you felt a hand on your lower back. You looked up at him and he just nodded wordlessly, guiding you outside.
He opened the door for you and wrapped his arm around your shoulder while you dipped your head. That didn’t stop the lingering paparazzi from snapping pictures.
“Is it true Doflamingo slapped you?!” One of them called out. “Are you going to press charges?!”
“Have you seen the video that’s going viral?” Another one called out. A chill ran up your spine. 
“Is that the guy who punched Doflamingo?! Who is he?”
There were too many questions. Law grabbed the keys to the car from the valet, opened the back door for you, and guided you into your seat. He then grabbed the seatbelt, leaning over you to buckle you in.
His closeness and your drunken state made this feel way more intimate than it probably was in actuality, but you felt your face get warm anyway.
Trafalgar didn’t seem to notice, or care, so he closed your door and walked over to the driver's seat.
On the ride home, you opened your phone to all the messages from friends thanking you, wishing you a happy birthday, and asking if you were okay. It all seemed a little overwhelming right now.
You cracked the window to get some fresh air.
“[Y/N], are you okay?” Trafalgar asked, his voice…oddly soft, with a tinge of concern.
“Mmm, yeah.” You said, leaning against the cold glass. “Just gotta sleep it off.”
“Can’t fall asleep just yet.” He said. Your eyebrows furrowed. “You have to take your makeup off, right?” 
You were annoyed because he was correct, but that didn’t stop you from letting out a laugh. “How do you know about that?”
“One of those other bodyguards told me all about it. Her name was Hina, I think. Works for…oh what’s her name…” he snapped his fingers trying to remember. “She needed two bodyguards for some reason even though I know I’ve seen her kick ass in movies. She does all her own stunts.”
“Tashigi.” You answered.
“Yes! Tashigi.”
“Hina and Smoker are her assistants too. She’s kind of clumsy and forgetful, honestly.”
“Enough to need two people? That’s impressive.” 
“Do you watch a lot of movies, Traffy?” You asked, trying to keep yourself awake.
“When I have the time.” He said. “It’s funny, I’ve seen a lot of your friends on screen.”
You smiled softly. He was way more talkative than earlier. “I’ll have Shachi and Penguin get a TV for your room so you can watch movies.”
“Oh. Thank you.” Trafalgar looked at you through the rearview mirror. “Also, was that Sanji Vinsmoke?” 
“Mmhm.” You hummed affirmatively.
“Man, I used to love his show as a kid.” He said with a small smile on his face.
The car pulled into the driveway, and he opened one of the garage doors to park.
He came around and helped you out. “Wait, wait.” You said, holding his shoulder. You slipped your shoes off, so you could painlessly walk to your room.
“Goodnight Traffy.” You said, standing in front of your door.
“Law.”
“What?”
“You can just call me Law.”
“Mmkay, Law.” You closed your door behind you, and you heard his heavy footsteps walk towards his own room a few doors down.
You fell face-first onto your bed. One night of makeup wasn’t going to hurt anyone.
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fruitcoops · 3 months
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Solstice Sweetheart
Happy Secret Santa, Elise! This was such a fun prompt to tackle, and I hope you find as much joy in the New Year as these three <3 O'Darwin belong to @lumosinlove and the Cold Brewed Enchantments/ witchy coffeeshop genderbend AU is credited to the server's lovely minds!
Nat inhaled.
Bottles on the table—mostly. Repurposed jars held most of their previous contents, and those had been scattered to kingdom come since the night began. As they should be, of course. He could think of nothing worse than a mediocre solstice party. Awkwardness was born and bred in the cliquey little huddles of a party gone wrong.
Nat exhaled.
None of that, now. The house was still standing. People had fun. Out-of-control spellwork had been kept to a dull roar, even after the firewhiskey made an appearance. He could feel, deep in his soul, that it had been a good night.
Glass chimed in the other room. Kasey, if Nat had to guess. That sound had the hallmarks of her careful handling all over it. Alex was somewhere on the stairs if the heavy footsteps were any indication. If she was untangling the streamers from the banister, Nat was going to…he didn’t even know, anymore. He had spent the better part of a year since Alex’s arrival in their little town trying to figure out what the hell was going on between his girlfriend and the gorgeous new girl, with naught but a spinning head to show for it.
They knew each other. Kasey had told him that much. The dulled gray-blue of her tone said more than words could.
Soft humming floated through the empty doorframe. The gentle rasp of Alex’s voice had such a lovely color to it, like fresh maple syrup or crystalline honey. It glowed against the jewel tones of the rest of her—rich, curling clues tucked in tight next to sparking reds.
Kasey’s braid caught the light when she turned, only just visible through the kitchen doorway. Nat had loved that about their house since the first day; so few doors to still the air. Something was always in motion, always making noise. He wished Kasey could see it—the brilliance of sound, the cool shades of her voice—but she just seemed to like it so much when he described it.
And maybe that was something just for him to cherish. Their life clung to the ceiling corners like cobwebs. Words and music and laughter. A snippet of Kasey singing ‘happy birthday’ had been lingering in the dining room window since the summer.
“Winter!”
An electric blue comet zipped from the stairs to the kitchen sink.
“What?” came the mossy wave of Kasey’s answer.
“Knutty promised pastries for us tomorrow! She’s trying new recipes. Needs extra mouths.”
Alex would need more hands if she was trying to text Leo and clean at the same time. Nat gathered an armful of empty bottles off the table and dumped them into the recycling bin before turning to the staircase, where one sneaker-clad foot was barely visible through the slats in the railing.
“New recipes?” he asked.
Alex’s face popped into view. Still freckled, even in the dead of winter. Nat felt his stomach perform a funny little flip-flop over itself at her bright smile. “Oh, hey!”
Orange and gold fireworks, crackling about her head. “Thanks for cleaning that up.”
“Ah, don’t worry about it.” Alex’s vague wave sent a curlicue of taupe his way. His mouth tanged with citrus when it reached him. “Least I can do.”
“None of the other guests stayed to help,” Nat pointed out, bending to collect a few paper crowns.
“None of the other guests are as gracious as me.” Her smile was quick and mischievous, but genuine. How often had Nat thought the same of its owner? “Get up here, Music Man. Where’s your solstice sweetheart?”
“Downstairs, with the dishes.”
Alex pulled a face that made her pointed nose wrinkle. “I told her I’d handle those.”
“Clearly it worked,” Nat teased. “Don’t feel too bad. You know how she gets around the solstice.”
A test. Just a teeny-tiny-itty-bitty maybe of a test. Alex’s fond smile was far and away the best answer. “Yeah,” she said, darting a grin toward Nat. “You’re a lucky one, Darcy. It ain’t easy being a seasonal delight.”
“I think she’s pretty great all year.”
“Good answer.”
It was times like this when Nat wondered if Alex could see what he saw. Or at least, if she understood. Dark topaz eyes ticked along the path of pensive purple.
Alex had been speaking in purple a lot, lately. He knew why. Even without his gift, he’d be a fool to miss the way she reached, hesitated, ached for Kasey now that their distance could be measured in inches instead of borders. It pulled at them both, torn edges of the past snagging on the present. He knew what it felt like to match himself to Kasey’s steady keel and let her draw him through her oceans. Alex spoke like someone who had swum those waters before, unafraid that Kasey would ever close the ice around her.
Nat…wanted that. For himself, and a laughed morning, Music Man held in golden parentheses, but more than that, for Kasey. She deserved so much. He could give so much. But if Alex had ridden out the storm and found harbor in Kasey’s heart enough to linger after all these years, Nat would be worse than a fool to let that fall away for his own sake. He could love them both.
Did.
Would.
“Nathaniel.”
“Alexandra.”
“You’re thinking at me.”
“You’re in love with my girlfriend.”
Alex’s hands never stuttered on the loops of ribbon. “Yes.”
Butter yellow. A pastel, more tender than her heavy saturation, but unyielding. “You didn’t stay here just to be a good guest.”
“No.”
Dandelion cradled in blush pink. “You’re in love with me.”
“Yes.”
She didn’t whisper. He didn’t know why he thought she would. Alex never whispered. She was far too vibrant for it to do any good. It didn’t matter if she was banging on their door to drag them out for a taste of Leo’s kitchen witchery or falling asleep on their throw pillows in her fox form—wherever Alex was, the world grew brighter.
“You should tell her,” Nat said.
“I won’t get in the way of what you have.”
“You won’t,” he agreed. It had lacked the fuzzy edges of a question, but that didn’t matter. Anything, as long as she understood.
“It’s—” The maroon undercurrent of her voice curdled mauve. Her gaze fell on him with the weight of a feather alighting on the water. “It was before you. I let her go. It’s okay.”
“Alexandra.” An old joke between them, perhaps too flirty for simple friends. Nat propped his chin on the end of the railing and made sure she was looking, really looking, before he continued. “I’m in love with my girlfriend, and I’m more in love with you every time you come by, and I’m pretty sure our solstice sweetheart has been head over heels for you since the day you met.”
Alex’s lips pressed together, but the smile ticking at the corners betrayed her.
“It seems like a waste to sit here and be sad on the stairs when Kasey Winter is in the kitchen and waiting for you to say something,” he finished quietly.
His heart should be racing. His stomach should be in knots, all aflutter the way it had been when he first asked Kasey out. But with Alex looking at him like she could hardly believe the marvel of her ears, he found only calm waiting.
“Yes.”
Crimson bloomed around the word. Alex was so sure of herself—Nat thought he might love that most about her, from not-so-sneaky tips stuffed into her sister’s café jar to her utter confidence that whatever new drink she brought to their doorstep would be the most delicious thing they had ever tasted. She was unfailingly correct. His eyes flickered to her mouth.
“What are you waiting for?” she challenged.
“Kasey first.” She deserved so much.
Alex’s smile grew, and she pushed herself up with a “don’t have to tell me twice” that flashed peacock through the stairwell. Peacock, like Kasey’s laughter on the first day of winter when her magic was thick and strong in her veins. Nat was pretty sure some part of his heart beat just to hear that sound and watch it coat their home.
He was already reaching for the ribbon where she left off when Alex’s hand closed around his wrist and dragged him after her. He couldn’t help a laugh and didn’t particularly want to—turquoise shimmered ahead of them where Kasey was singing along to the record player under her breath. What a thing to have waiting.
“Winter.”
Kasey looked up, a casserole dish held in both hands under the warm water. Her eyes darted between them; a golden brow arched. “What did you…”
It took two steps for Alex to close the distance between them. She shut the faucet off and took Kasey’s hands from the sink, holding her wrists between them without a care for the water dripping on them both. “Please?” came the lilac-soft request.
Any other time of year, and Kasey might have questioned it.
The solstice lined her in threads of gold and blue. Her cheeks were round and flushed pink with power, and her hands were steady despite the anticipation that quickened her breath when she looked to Nat, then back to Alex, then to Nat once more. “You spoke?”
“Yeah.”
Kasey leaned in and kissed her without a moment’s hesitation.
Nat watched Alex’s ribs expand to accommodate a deep breath in—tiny crystals of ice began budding in the water droplets on Kasey’s skin as she cupped her hands around the back of Alex’s head and exhaled, long enough for steam to billow up between them. It was kind of the season to let everyone else see how much of a wonder she was.
“Mmm, wait wait wait,” Alex hummed when Kasey began pulling away. She closed her hands around Kasey’s forearms without a care for the chill and kissed the smile from her lips in a burst. “Storm girl,” she whispered with periwinkle fondness that made Kasey blush. Her thumb traced the peony-pink of her cheekbones and Nat steadied himself on the countertop. “Gods and fae, I missed you.”
Nat loved her when she was a chattering fox on their couch, and loved her when she was tall and kind and warm in every word. He loved her when her booming reds mingled with Kasey’s mellow blue in harmony so perfect it struck him silent, just to listen and watch for a second longer.
“Nathaniel!”
When Alex pulled away to launch herself into his arms with a laugh so bright and happy he could see it through closed eyes, he thought he might love her so much he’d burst with it. The solstice was the time of greatest and best change for them. He could think of no better way to start anew than with Alex beside them.
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thatjadedhotmess · 1 year
Text
nightmares
pairings/characters: kazuha x gn!reader, thoma x gn!reader, ayato x gn!reader
warnings⚠️: skin contact (lots !), pet names (e.g. love, sweetheart), tw: food (in thoma's),
synopsis: what would they do if they see you having a nightmare.
wc: 1k~
note: hiiii im back after awhile of not posting i hope you didnt miss me too much/j anyways,, ayato's is super long because this piece started bc of him :> likes and reblogs are greatly appreciated ! <3 you can also check out the other versions of nightmares here !
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kaedehara kazuha (楓原万葉)
☁︎︎ hums a tune to soothe you.
☁︎︎ he was writing his poems that night on the ship while you slept soundly beside him
☁︎︎ there was a little celebration on the boat that evening to wish one of the Crux’s members a happy birthday
☁︎︎ you and kazuha had headed back to your room after helping out with the cleanup of the ship and it was already about 1 am when you guys officially finished.
☁︎︎ soon after changing out into a set of cleaner clothes; you sunk into the mattress, letting the sound of the waves and rocking of the boat lull your exhausted body to sleep.
☁︎︎ kazuha sat cross-legged beside your sleeping form. He took his book out as well as a pencil, penning down his thoughts as he tried to string them into a poem.
☁︎︎ he instantly realised you were having a nightmare when your eyebrows because knitted and a slight grunt escaped your lips; the peace on your face having been disrupted.
☁︎︎ he shifted himself, moving even nearer to you so that he could stroke your hair, brushing a thumb soothingly across your forehead as he started to hum a tune.
☁︎︎ it instantly soothed your mind, even though you weren't conscious kazuha could still tell, the way your facial features started to relax when he started to hum and the way you curled up and snuggled into his side were all good signs that your nightmares were finally starting to dissipate.
☁︎︎ after he made sure that you were in a better state, he snuggled up behind you, cradling your body as he too, allowed himself to fall asleep to the sound of the ocean.
thoma (托馬)
☁︎︎ he warms a glass of milk for you.
☁︎︎ it had been an absolutely amazing day with the Iradori festival taking place, getting to spend time together with ayaka and ayato and eating all the delicious festive goodies while watching the fireworks.
☁︎︎ you and thoma pretty much fell asleep immediately after reaching the Kamisato estate, plopping down onto the futons in your share room after finishing up your respective tasks and a quick hot shower.
☁︎︎ he tucked you into his chest, an arm around your shoulders and his chin resting atop your head.
☁︎︎ it was maybe 2 am? 3 am? When he realised you were having a bad dream. This had never happened before but it was unlike you to thrash in your sleep.
☁︎︎ he tapped you awake. It took less than a minute before you woke up, startled.
☁︎︎ “are you ok love?” he is concerned, to say the least, having never seen you have a nightmare scared his poor soul out of his body. “I am, sorry for waking you up,” you said, slightly embarrassed that you had woken thoma up from the much-needed sleep.
☁︎︎ “it’s alright, really. I think some warm milk would help. wanna go with me to the kitchen to grab some?” he asked.
☁︎︎ the idea seemed nice, so you nod your head before you got pulled to the kitchen, trailing right behind him.
☁︎︎ he quickly got to work. heating a pot up with enough milk for two first, moving on to grab two mugs, adding some honey into them before he waited for the steam to appear on top of the pot.
☁︎︎ “back in mondstadt, whenever I had nightmares as a kid, my mother would make this for me and tell me a bedtime story. worked like a charm because the thing I knew, daylight had broken and a new day had begun.” he chuckled, the milk starting to steam just as he finished his story.
☁︎︎ and he was quite right. After leading you back to the room, thoma handed you the warm cup of sweetened milk and you fell asleep like, five minutes after finishing the drink.
☁︎︎ “good night, y/n. don’t let the bed bugs bite.”
kamisato ayato (神里绫人)
☁︎︎ massages your head until you fall back asleep
☁︎︎ ayato is a busy man. As the Yashiro commissioner and head of the kamisato clan, he never has much time outside of sitting at his desk and filling in paperwork.
☁︎︎ he usually's up by the crack of dawn and off with Thoma to run the day’s errands before you're awake but sleeps at around 1 am because there's too much work to finish:( (poor him)
☁︎︎ he's well aware of the bad dreams you have, having seen little you wake up in the midnight of night, hair a mess as you tried to compose yourself before he saw your state so as to not worry him (this usually doesn't happen because he hears the thumping of the blanket against the floor and makes a run towards your share bedroom)
☁︎︎ he turns his attention away from his papers, hearing the familiar sound of his study room door sliding open only to see you clad in an old t-shirt of his; one that dropped below your knees
☁︎︎ “what’s wrong sweetheart? A bad dream?” he asks concern evident in his voice as he sees you nod. Turning his chair away from the desk, he stretches his arms out, inviting you to stay with him while he did his work.
☁︎︎ you shuffle towards him, climbing onto his lap and putting your arms around him, before nuzzling your face into the crook of his neck, letting yourself melt into him.
☁︎︎ “how’s the work ‘yato” you asked groggily tilting your head to the side so your voice wasn't muffled. He chuckles, even though you were exhausted from the day's work and the bad dream you had you still found it in you to start a conversation with him.
☁︎︎ “it was alright. went around Ritou with thoma to settle some matters but that's about it dear.” he touches your head, letting his fingers massage your scalp, feeling you sink deeper and deeper into his hold, until he feels you slump completely, a sign that you've fallen asleep.
☁︎︎ “sweet dreams my love.” he whispers, tilting his head to give you a kiss before turning his attention back to his paperwork.
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m0ther-of-p3arl · 7 months
Text
across the great divide (there is a glorious sunrise)
chapter two: home, can we go?
<chapter 1>
hiya and WELCOME BACK to the next chapter of my lovely little au for the niche-est audiences ever :DD if you're into owengejuicetv, charlie slimecicle, and camp halfblood aus, this fic is defo for you!! enjoy the second chapter <3
(also its my birthday so wish me a happy birthday :P)
Owen steps cautiously into the room, trying with little success to curb the quivering of his knees, biting at the inside of his cheek to stop from nervously jabbering away; as was a common tendency of his. Madeline is waiting at her desk, ball gown splayed out around the edges of her chair (why the heck is she even wearing a ball gown anyway- honestly just not at all acceptable teacher behavior from this person all around.). The mottled brown bulldog continues to look up at Owen from its perch under the desk, and if not for its intense and unnerving stare, Owen would have easily thought the animal to be dead.
“Hey, Ms Pemberton,” Owen greets, attempting to swallow down some of his worry (this is just a normal student-teacher conversation anyway, no reason to be scared), “Any reason why I’m being kept inside? Did I do something wrong?”
“No, darling, nothing wrong, nothing wrong at all!” She seems like she’s telling the truth, but as Owen listens a little closer, replays her sentence in his mind, he can hear the grating edge of her voice, the way it lilts higher at the end, crescendoing to an almost squeaking tone.
“Then why am I here?” He tries to keep his voice calm, he really does.
“Well, we’ll just have to figure that out together, won’t we?” She stands from her desk, leaning on it with her hands, the bulldog growling long and low beneath her.
“But… you can’t keep me inside without a reason.” Owen glances backwards at the door, swallowing quickly and resisting the urge to run out the exit as fast as he can. But Charlie told him to stay, and he trusts his best friend above all else.
“I’m the teacher. I have authority here. I can do whatever I want, honey.” Her words are somehow clipped and sloppy at the same time, a slithering quality that's masked by sharp enunciation and crisp syllables.
(The bad vibes Owen’s getting from this situation are ridiculous. He has to admit he’s never felt anything like it before, and that scares him. Usually when he’s around a dangerous or at least unsavory person, he’ll be able to tell what they want from him, and how best to go about handling the situation. That, or he has Charlie with him, and everyone knows that something bad is much less likely to happen if you’re not on your own. Plus, Charlie has the added benefit that he'll cuss out anyone who even tries to harm them, which usually scares most people away.
This, however, is different. Owen doesn’t know what to do, and worse than that, he can’t even tell what the problem is. Why has he been kept inside? Why him, why not any of the other students? Why only him? It feels like an isolation tactic, a way to get him alone so Ms Pemberton can strike. The thing is, if that’s the case, then the original query returns: Why him? Why not Charlie, or Bill, or anyone else in the class? As far as Owen can remember, he’s never met this woman before in his life. So why does she seem so intent on, presumably, harming him?
Owen doesn’t know, and that’s the part that scares him.)
“But I want to go spend time with my friend, and if there’s no reason to keep me here, then- is there?” Owen voices his question with a blanket of confusion masking simple caution, every instinct in his body screaming at him now, more than quiet chatter, to run, straight out that door, and never come back.
But Charlie said he had to “deal with… that,” and, again, Owen trusts his friend. So no matter how much he wants to, no matter how many longing glances he'll throw towards the direction of the exit, no matter how his hair stands on end, his skin prickling with nerves, Owen knows he will not leave the room- because Charlie told him, Charlie promised, that Owen would be okay.
“Oh, trust me, there’s a reason. We’ve been looking for you for a very long time. You’re quite powerful for one of your kind- born from a lesser power, though, unfortunately. Athena is nothing when you compare what she can do to Hades or Demeter- those are the ones to watch out for. I’m just here to take you out real easy, a nice meal before things really start going down,” Madeline says, her tone absolutely pleasant, only the faintest hint of hatred poking through the facade. Why is she so against him? Again, Owen can’t remember ever meeting, or even seeing, this person before in his life. So why is she suddenly acting as if he personally has wronged her in unimaginable ways? The whole situation screams unsafe, and it's so uncomfortable he can almost feel the wrongness of it in the air.
Then the implications of the other things she’s said finally reach his mind.
“Did you say a meal?” Owen asks, backing slowly away. He's not sure if she's alluding to cannibalism, or what- though, thinking about it some more, that does seem extraordinarily unlikely.
(If Owen didn’t know it was completely impossible, he would have sworn he could see Madeline's mouth lengthening, tongue splitting in two and forking at the end like a snake’s- he could’ve sworn as her shoes were kicked off her feet that he could see legs fusing together under the dress to form a silvery snake’s tail. But such things are impossible, and he chalks it up to simple hallucinations from stress. A much easier, more consumable explanation for the horrors taking place before his very eyes.)
“Yes, young halfblood,” Madeline hisses, delight written plainly across her now-hideous face, the skin bloodily crackling at the edges of her unnatural smile, “I am Lamia, and in my heyday, I destroyed countless men just like you, who thought that they were superior to everyone else. Idiot! You will be no different, little one- it has been far too long since I properly feasted. And what better time than now to satiate my appetite? You’re not much, but you’ll simply have to do. It's not like I have another option.”
And with that, she discards her dress, cackling like a witch- and Owen gasps, not so much from fear as from simple surprise. Her body is completely covered, save for her face and hands, with brutally scuffed silver scales. Some are even peeling off, hints of raw, irritated skin peering out from beneath. Her eyes have widened and eyelids thickened, snake-like vertical pupils gracing the centers of eerily yellow irises. Madeline is bleeding from her face, a continuous torrent from cracks and cuts, formed due to the stress that must be caused on her facial tissues whenever she smiles. Her nails have elongated into borderline claws, chipped and bloody, her own finger tissue still visible from where it is stuck underneath the talons.
Owen’s eyes go wide, breath becoming shaky, erratic- he is witnessing a marvel, a scientific phenomenon. He's afraid, of course he's afraid- but fear is eclipsed by wonder and interest as his eyes graze over Madeline- no, Lamia's body, and he almost wants to reach out a hand and run it along the scales, to see if they're as rough and jagged as they appear or if that's simply an intimidation tactic. She sneers at him, and his nails dig into the orange still clutched in his hand instinctively, some of the skin peeling away and sticking under his nails.
Until all of a sudden, he's no longer clutching a molded orange in his fist. Instead, a gorgeous antique pistol is how gripped lightly in his hand, and it feels as though he's held the gun a million times before, it feels as if everything has suddenly just clicked into place. Owen barely has time to register his astonishment before Lamia pounces at him (insofar as a creature with a snake tail can pounce), and before he realizes what he’s doing, he’s slid under her, winding up behind the creature as she hisses in frustration.
"Stay still, idiot!" Lamia screeches, blood streaming from the cracks in her cheeks, from cuts formed by every broken scale, her mouth pulled into a hideous sneer. She reaches out one clawed hand, her fingers too long, claws far too sharp to be anything of this world- at least anything Owen knows of. He flinches back, heart beating too fast to be healthy.
After this little aggression, Owen doesn’t have time to think. He lets instinct take over, cocking the pistol as his pointer finger pulls deftly on the trigger, the world flashing into slow motion as the bullet rips straight through the monster’s chest. Owen’s sure that the gunshot, along with her subsequent scream, are loud enough that his parents back home in England can hear it- the deafening thunder crack of the bullet, a scream more enraged than terrified sounding from her too-wide mouth as blood-
No, wait, Owen realizes. That’s not blood. He’d expected it to be, but- somehow- it’s not. Owen doesn’t know how it’s possible, but all of a sudden, Lamia has exploded into soft, golden dust- the woman, the creature, is gone, and all that’s left in her stead is a meager pile of shimmering sand that coats the room, and, subsequently, Owen.
(He doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to get the taste of her scream out of her mouth, the memory of the bitter flavor grating at his tongue and irritating his eyes. It’s all up in his hair, and he writhes at the thought that the remnants of- of whatever that was- are still upon him even in its death. It’s an unwelcome realization, and with it, he gets the strong and sudden urge to shower as soon as humanly possible.)
Owen handles the pistol almost reverently, releasing it from his rock-solid grip and turning it over in his fingers, admiring the lacy metalwork and brightly varnished wood that adorn the beautiful, almost ceremonial-looking, weapon. The metal appears to be some kind of bronze, though certainly it is like no bronze Owen's ever set eyes upon before. It shines with an almost unnatural glow, although in all honesty it should have been varnished and scuffed beyond recognition.
(At least he assumes so, as given the state that the orange was in, and if the orange was the gun… he’s kind of accepted at this point that weird things are at work here and if moldy oranges are going to turn into guns, there’s not much he can do about that other than roll with it.)
Owen’s attention is lifted from the firearm laying in his hands by the screeching sound of tennis shoes skidding along the linoleum floor, followed quickly after by Charlie, doubled over and wheezing, hands planted on his knees, appearing in the doorway. He must have run all the way here, Owen realizes, though what he doesn’t understand is from where.
It seems to take Charlie a minute to realize what he’s looking at, to take in the pistol clutched in Owen's hands, the sand-like material blanketing the classroom in a carpet of gold- but when he finally does, his eyes widen in something resembling shock, with a heavy tinge of pride mixed in. “You- you did it!”
“No need to sound so surprised,” Owen mutters, the pistol hanging awkwardly from one hand. “So, uh, was I supposed to do that? What- what happened to her, Charlie? Why did she, like, turn into a snake person, and then I shot her and it was so loud, and now she’s just- just this, just dust, and it’s everywhere- How am I going to explain this to my parents, and the school- what have I done? Where do I go from here?”
“Well,” Charlie suggests, a happy tint to his voice that Owen does not think fits well with the situation, “you could come to my summer camp!”
Owen stares at him, the suggestion so ridiculous on so many levels that he feels it's only best to voice the most obvious concern first; lest Charlie's mental state be somehow compromised due to the way he's acting. “School’s just started, it’s not summer anymore. Plus, I don’t really think that they’d be willing to harbor a literal murderer-”
“You’d be really surprised, actually,” Charlie interrupts, beginning to walk casually down the hall. Owen has no choice but to follow, body still quite literally shaking with adrenaline. “And I may have lied about that bit. Only a little, though! Only a little bitty lie. They do a year-round thing too, for kids like you-”
“Criminals, you mean? Juvenile delinquents? Because that’s what I am now- Mom and Dad are going to be so disappointed, I’m not going to be able to finish my education and become a lawyer like they’ve- like I’ve always wanted. Charlie, why the heck did you make me do that?”
“Okay, um- well. First things first, I need to- I need to fucking- to explain some things. What that was, what you killed- Lamia. That wasn’t a human, dude, it's not murder- I promise you're not a murderer. That was a full-ass fucking monster. Monsters are what we call them, by the way-” Charlie is cut off abruptly by Owen, pushing in with his own two cents.
“But Lamia is from Greek mythology, Char! Those things aren’t supposed to exist! And why- no, the question here is how- how did you give me a moldy orange that turned into a literal gun?!” Owen accepts what’s happened, yes, but that doesn’t mean he understands what’s going on. Not by a long shot.
“Okay, stop interrupting, stop interrupting! X will explain everything when we get to camp, until then, you really just need to stick by me. Now that you’ve slain your first monster, your scent is already so much more strong, even I can smell it and with a nose like mine-”
“Scent?” Owen lifts his arms, sniffing his armpits expectantly. “I don’t smell any worse than usual.”
“No, no no no, not that kind of scent, the other one, the one that smells like- like fucking buttered bread or some shit-
(Charlie’s brow is wrinkled up in annoyance- it doesn’t seem like it’s directed at Owen, but instead at the fact that Charlie knows all of these things that he doesn’t. Usually Owen can catch onto a concept really quick, and he supposes it must be really bothersome for Charlie that he’s not exercising that ability to its fullest extent here- but honestly, what does the guy expect him to do? Greek myths and- and the monsters from Greek myths just are. Not. Real. Things like- like whatever’s just occurred- things like aren't real things that happen real to people. That’s not how the world works.)
“Okay, okay, I’ll just lay off until someone better at explaining can tell me what in the world is going on," Owen placates, hands raised up in surrender and the ghost of a grin reappearing on his face, dimples pulling inwards.
Charlie shoots him a glare (albeit not a super angry one, but Owen still instinctively flinches back) and continues to lead him down the hallway, their two sets of steps on cold linoleum the only sound permeating a silence that hangs in the air like molasses slowly dripping down the edges of its barrel. It’s only when Charlie throws open the doors of the school and gestures to a taxicab waiting outside that Owen balks, stopping in his tracks as his eyebrows raise up into his bangs in incredulity.
“We can’t just leave the school in the middle of the day. You know that, right?” Owen asks, a hint of pleading in his voice, a giggle of discomfort breaking his voice in two. His parents, still living back in England, receive daily reports from the aunt he’s currently living with, and if she finds that he’s skipped school, he’s in for the angriest phone call of the month- no, his entire life, even.
“Dude, you don’t really have a leg to- Owen, you honestly just don't have a choice at this point.” Charlie half-laughs the words out, decidedly shaking but still firm in his decision.
“I just- I-” Owen pauses, thinking over his options. He trusts Charlie with his life, that’s simply a fact. That is the only indisputable truth in his life full of uncertainty. And just knowing that, he knows he’s already made the decision. He would follow Charlie to the ends of the earth.
“Fine,” Owen relents, sighing deeply, “Fine, I’ll go with you. But just- What about my parents? My aunt?”
Charlie cringes and scuffs his shoe against the pavement, one foot on linoleum, the other on warm concrete. He’s in between two worlds right now- the thought comes to Owen’s mind, and though he’s never realized it before, he realizes it’s true. There’s something that Charlie’s not telling him, something he’s hiding- not just about this mysterious summer camp, not just about what it actually is, no. Charlie is hiding something about himself.
“You- we’ll notify them that you’re fine. Your dad will understand, he’ll know where you are. And your mom… she’ll probably also be fine. She married your dad after you were born, right?”
Owen affirms Charlie’s statement with a sulking nod of his head.
“Okay, good. We need to hurry the fuck up, though, if we’re going to get back in time for me to check in with X. I would just call the sisters, but I don’t have a drachma- of course I don’t.” Charlie shakes his head and walks forward, gesturing for Owen to follow. He does, but not without another boatload of questions.
“Who’s this ‘X’ guy, by the way? You keep talking about him and I have no idea who he is.” Owen fiddles with his fingers, the worry having seeped out of his chest and into the appendages.
“Camp director,” Charlie answers, pulling open the back door of the taxi and climbing in, handing a wad of cash to the driver. Where did he get that? “You’ll like X, he’s really smart, just like you. He’s also a super good teacher and mentor, you two will get on great.”
Owen nods, and as he slides into the backseat beside Charlie, no idea where they’re headed and no clue if it’s safe, following his best friend into what for all he knows could be oblivion, or death, or sadness. But he follows Charlie, because he always follows Charlie and always will.
Owen trusts him. And that’s the only thing he knows for certain anymore.
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levi-supreme · 1 year
Text
Birthday girl
Characters: Erwin x fem!reader
Genre: Modern!au
Warnings: SFW, fluff. Established relationship (Erwin and reader are married). Erwin and reader also has two dogs (in mention). Erwin is the best husband ever (how many times am I going to mention this? Yes).
A/N: Happy birthday to my sister-in-law, the one and only Mrs Smith @ack3rlady!! I'll forever be grateful that tumblr let us know each other, and I'm so happy to have you as my same braincell sister, my bestie, my self-ship buddy, and my closest support system 💖
Enjoy your special day with your husband, and I wish for nothing but the absolute best for you <3 prompts are from A 100 Different Kisses!
20: hand kisses // 22: smiling in-between kisses // 24: caressing your lover's cheek // 73: kissing your lover's forehead, then bending down to meet their lips
Join the taglist!
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"Happy birthday, sweetheart." Erwin chimed when you stepped in through the front door after coming home from work, a bouquet of red roses in his arms. He gave you a loving smile as he passed you the bouquet while your eyes widened with surprise.
"Oh, t-thank you, honey—" you hurriedly locked the door and took the large bouquet of flowers from your husband, "gosh, these are beautiful." You looked at the bouquet and then at your dashing husband. You realised he was dressed a little too much, and for some reason, he was standing really near the doorway, like he was hiding something from your view. You raised your eyebrow.
"Honey? Why are you wearing a suit at home?" Erwin chuckled after hearing you.
"Close your eyes." He simply said and covered your eyes with his hands, slowly guiding you somewhere. You caught a faint scent of your favourite candle, butter and caramelised onions. You wondered what other surprise Erwin planned. "You can open them now, sweetheart."
As Erwin removed his hands, you opened your eyes and felt your heart leap to your throat. The dining table was decorated with a small vase of flowers and your favourite candle was lit and placed in the middle. Erwin prepared burgers, lobster rolls, and fries for dinner as well. You could see the beautiful skyline of the city from your window. The ambience, the food, the setup; everything was perfect. It reminded you of the restaurant you and Erwin loved visiting on your wedding anniversary every year. You felt a rush of appreciation for your husband who painstakingly prepared everything while you were at work. Erwin turned you around and kissed your forehead before bending down to give you a soft kiss on your lips.
"You like it?"
"Mm," you nodded with a smile, "I love it. You just saved us a couple of hundred dollars by not going to that restaurant for the same thing." You chuckled and placed the bouquet on the table, until something struck you. The house was awfully quiet. Too quiet. The house was too tidy as well. Something was missing.
"Erwin, where's Albus?! And Cappy? Where are they?"
"Relax, sweetheart." Erwin hugged you close and gently caressed your cheek, "they're with Levi. He and his wife are dog-sitting for us tonight. And don't worry about Cappuccino, I warned him to behave before Levi took him just now." Erwin guided you towards the chair and pulled it out slightly, letting you take your seat before putting the serviette on your lap.
"I know you miss them already, but I just wanted us to enjoy a quiet night together, hmm?" Erwin uncorked a bottle of wine and poured some into your glass before taking his seat opposite you. You smiled as Erwin took your hand and caressed your knuckles with his fingers.
"Is this why you're in a suit?" You laughed out, using your free hand to take your phone from your trousers pocket and quickly snapping a photo of the beautiful setup. "A candlelight dinner?"
"Of course. I have to dress up for the occasion, don't I? It's my wife's birthday after all."
"And now I feel underdressed." You chuckled, looking down at your trousers. At least I'm wearing a nice blouse... you thought to yourself.
"You're always gorgeous, sweetheart." Erwin smiled as he took his wine glass and cleared his throat.
"To my beautiful wife, my soulmate, my life partner, and my one and only," Erwin looked at you before pressing a kiss to the back of your hand that he was still holding, "happiest birthday to you, my love." You looked at your dashing husband, touched by all his efforts. Raising your wine glass, you smiled in return.
"Thank you, sweetheart. Come now, let's eat. I want to change out of my work clothes soon." You cheerfully replied and dug in.
The burgers and lobster rolls were perfect, and the fries were delicious. Erwin and you had a lovely chat throughout dinner, and for once, you both didn't have to worry about watching over the dogs, or worrying if Cappuccino was going to pounce on Albus halfway through dinner. The sky was littered with stars by the time you both finished your food.
"Are you ready for dessert?" Erwin smiled while he cleared the plates. You had another look of surprise again as Erwin brought another plate in front of you. Erwin made you another of his signature dark chocolate cake, but this time, there were edible flower petals scattered across the chocolate cake, and there were specks of gold flakes as well. Erwin placed a single candle on the cake and lit it up, urging you to make your birthday wish. You closed your eyes and clasped your hands, making a wish. You were about to blow the candle when Erwin stopped you.
"Hang on—" Erwin quickly took out his phone and told you to smile with your cake before taking a photo of you. "And now, you can blow out the candle." You laughed once more before blowing the candle. Erwin pulled out a little party popper out of nowhere and surprised you by pulling it.
"Thank you for everything, honey." You stood up and took Erwin's hand, giving him a tight hug, "this is perfect."
"Only the best for my wife." Erwin gave you another smile and brought his face closer to yours, pressing a soft kiss on your lips. You could feel the corners of your lips turning upwards as well when you returned his kiss, tasting the wine you both had earlier. Erwin broke the kiss after a while and gave you a peck on your forehead.
"Come now, let's eat. I want to change out of these clothes as well." You laughed after hearing your husband, taking his hand as you two went back to the dining table.
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Tagging: @cinnamonlevi @jean-prettyboy-kirschtein @hannie2kay @lilshades
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mama-qwerty · 10 months
Text
When Eclipse Met Callie pt 4
For @stillafanofsonic
Happy birthday!
Part 1, part 2, part 3
~~~~~
An hour later, and the gremlin hunt was on. Sonic sped through the forest, checking all the caves and likely hiding spots for any wayward alien lizard thing, while Tails performed air support as he scanned with his Miles Electric. He couldn’t get any real readings on the new boy, but he helped keep tabs on his older brother to help him search in a more organized pattern than Sonic’s usual ‘run willy nilly until you stumble across something’ method.
Silver hovered with Tails, and went to check things out that the fox found interesting. He would take the Miles Electric with him to scan the area, and return it to the kit once finished. Tails had wanted to get a full scan of the forest around Green Hills anyway, and this was the perfect excuse to help accomplish that.
Knuckles stayed with Callie and Maddie. The vet had come along with her medical kit to hopefully administer some long-overdue care for the boy’s arm once he was found. And Knuckles . . . well, when he discovered the new alien had bit Callie, he didn’t exactly take it well.
“He injured you?!?” the echidna had cried, his lip curled into a snarl and a soft growl in his throat. “When I find him, I shall deliver a swift punishment!”
“He was hurt and I think kind of delusional,” the redhead had told him, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. “I don’t believe it was done out of aggression.”
“No matter,” the boy snarled, his fists curled tightly. “He will regret harming you. I will see to it, personally.”
Callie sighed and took a step back, shooting a look to Maddie. Little help?
The vet stepped forward. “Honey, why don’t you stay with us while we search? As protection? If this little guy behaves aggressively, you can help contain him. Sound good?”
Knuckles cocked an eyebrow, giving his mother a contemplative look. Finally he dipped his head in a short nod, seemingly satisfied with that arrangement.
“I will protect you both,” he said, bringing a fist to his chest. “On my life, no harm will come to you.”
Maddie offered him a little smile, stroking his muzzle with her knuckle. “Pretty sure it won’t come to that, but I appreciate the thought, baby.”
And then they’d set off. The boys took the lead as the moms and Knuckles followed behind. Callie carried a few blankets, while Maddie brought her medical kit, and the echidna walked a little way ahead of them. They walked in silence for a while, before Maddie spoke, her voice soft.
“How’s the arm?”
Callie shrugged, giving the bandaged limb look. “Assuming he doesn’t have some space disease that turns me into a weird lizard zombie, I’ll live.”
Maddie nodded, a thoughtful look on her face. “I’m actually surprised you’re so eager to find him, considering how you felt about the whole thing last night.”
The redhead didn’t respond for a long moment, her brow furrowed slightly. She supposed Maddie had a point. The boy hadn’t been all that keen on seeking out help, and that bite didn’t exactly put him on Callie’s good side. For all intents and purposes, she was well within her rights to wash her hands of the whole affair and let the kid take his chances out here on his own.
He was at least semi-feral, and dangerous, and ill-tempered.
But he was also a kid, badly injured and seemingly all alone on this planet.
“Maybe I’m just a glutton for punishment,” she muttered, letting out a soft sigh. “And too kind-hearted for my own good.”
Maddie uttered a soft laugh. “You’re a mother. Sounds about right.”
“Thing is, I don’t even know what we’re gonna do with this kid once we find him,” Callie said, a hint of frustration in her voice. “Get him hopefully patched up, sure. But then what? Send him back out to fend for himself?”
The vet shrugged. “Silver seems to care about him.”
“Silver cares about everyone. He once woke me up because he was worried the raccoons that kept getting into the trash would be too cold when the weather changed.”
“Didn’t you say he fed this boy your leftovers?”
“Yeah, which was fine, we usually don’t get to all of them and if they’ll fill his belly, all the better,” Callie said with a shrug. “But feeding the kid and making sure his arm’s not gonna fall off from infection is much different than being ready to welcome him into the family with open arms.” She held up her bandaged arm. “This was a bite out of reflex. What could he do if he’s well and has his strength back?”
Maddie shrugged. “That’s a fair question. It’s possible he would be a danger to you and Silver. It’s possible he’s not as, shall we say, domesticated as the other boys are. And it’s possible we’ll have to figure out a safe place for him to stay in that case.” She cast the librarian a bit of a side-eye, a small smile on her lips. “But it’s also possible he’s just a lost, scared little boy who needs someone to show him some kindness.”
Callie returned her side-eye, her brow furrowed. “And I suppose you have someone in mind to do that, do you?”
The black woman gave another shrug. “I’m just saying, Silver already seems kind of attached to him, and you’re great with kids already, so . . .”
“I’m getting a sense of deja vu here,” the redhead said with a sigh. “This sounds a lot like what Wade was saying when Silver showed up. He was pretty adamant that I would take Silver in simply because he crash landed in my yard.”
“And now you can’t imagine your life without him,” Maddie said, a soft smile on her lips. “Look, I’m not saying you have to take him in. All I’m saying is you should try to give him a chance. Right now he’s injured and hungry and not at his best. Maybe once he’s healed up he’ll have a better temperament.”
Callie didn’t respond, but uttered a defeated sigh. Arguing about this wasn’t productive. There were a lot of ‘what ifs’ and ‘maybes’ at play, and the bottom line is they weren’t likely to know how things could play out until they found this kid and got him fixed up.
And honestly, there was a better than zero chance that Callie would take him in. Maddie and Tom already had their hands full with three alien boys, and the vet was right, Silver had taken a liking to this new boy. Assuming the kid’s temperament did improve once he was well, she supposed she was the best person to look after him.
She looked at her bandaged arm again, a slight furrow in her brow.
But that was a big assumption. Was she getting herself involved in something she couldn’t handle?
The redhead uttered another sigh as they continued walking through the forest, following the blue streak that was Sonic the Hedgehog.
~X~X~X~
Sonic sped through the trees, the cool air crisp and sharp in his nose. He ran at about half-speed, flicking his eyes back and forth to search the caves and burrows he knew from his time alone in this very forest. One benefit from calling these trees home for so long was you came to know the best hiding spots to avoid detection.
He wasn’t exactly sure what they were looking for—Callie’s description of this new boy as a ‘lizard gremlin kinda thing’ didn’t exactly paint a clear picture—but he figured he’d know when he saw it.
As Sonic ran out of forest, he skidded to a stop and tapped the little radio clipped to his ear.
“Tails? I got nothing. Any luck up there?”
A faint crackle and then the kit’s voice was in his ear, the beat of his tails a constant thrum behind it.
“I’m not picking up any readings at all,” the fox said, and Sonic detected a hint of annoyance in his voice. “There’s no indication that he’s from the same planet we are, but I should be picking up something.”
Silence descended upon the boys then, and Silver spoke next, his voice soft and shaky.
“Does that mean he’s . . .”
“It means we haven’t found him yet,” Sonic said, his voice firm. He may not have known this new boy, but he really didn’t want the mental picture of an alien child lying dead somewhere in the forest. Not when they could find him and help him. “I’m gonna do a double check on my way back. You guys meet back up with the moms and we’ll figure out our next move.”
“Gotcha. See you soon.”
Above him, the hum of Tails’ whirling tails faded as he and Silver went to find their mothers, and Sonic reversed direction to head back. He went a little slower this time, carefully checking the spots most likely to hide a hurt, possibly scared alien.
He checked a small cave, really nothing much more than a hollow between boulders. Finding nothing, he was about to turn and move on when a very slight movement caught his eye. A small, blink-and-you-missed-it puff of breath appeared next to a rock covered with frost. Sonic moved closer, brows furrowed in confusion when he finally realized what he was looking at.
The rock wasn’t a rock at all. It was a small lizard-like boy, curled in a loose ball.
The hedgehog uttered a shocked gasp and zipped next to him.
“Hey,” he said, his voice soft. “Hey, you still with us?”
A soft moan left the boy’s lips, and he tried to curl tighter. Simply by watching him Sonic knew he wasn’t doing well. His hurt arm lay limp on the floor, and the little puffs of breath that appeared before his muzzle were small and shallow.
“Holy crap.”
Fear tried to clutch at Sonic’s chest, but he pushed it away. He was a hero, he helped people, that’s what heroes do. He couldn’t let his fear waste time. This kid needed help NOW.
“Okay,” the hedgehog breathed, backing toward the entrance. “Hang tight, buddy. I’m gonna get you help. We’ll get you taken care of, just hang in there.”
In a gust of wind and a streak of blue, Sonic zipped back to his mother.
~X~X~X~
Silver’s heart raced as he and Tails rejoined their moms, worry eating at his mind. The boy hadn’t looked good last night. If they didn’t find him soon . . .
“Any luck?” Callie asked, and Silver landed, moving to tuck his face into her hip. She put a hand against the back of his head, petting him in gentle strokes.
“We didn’t find anything,” Tails said, fiddling with his Miles Electric. “I can’t really scan through the rocks around here, but I can’t detect any strange energy readings or life signs.”
Maddie shook her head, looking at the librarian. “I don’t get it. If he was as bad off as you said, he wouldn’t have really had the energy to get very far in the first place. Where could he have gone?”
“He kinda disappeared after he bit Mom,” Silver said, turning his face to look at Maddie. “Just kinda . . . blinked away in a flash of light. He looked so bad.”
Callie’s hand paused in her pets on his quills, and she looked down at him, an unreadable look on her face.
“He teleported?” she asked, her voice strained. “You didn’t tell me that.”
Silver shrugged, shrinking a little at her gaze. “I didn’t think about it ‘til now.” His forehead quills began to bristle slightly. “A-are you mad at me?”
The redhead didn’t respond for a second, her eyes unfocused, as though lost in thought, before she blinked and brushed his forehead fan flat.
“No sweetie, I’m not mad at you.” She turned to Tails. “If he teleported, he shouldn’t have gone far, right?”
The fox cupped his chin with a hand, brow furrowed in thought. “I’m not overly knowledgeable about teleportation, but theoretically you’re right. Unless he’s got some sort of power source, like one of the Chaos Emeralds Sonic scattered after the fight with Robotnik, he wouldn’t have had enough energy to traverse large distances.” He flicked his eyes up to Callie. “Theoretically speaking, anyway.”
“I didn’t notice him carrying anything, gem or otherwise. So I doubt he’s got any of those emeralds on him.”
“Then, again theoretically, he should be close by.”
“How do you know about teleportation?” Maddie asked, eyebrow cocked. “That was an awfully specific question.”
Callie wore that unreadable expression for another few seconds before pulling her shoulders up in a shrug, a small smile curling her lips. “Too much sci-fi stuff. It just stands to reason. If he could teleport this whole time, and do so across large distances, why stick around here? Why not just poof himself to Aruba or someplace warmer and less populated?”
Maddie gave a little shrug and nod. “Okay, that makes sense.”
“I found him!”
Most of the group jumped when Sonic suddenly reappeared, and grabbed his mother’s hand to pull her after him.
“He really needs help, he looks so bad!”
“Okay baby,” Maddie said, hiking the strap of her med kit over her shoulder. “Show me.”
Silver’s heart raced, and he pulled his own mother along as they hurried to care for the strange boy.
~X~X~X~
Eclipse faded in and out of consciousness. He was cold, freezing down to his bones. His arm throbbed, and even the tiniest of movements sent sharp pains shooting up to his shoulder. His fever spiked, and he suffered delirious dreams that featured his father, the gray boy, and the redheaded woman.
He was dying. He knew it. He deserved it, he supposed. For failing his father. For failing whatever secret mission he was sent here to do. For failing to live up to the standards he was created for.
The ultimate weapon. The pinnacle of Black Arms bio-engineering. Heir prince to the entire Black Arms empire and future leader of its mighty army.
What a joke.
This was a primitive, backwater planet. He could have . . . should have conquered these creatures easily. But instead he’d injured himself, suffered humiliation after humiliation, and succumbed to something as menial and pathetic as an infected scratch on the arm.
Maybe he really was useless. A nothing. A pointless failure, just like his father had said. Time and time again.
In his delusional state, Eclipse thought he heard a voice. He wanted to tell whomever it was to leave him alone, let him die in peace, but only a soft moan came out. The voice said something else and then silence returned.
Good. He wanted to be alone. For once he was glad he didn’t have the constant hivemind chatter in his head. The unnerving quiet was preferable right now. He didn’t want an audience as he took his last breath. He was already the shame of all Black Arms. It seemed fitting to be completely separated from them, now that he was to meet such a pointless fate.
It was what he deserved. His entire existence was pointless. Worthless. Wasted.
Darkness swallowed him again for a time. When he drifted back, there were more voices. He couldn’t focus completely on what they were saying, but a few words made it through the haze in his mind, and the tone was soft and soothing.
“. . . back to my house . . .”
“. . . gonna be okay?”
“. . . pretty bad but I’ll do my best . . .”
Consciousness faded again, but he became aware of movement. His bad arm was gently moved, cradled to his chest. Then something covered him, something soft and warm, wrapping around him snugly. A little jostling, then he was lifted, and held close to something else, soft and warm. A soft, rhythmic beat drummed against his ear.
Movement again. He was being carried. More voices. That drum in his ear—a heartbeat? A soothing voice from directly above him.
“. . . gonna be okay, little guy . . . care of you . . .”
At this point, it didn’t matter what the owners of these voices wanted to do with him. Eclipse had no energy or strength to fight back. So he closed his eyes and let the darkness pull him down again.
~X~X~X~
Eclipse opened his eyes, his serrated pupils dilating in the dim light of the room. He was no longer in his cave, and no longer feeling as though he were just a few degrees from freezing solid. A soft cushion was beneath him, and a thick, warm cloth covered his body. Looking around, he recognized the room as part of the house that redheaded woman lived in. He’d seen it as he peered through the windows.
A slight headache made him furrow his brow, and he lifted his arms to massage his temples. He favored his bad arm almost automatically before a sudden realization hit.
His bad arm wasn’t bad anymore. That constant throb that had been with him since he sliced it open was gone.
Looking down, he discovered a long white bandage over his wound. He gave an experimental flex of his hand, curling it into a fist, and discovered no pain associated with the action. The infection seemed completely gone.
“You’re awake!”
The voice startled him, and the darkling jumped slightly as he sat up and turned toward the owner. It was the gray hedgehog. He stood near the . . . well, whatever it was Eclipse was laying on, a big smile on his face.
“Does your arm feel better?”
Eclipse paused a moment, the furrow in his brow deepening. Then he nodded.
“Good! It was looking so bad. Maddie said it was a good thing we found you when we did. Otherwise you might’ve . . .” The boy’s face clouded over for a second, before he blinked and smiled again. “But we found you and now you’re okay!”
Confusion filled Eclipse’s mind. He’d been saved? Why? Why would this gray boy—and whomever this Maddie was—care about his injury, or whether he lived or died? Was this a trick? A scheme to make him repay his debt to them? What was their plan?
As the darkling mulled over these thoughts, the redheaded woman walked into the room. Her brows raised as she saw him, and a little smile curled one side of her lips.
“Ah, you’re awake,” she said, moving closer and planting her hands on her hips. “Maybe I can get my couch back now. You’ve been out for nearly a full day.”
Eclipse flicked his eyes back and forth between the gray boy and human, his lip curling slightly in a snarl. He didn’t feel back to full strength yet, but he would fight them if he had to.
The woman’s smile faded when she saw his snarl, and she tapped the gray boy on the head. “Bug, why don’t you run and fetch him a sandwich and some water. I bet he’s hungry.”
The gray boy nodded and hurried off. Once he was out of earshot, the woman sat on the table near the ‘couch’, locking eyes with Eclipse.
“Okay, lemme set a few ground rules here, little dude,” she said, her voice firm, but not necessarily angry. “First and foremost, the big number one rule is that you are not, under any circumstances, to hurt anyone. No clawing, no hitting, no biting. Remember that one. No. Biting.” She held up her own bandaged arm. “’Cause if you do this to Silver, ain’t nowhere on this big blue ball you’ll be able to hide from me. Understand?”
Eclipse flicked his eyes between her bandage and face. He pulled his lips tight before nodding.
“Good. You are a guest in this house for as long as you need, but you are to behave yourself. I’ll need to change your bandage a few times—and I remind you of rule number one—but otherwise I’ll give you as much space as you need to feel safe. No one’s going to hurt you, and I’ll make sure your belly is always full.”
The darkling blinked. What she said sounded nice, on the surface, but he didn’t trust her. Why would she take him in, especially after he’d bitten her? Feed him? Protect him? Shelter him? She didn’t know him, and obviously feared him at least a little, considering this warning. So why bring him into her home?
She wanted something from him, that much was obvious, but what?
Ultimately, Eclipse decided to play along. He’d bide his time, observing the human to discover this species’ weaknesses. Perhaps this is what he was left here to do. Undercover work. Intel. He could do that. Pretend to behave so he could study this pathetic species. He’d make his father proud.
The thought of Black Doom finally being proud of him brought a smile to Eclipse’s face.
He was going to be welcomed back to the Black Comet with open arms. Like a hero. Once he figured out the best way to defeat these pitiful creatures.
All he had to do was be patient. They’d reveal their weaknesses soon enough.
This was going to be easy.
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abeinginsand · 7 months
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Swiftli + videogames for the hc ask? (are videogames one word or two...?)
Thank you for the ask and, yes, videogames works as a one-word prompt! :) Ao3 ---- "Hey, Link..."
"Hm?"
"Link, c'mon, let me ask you something."
Lincoln's half asleep, watching Taylor play some persona series game in the Swift family living room on a Friday evening. Was it persona 3? 4? ...Or maybe 5? There were probably other numbers, either way, something about watching Taylor stubbornly replay a dungeon fight for the sixth time was quite the effective lullaby.
"Liiiinnnkkk"
At least, it would be if his friend stopped trying to get his attention.
"Yes," The athlete says after a few minutes, closing his eyes and resting heavier against Taylor's side.
"You haven't heard the question yet! What if i asked you something weird?"
"Weirder than that time I carried you on my shoulders and used your feet to signal you when to strike?"
"It's not weird if it's cool."
"Mhm, fair point, rule of cool....is cool, yeah, dude."
His head is resting on his shorter friend's own as he talks in an increasingly quieter way. It would be a lie to say their hair was soft and comfortable. The grease prevented that but at least the somewhat messy hair smelled nice. Like a mix of cherry blossoms and honey, a side effect of Taylor's want to try a new perfume and body wash out each month. Personally Linc preferred sticking to generic non-scented brands for himself (or whatever was available).
He's picturing a soccer team full of walking and talking body care products when Taylor, having enough of being ignored, pauses his game and squeezes one of Lincoln's hands. His tail was wrapped around one of the soccer player's legs before. Now it was lightly smacking against the couch. Linc gets the signal that this may be something more important than he assumed. He sits up, eyes opening, and looks over to his friend.
"Okay, I'm sorry. Really tired today, but you've got me now, Tay. What's up?"
"Can I stay over at your house next week?"
"Yeah, of course," Lincoln replies, making sure to squeeze Taylor's hand back now. Though its not combat, he finds himself switching quickly over to protective paladin mode. Looking Taylor over for scrapes or other signs of discomfort. Its not the first time the anime-lover asked to come over, but it is one of the rare times Taylor's happy tone doesn't match his gaze. "Is your mom okay?" "Yeah, she's good. I got a text from her earlier and--" Taylor smiles, because he loves his mom and will take most opportunities to talk about her and her work. The text sits heavy in his stomach anyway. Feels like the expired bag of pocky he had one time at a con and he was hoping gaming would help get rid of the feeling. (It hadn't) "She said there were technical issues with the recording equipment and stuff, so she'll be gone for another week." "Oh, that's..." "And I don't mind. Mom seems really happy with this gig and we're going to voice call on Monday too." Taylor lets go of Linc's hand now, arms crossed as he presses into the arm rest. He's got his arms resting on his knees now, legs pulled close to himself as he keeps on talking. "It'll be great and we'll go out to eat when she gets back. I'm thinking about sending her a cake today." "Shouldn't she be sending you one? It's your birthday on Monday." Whatever smile Taylor had on falls completely and Lincoln regrets blurting that out right away. He really did like Ms. Swift a lot, but sometimes Linc...felt frustrated with her on his friend's behalf. She'd missed his birthday last year too--and like fair, there was a whole apocalypse going on. But how many other birthdays had she missed before all of that? There's a sound of a sniffle and Lincoln refrains from saying anything else on the topic. He watches Taylor rub at his face with a hoodie sleeve. The athlete moves over to his companion's side of the couch and offers a hug. His friend is quick to tackle him, leading both to fall and lay onto the couch cushions fully. The game controller topples to the floor and seems some button got pressed to resume the fight. Music plays as the sniffling turns to muffled sobs. "Better think about your game. Are you sure your next move's the right one for you?"
Link's only sure of his worry at the moment and tries to ignore the noisy song. Taylor's laying his head on his chest and Linc has one arm around him, the other gently combing through his hair. A few more verses pass them by as the shorter teen calms down. "You'll never see it coming. You'll see that my mind is too fast for eyes!" The taller boy looks up at the ceiling, trying to think of what to say to cheer his friend up. "...Hey, Taylor," He says in a similar tone as when the other teen called to him earlier and then adds, "I have a question." Link feels a little squeeze of his shirt in the hug and continues talking. "Its about the game and I figured you're the best person to ask." His friend's demon tail is now moving again, swaying in the air from side to side though Taylor keeps their face hidden in the fabric of Link's garfield comic strip patterned hoodie. Lincoln hears the gamer take a shaky breath. "What do you wanna know?" "If we could army of two beat up the...phantom...phantom uh insert name here. Could we take the whole group down? If we met them in some place like goofs realm. Instead of that evil baby, we have a kitty with a sword to fight. How would that go?" Taylor starts laughing a little at the 'insert name here' and 'evil baby' comments. Link grins at the sound (and the feeling of the vibration too). Success The song lyrics fade into the background. Afterward, the ranger lifts his head up. Any tear tracks are overshadowed by the passionate twinkle now back in his gaze and tone. He rambles about how they'd take on the phantom thieves properly together. Lincoln still doesn't know much about the game, but its always nice to hear Taylor talk about something he loves. He listens mostly and adds in his thoughts or more laughter here and there. Eventually, the two end up falling asleep, this time Taylor dozing off first. Disappointment, frustration, and the game itself all but forgotten for the moment. .
.
. Lincoln wakes up the next morning to find a blanket wrapped around them both and the game screen on a paused battle success image. There's the sound of Mr. Foster very loudly bumping into stuff in the kitchen too. Probably due to wings if Lincoln had to guess. Its easy to notice who it is anyway based on the familiar low voice sputtering curse words and pondering 'where the hell does Cass keep the sugar again?' After all the chaos of the world was mostly dealt with, Taylor's dad was making more efforts to visit more. Especially when Cass had to go on long trips like currently. The revelation of the hell prince being there leads to him nudging Taylor awake. He's about to offer his companion their cane until Taylor winces. Its easy to carry him into the kitchen instead though and nice to get the chance to hold onto Taylor a little longer. After some hugs and other greetings, the three have a nice breakfast. All of this may not make Taylor miss his mom any less; however, its a heartwarming reminder that he isn't alone this time. That he's still surrounded with his loved ones. He will have that chance to celebrate next week whether it be through the phone, sharing breakfast with his dad before he heads to work, or with an exciting week-long sleepover with his best bud.
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exosmutfactory · 11 months
Text
Double Trouble: DECISIONS 💕
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A/n: No smut; for this part at least 💕
Part 1| Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | PRE 10 [💕✓] | Part 10 |
Full story masterlist
networks — @/superm-net @/bbh-net 
pairing — Hyun & You
word count — 386
genre — romance, domestic!au, husband! (💕) Hyun
category — fluff(??), mutual pining 💕
A request? 💕
⏰✴ Double Trouble Tag List: ☀⏰
@to-all-the-stories-i-love @you-n-me-e-e @insta1010 @bellamendoza @bbhflrt @weirdoome @marovekian1 @pearliejoy @loey0491 @__jxnnx3 @soonvivi @jairahxelle @dynqstyna @xuxibelle
“Make me make—BAD DECISIONS.”
✴-☀-✴-☀-✴-☀-✴-☀-✴-☀
You had talked for a few years, dated for a while, and—as recently as 2 years ago, been married to the love of your life: Hyun.
You still remember the day you met. The overnight flight, stuffy conference room, and brief introductions. His broad shoulders, kissable lips, and bright brown eyes. A sharp three-piece suit, honey toned skin, and a confident stride. He immediately caught your eye, but he was an associate of the company that your own boss was interested in collaborating with. Unreachable. Completely off limits. You knew better than to mix work with pleasure.
But he was so charming. Always a gentleman. He opened doors for you and never looked down on you, knowing full well that you were his equal in the field. A woman worthy of her position after the many years it took you to get there. He listened to you: your marketing ideas and operational insight. The thoughts that swam laps around your mind.
Contract coworkers became acquaintances. Acquaintances became good friends. He drove across 4 districts to pick you up when your car broke down in the middle of the road. He pulled you back from the crosswalk when a truck ran the red light. He was a listening ear for you on the nights that you couldn’t hold the weight of the world on your shoulders all by yourself. And you did the same for him. Tenfold.
Over the years, you laughed at each other’s jokes, leaned on each other’s shoulders, and grew not only as individuals, but as a team. A pair. A couple of 9 to 5, caffeine high, and sleep deprived people who somehow figured out everything right. Not perfect, but for the both of you? Just right.
It wasn’t love at first sight. Sparks didn’t immediately fly. It was slow. Gradual. Continuous. Endless. Then one day, he looked over at you from across his living room and said, “I’d like to hang out with you for my whole life.”
Things have always been steady with Hyun. You both built a foundation together. A sturdy structure of mutual love, trust, and respect. Dating a business partner is not always a great decision—it’s more often than not a bad decision, but you wouldn’t have the life you’ve built with him any other way.
✴-☀-✴-☀-✴-☀-✴-☀-✴-☀
Part 1| Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | PRE 10 [💕✓] | Part 10 |
A/n: I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things. This drabble will have a smutty part 2, I just didn't want to tackle it all in one day and I didnt want to wait to post this little thing.
Life is better. School is going great. I finally found my 'creative vision' again after months of healing. I've found myself again, and with that, I'm ready to begin sharing my bbh stories with the world again.
And oh shit it's MAY 6TH IN THE US. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BAEKHYUN! 🎉🎊🎀🎁🎂🎈💕💖💗💘💝💞💟💓
Happy summer vacation to the students out there too. See you loves, hopefully, again soon 💗💖💞💕
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ali-annals · 5 months
Text
Chaotic Coffee Zombies- One
Masterlist Chapter Two Chapter Three
Pairing: Timari
Rating: T
CW: Mentioned off-screen character death, Tim is slightly OOC
Taglist (open): @aquilavela @ghostdoodlen @jennifer-rose123 @questioning-blob-of-fog
A/N: Happy birthday to my first bae @aquilavela!! I hope you have a wonderful year<3
~~~~~
“Kaalki, voyage! Divide! Spots off!” Marinette stumbled through the portal into her room and froze.
Oops.
“Young lady, what do you think you’re doing?”
She squared her shoulders and faced her parents. “Surprise?”
“Why didn’t you tell us?” “I couldn’t because…magic. But since I’ve just taken Hawkmoth and Mayura’s Miraculous, I guess now I can? Maman, Papa, I’m Ladybug, hero of Paris.” And Grand Guardian, she added silently, crossing her fingers behind her back.
“That’s why you were- oh, sweetie, if we’d known…” Sabine’s arms wrapped around Marinette, Tom engulfing both of them from the side. “I’m so sorry, honey. But you said you have Hawkmoth’s Miraculous?”
“I’ve settled with him,” Mari said grimly. “I don’t need to be Ladybug anymore.”
“He’s…you didn’t…”
“No, no, he’s still alive. I did punch him several times before I fixed everything, though.”
“As you should’ve,” Sabine nodded proudly. “You know we would have understood if…” she trailed off again, the whole situation making her usually chatty mother at a loss for words. “I’m sorry.”
Tikki flew out from behind Marinette’s back. “It’s not your fault for not knowing, Mme. Cheng! The Miraculous magic does a good job of keeping its wielder’s identity hidden. You should be proud of the- your daughter! She is the best Ladybug I’ve ever worked with!”
Tom and Sabine stared at the kwami in shock.
“Maman, Papa, this is Tikki, my kwami. She’s the ladybug kwami of Order, Creation, and Good Luck.”
~~~
After supper, once some of the shock wore off, Tom and Sabine had a good long talk with Marinette about the past five years. Tears and laughter were freely expressed as they were finally able to be openly emotional.
Luckily, school had just ended three days ago, so Marinette didn’t have to get up early for school. Once Nadja Chamack and Ladybug reported that Hawkmoth and Mayura were finally defeated, most of Paris shut down for the week to vent. The weeks after would be soon enough for celebration.
Mari explained the whole situation with Lila, and how Chloe and Kagami were the only friends she had left.
Now that Hawkmoth was gone, she could freely leave Paris. She still loved the city, but it had taken too much from her, and she needed a change. Tom and Sabine agreed.
“We’ll move to America,” they decided. “Your uncle Jagged is from Gotham; he’ll know good universities for you to attend.”
~~~
Jagged was ecstatic to have Mari closer to his home, and eagerly loaded her up with links and places to check out. He offered to write her letters of recommendation for whatever she wanted, confident in her abilities to pursue her dreams in any field.
A realtor friend of his found a shop with living quarters above it, like their current house, in a good part of town and for a decent price. After some renovations, it would be a dream bakery.
She could attend Gotham Academy for her Grade 12 credits and graduate in December, thanks to the way her French requirements translated to American credits.
It didn’t take the Dupain-Chengs long to pack up, sell the bakery, and fly to Gotham, New Jersey. Not a word was said to her former classmates. Only Chloe knew where Mari was, and she’d never tell. After her apology and joining of Mari’s squad, she was mostly ignored by the others. Chloe and Kagami were saddened to see their best friend leave, but knew a new environment would be more conducive to her healing and growth.
At least they had video calls and texts to keep in contact.
~~~
While the renovations were being completed, the Dupain-Cheng family shacked up at Jagged and Penny’s Gotham mansion. It was nowhere near as large as some of Gotham’s Old Elite family’s mansions, such as Wayne Manor or Drake Manor, but it was definitely sufficient for the five of them (six, counting Fang).
Mari had a lot of fun working with Jagged and Penny on his new album, both on songs and styling. She was recording background vocals for Jagged on a bonus track when her parents stopped by the built-in studio.
“Mari, you sound amazing, sweetie! I can’t wait to hear the rest of your songs! We’re going to the bakery to check on the renovations, and then have a lunch date; we should be back around two. We can bake your birthday cake with you then, if you want?”
“Sure, that sounds great. Have fun!” Mari hugged her parents quickly. “Oh, did you get the lemons for the peel garnish?”
“Oh, no, we didn’t. We’ll pick them up on our way home. Love you!”
“I love you too!”
Months later, she was glad those were the last words they shared.
“Marinette, honey?” 
She glanced up at Penny’s approach, flipping through a catalogue for inspiration for Jagged’s new suit. Why was Penny crying?
“There was a bank robbery. Your parents were helping some kids hide when…I’m so sorry, sweetie.”
Marinette didn’t want to believe it, but some intuition in her gut told her that Penny was telling the truth. She collapsed into her arms, weeping.
~~~
The next morning, Mari emerged early from her room. Though she knew she didn’t have to, she explained anyway. “I’m wearing red, not black, because it was their favourite colour on me, especially after they found out I was Ladybug. Penny, do you think it’s possible for me to have died yesterday as well? And then can I become legally emancipated? I was researching last night…this morning, I guess, and I think I’ve got things figured out. I just want you to check them to make sure they’re sound and y-you approve.”
She would not break down, dammit. She had a life figured out and she needed to follow it now.
Jagged started to speak but Penny cut him off with a warning glare. She’s coping…she’s used to bottling up her feelings…she just needs some time.
Penny took the papers and flipped through them. “This looks legally sound; you’ve put time and effort into planning this. You’re a strong, smart, talented young woman; I don’t know why you shouldn’t be emancipated.
“You do know we’d love to adopt you though, right?” Penny asked carefully. “If you’re worried about being a burden, please don’t be.”
“Yes, I know. I appreciate it, but…not now. I can’t.”
“We understand.” Penny patted her shoulder comfortingly. 
Jagged snapped out of his shock. “You’re welcome to stay here as long as you want, Mari! Pen’s right, we’d love to have you as our daughter officially, but in our hearts it doesn’t matter. We’ll sign anything you want.”
“Thanks, Aunt Penny, Uncle Jagged. I do have a few more papers for you to sign.” A thick file, carefully organized and colour-coded, slid along the breakfast table. Penny figured that Mari hadn’t slept all night; not that she could blame her. “Name change, legal emancipation, property transfer…” she flipped through the tabs. “Most of these we can get filed pretty quickly. Jagged’s friends with a judge here so we can probably get some things moving a bit quicker, too.”
“Great. Thank you.” Mari poured a mug of coffee, gulped it down in four sips, and poured another before leaving the room. Penny shivered, but figured if there was ever a time for overlooking something, it was now.
~~~
Thomas Dupain, Sabine Cheng, and Marinette Dupain-Cheng died on July 8th. On July 9th, Mara Stone was born. 
She bought the partially-renovated bakery and had it finished as a studio/sewing shop, with the top level furnished as MDC’s headquarters.
Mara decided that since she had a new name, future, and school, she’d change everything. Chloe, Kagami, and Penny (and sometimes even Jagged) went on shopping trips, helping her furnish her new living and working quarters and replenish her much-picked-over closet.
For a girl’s date, Kagami and Chloe dragged Mara to a spa, where she was transformed.
Her waist-length blue-black hair was chopped down to a stylish bob, the white-tipped ends just brushing her chin. Her bangs had grown out over the past couple months and now simply added layers to frame her face.
Her closet was now more befitting of a fashion designer, departing from her white, pink, and grey, and containing reds, blacks, blues, and a multitude of colours.
Courtesy of Chloe, she could now walk in heels without tripping, which, when heels became a staple in her wardrobe, added several inches to Mara’s stature.
Jagged and Penny often spent weekends driving to the beach for Marinette to practice swimming and attempt to face her fears from Syren. She was soon swimming like a duck and gained a nice tan for the first time in a while, a light spray of freckles blossoming over her cheeks and shoulders.
For the entire summer, Mara stayed away from anything Ladybug-related, beyond feeding the kwami.
But once the school year was just around the corner, she pulled out the Miracle Box from the depths of her closet. 
She wanted to rotate the kwami, so they could each have turns being out of the box. If the Bats let her, she wanted to join them on their patrols sometimes. Maybe they would introduce her to Wonder Woman, who could introduce her to Hippolyta. 
How to get their attention was the question…
Ideas filled her head as she walked home, her arms full of fabric to work on Jagged’s upcoming tour outfits, as well as hers and Penny’s– plus the spiffing up she wanted to achieve for her Gotham Academy uniform.
“Gimme yer money, lady.” A gun was shoved in her face from the dark alley. 
“Sorry, I spent it all on fabric,” she replied cheerily, nodding at the bolts in her arms, preparing to kick the robber’s gun hand.
Robin swooped down, punching the man into incapacitation.
Plan D it is!
“Oh monsieur, merci beaucoup! Vous m'avez sauvé la vie!” Mara gushed, playing the part of helpless, frightened tourist to perfection. Hugging a shocked Robin and air-kissing his cheeks, she slipped a tracker on his utility belt, underneath a compartment, where she hoped it wouldn’t be immediately found. 
“Ma’am, you shouldn’t be out alone so late.”
“Oui, oui,” she nodded shakily. “I was shopping and ah– how to say– lost the time,” she laughed self-deprecatingly, shrugging her shoulders. “Merci beaucoup.”
With a wave, she headed back in the direction she came from, just in case he decided to follow her. Luckily, he seemed to be called somewhere and left after watching her turn the corner to the more populated Diamond District. 
Once she was sure there was no tail on her, she ducked through the streets and back lanes until she reached Miracle Designs, her shop. She didn’t want to be known as MDC here yet. After she graduated and had time to handle large orders, then she planned to announce her identity.
Mara stored her fabrics on their appropriate shelves, locked up, and portalled back to her room in Stone Manor. Why all the Gotham Elite’s houses were [surname] Manor, she wasn’t sure, but she thought they deserved more creativity if they were going to go to the trouble of naming their houses.
After supper, she helped wash the dishes, then told Jagged and Penny she was transforming and going out for a bit.
Pulling out the receiver for her tracker, she saw that its last signal originated from a house just down the road…Wayne Manor.
Ha! She was right! 
She’d suspected the Waynes were the Bats for a while now. They had excuses, alibis, even Bruce Wayne and Batman in the same place at the same time. The public were convinced there was no way the Bats were the Waynes, except for a handful of hard-core conspiracy theorists.
But as someone who had a secret identity and access to magic, she knew how easy it was to create excuses and body doubles. If the Bats were really as smart as they seemed to be, it would be a piece of cake for them to keep their two personas separate. Especially if they had access to alien tech via the Justice League and were filthy rich, with access to elite tech and disguises.
Martian Manhunter was a shapeshifter, was he not? It would be easy enough for him to impersonate either Bruce or Batman, especially since he worked with the Bats. Trixx had done an excellent job of illusioning Marinette and Ladybug talking to each other before- it wasn’t that hard.
“Kaalki, voyage!”
Mare portalled into the Batcave, internally fangirling just a tiny bit. It is real!!!
She stepped around the corner, hands up. “I wish to speak to Batman.”
“How did you get in here?” Gotham’s Dark Knight asked, hand on a Batarang.
“I made a portal. Have you heard about Paris?” “What about it?”
Mare explained the situation from the past five years, ending with her retirement as Ladybug. By then the entire Batclan had gathered and were listening in shock at what had transpired, things they had no idea about.
“We never heard a word about that.”
“So, which…Miraculous are you using, and what’s your vigilante name?”
“The horse. It creates portals. My name is Mare.” Mara had specifically chosen Mare as her name, since it sounded similar to her civilian name and she could brush off an accidental reply to the wrong name.
“Let’s spar and see how you do,” grunted the Bat. “I’m not putting someone in danger under my mantle.”
Violent coughing sounded from the cluster of Bats behind him, which he ignored.
“You pass,” nodded Batman approvingly. 
Yes! All her training paid off!
“You can join us when you wish, as long as you give us a heads up. Oracle will give you a comm so you can connect to our channels so no mishaps occur.”
“Was that you or your Miraculous?” asked Robin. 
“My Miraculous suits protect my body and give me power-ups and magical abilities, but I have to call upon them to use them. My fighting skills are all me, Bird Boy.”
Robin’s jaw dropped. “Bird Boy?!”
Mara wondered if maybe she shouldn’t possibly insult her new coworkers and boss’s son(?) before she’d even officially joined the team, but her worry was allayed a moment later.
“You even screech like one!” cackled Red Hood, pointing at Robin derisively. The Bats quickly descended into anarchy.
It made a little ache appear in Mara’s heart and she absently rubbed at her chest. She missed her old friends and team at times like these, even if they’d outgrown each other long ago. “Voyage.” In the chaos, she escaped to her room, where she cried into a pillow.
~~~
Miracle Designs was decorated in creams and neutrals, with pops of colour dotted around, creating a rainbow for Mara to live and work in. The kwami had had a hand in decorating and deciding what things would look like, and now everyone was happy with their new living situation.
Gotham Academy was a twelve-minute walk from MD; a nice stroll most days. Penny had completed the enrollment signings and picked up her uniforms the week previous; now the only thing that remained was actually attending the academy.
Occupied with creating the Stones’ tour outfits, revamping her own wardrobe and uniforms, and adapting to life on her own, Mara was far too busy to accommodate commissions at that time. MDC’s website asked for her clients’ patience while she settled in North America, much to one Tim Drake-Wayne’s sadness.
~~~
Mara woke bright and early, having had a good sleep for a change. Still, she needed her coffee. On her first week in Gotham, she discovered a lovely coffee shop that sold an amazing blend of energy– Goth Bean, it was called.
She threw on her uniform and headed down the street to Goth Bean. Luckily, it was on her way to the Academy. She requested her usual order, the barista growing ever more concerned that there were two coffee zombies in this city (or as she called them, combies).
Mara Stone strolled into school unnoticed and slid into an empty seat in her first class. Picking a boy to attempt to befriend–he looked like he needed her coffee more than her– she turned to the tired boy she sat beside. “Macaron? I have some gluten-free ones, if you prefer. I’m Mara Stone, by the way.”
She’d cried all the night before as she made the macarons, the first and last year she made them alone before her first day of school.
“Thanks. Tim Drake.” He took one, sniffing it cautiously. “These smell as good as Alfred’s!”
“Is that a compliment?” she asked teasingly, handing him her coffee.
He looked at it, then her, perplexed.
She shrugged. “I drank half, but you look like you need the remainder more. Don’t worry, it’s not poisoned or whatever. Neither are the cookies, by the way.”
“Thanks.” He still looked at her suspiciously, but chugged the coffee anyway. “And yes, that’s a compliment. Alfred makes the best cookies…I think you should have a bake off. I can judge.”
Marinette snickered, ducking her head when the teacher entered the classroom.
Maybe she could make some new friends after all.
She found herself in classes with Tim all day, except for one period. Compared to Europe’s curriculum, the classes were a breeze (though they would’ve been harder if she hadn’t studied English until she was fluent in it.)
She noticed Tim also whipped through the work, completing most of the homework in class; it turned into a friendly competition. Although, noting the glint in Tim’s eye, she second-guessed the friendly part of the competition.
Their teachers noticed, groaned inwardly, and wondered what they’d done to deserve having Tim Drake in their class, together with the new student, and apparently in academic rivalry.
However, the new girl did keep the Wayne kid from taking over the classes somewhat, so maybe this wasn’t all bad…
The first half of their classes were spent doing the work and quietly heckling each other, the second half mocking the curriculum and planning ways to better teach the school (their hypothetical students would hate them unless they were also certified geniuses).
The other students found Mara nice, especially when she distributed cookies; she was also found terrifying, especially since she got along too well with Tim Drake!
The third day of school found the two coffee addicts pairing up to work on a project. 
“I’d offer to go to my house, but my brothers are…extreme. Can we go to yours, or somewhere like a coffee shop, instead?”
“Sure, my place is fine. Leave now?”
“Sounds good.”
They walked to MD, Mari taking him in the back way so that her designs wouldn’t be seen or disturbed. “This is me!” she said brightly, changing from her kitten heels to her house slippers.
“Nice place,” agreed Tim, looking around. “Is that- do you have two Keurigs?”
“Yep, I need them a lot. Do you want some of my magical energy brew? You look a bit sleepy.”
“Sure; what’s in it?”
“Trade secret,” she winked. “Want to spead the work on the table over there while I make it?”
“Sure. What were you thinking for the format?”
“Wow, this is a magic energy boost! I love coffee,” sighed Tim.
“Thanks, I added a little extra just for you.” It’ll help keep you safer.
~~~
“Whatcha lookin’ at, Timmers?” Jason flopped over his chair, twisting unnaturally to see the screen.
“Move, Jason. You’re heavy. I’m looking up a classmate; she’s new and I need to confirm she isn’t a threat.”
“Boring.” Jason left to find Dick to bug.
[ Mara Stone
07/09/2006 (17)
AFAB
College Francois Dupont  Paris, France
GPA: 4.0
Class President (Raised $30,000 USD via various fundraisers and events)
Note: Parents recently deceased; legally emancipated ]
Hmm…interesting.
~~~
“Hey, Mara. You finished the project?” Tim slid into “his” seat beside her, sliding a to-go cup from Goth Bean across the desk.
“Yep, you?” She gulped the cup in twenty seconds, impressing and worrying Tim.
“Are you okay?”
“Of course! Why not? I was just up late working on some art.”
“Uh huh. Late being another definition of all night?”
“Like you’re one to talk,” she sniffed. “I do it all the time; I’m fine.”
“What type of art?” TIm ignored the truth Mara pointed out.
“An outfit for my uncle. I design clothes for him and my aunt sometimes.”
“Oh cool. So you’re into fashion?”
“Yep. I like to design and make clothes. My ex-friend was a model for his dad actually; it’s kind of funny. I guess birds of a feather flock together.”
Tim looked at her, then back at the board. “Who’s your favourite designer? Mine’s MDC– I dunno if you’ve heard of them– they’re still pretty niche, but they put so much attention to detail into their works. I’ve been trying to commission them forever but they haven’t been open in ages,” he moaned into the desk, missing Mara’s double take and choke on her coffee.
“I don’t have a favourite designer currently, but I do agree with you MDC has some nice work.”
“Nice work? I’m offended on behalf of MDC. They put so much work into all their designs!”
Mara sunk into her seat more and more as Tim defended her alter ego to her face.
Tim’s mental file on Mara gained several more notes.
[ Name: Mara Stone
Age: 17
Birthday: 07/09/2006
Birthplace: Paris, France
Notes: 
Caffeine addict (Insomniac)
Legally emancipated
Ex-friend is a model
Ex-friend’s family is into fashion
Has bad blood with exes
Is into fashion
Is indifferent to MDC! ]
~~~
7 notes · View notes
laurenairay · 1 year
Note
For your birthday prompts, 3 “You bet on us?” with Jacob Markstrom please.
Oooh this one was fun to write, mainly because I haven’t written for Marky in ages – I hope you enjoy it!
“You bet on us?”
Words: 898
*
“We’re going to have to tell them eventually, you know.”
You turned your head on the pillow to look at your boyfriend, huffing out a laugh.
“Yeah I know. Hasn’t it been nice not having everyone up in our business though?” you mused.
Jacob just laughed, nodding his agreement. The two of you had fallen into each other’s beds almost immediately when he’d first been traded to Calgary, your friendship with Elias Lindholm’s girlfriend Annika looping you into the same circles, especially when Jacob was still living with them. As time had gone on though, friends with benefits had shifted into something more, a solid serious relationship, but you’d both agreed to keep things quiet, mostly because you’d already seen how nosy and involved his team and all your friends were with anyone’s new relationships, and you’d just wanted to keep it to yourself for the moment.
That ‘moment’ had shifted into 3 months, and still no-one knew. You never posted anything on social media about each other, you didn’t go to team events, you definitely didn’t show up together to friends gatherings, and you rarely did a date night out in public. Sure, some people might not like that, but for you, it felt nice having something that was just yours.
But it looked like Jacob had reached the end of his need for privacy. Intriguing.
“Any particular reason you’ve changed your mind?” you asked, propping your head up with your hand to look at him properly.
“I just…everyone gets to snuggle in public. I want to be able to do that with you,” he admitted, blush dusting his cheeks.
Oh that sweet, sweet man.
“Okay,” you said simply.
“Okay?” he repeated, eyes full of hope.
“Yeah, okay. I’m in, let’s go public,” you nodded.
The grin that spread over Jacob’s lips made you laugh, that laughter increasing as he all but launched himself at you, pressing a flurry of kisses to your neck.
Trying to figure out how to go public in the most low-key way was the hard part. Even though you’d both agreed that it was finally time after talking a little more about the whole situation, the last thing you wanted was to make a big song and dance about things. That just wasn’t you, and it certainly wasn’t him either.
Eventually, you both decided to just show up holding hands to a dinner Elias and Annika were hosting at their house. That was as minimal fuss as you could think of – anything else could come later.
So when the evening came, Jacob squeezing your hand for reassurance while you waited for the door to open, you couldn’t deny that you were nervous. Not bad nervous per say, but there was still that element of the unknown. Would they be mad that you hadn’t told them? At least not for long when they saw how happy you were, right?
“You made it!”
Elias’s loud voice greeted you, breaking you out of your thoughts, and you found yourself smiling as he did a double take.
“Annika! They finally showed up together!” he called over his shoulder.
What.
“About time!” Annika said happily as she appeared next to him, “You owe me so much money babe.”
What?!
You looked up at Jacob, who looked just as confused as you were. Well that was something at least.
“You bet on us?” you asked, confused.
“Honey, we all did,” Annika mused.
Well damn.
We all did. That was ominous.
The two of you walked into their house, Elias shutting the door behind you, but your head was still whirling as Annika took your coats. They all knew? Or, they’d all guessed? What the hell?
“Who bet what?” Jacob asked, when the four of you finally in the kitchen.
You batted at his arm, making him laugh.
“What? I want to know what they were thinking about us,” he shrugged, earning laughter from your friends.
You huffed out a laugh, but smiled as he lifted your joint hands to press a kiss to your knuckles, Annika just cooing at the sweet display.
“There’s like a dozen of us involved in the main bet now, I won’t lie…”
Well, fuck. That was way more than you’d thought.
“…and everything ranged from if you were just sleeping together or secretly crushing on each other or actually properly dating, including when admissions were made and who told who first. I have a spreadsheet and everything. And of course us two had our own bet.”
“Oh you guys are the worst!” you groaned.
You could guess at least a few of the people involved, knowing how busybody they all were, but the full scale of it still blew your mind a little.
But at least they weren’t mad?
“I guess you’ll need details to make sure the winnings go out properly, hm?” Jacob said simply.
“You are far too nonchalant,” you sighed.
“I’m just happy I get to show off how happy I am,” Jacob shrugged, smiling down at you, “I liked keeping things private, don’t get me wrong, but it was time.”
Well how could you argue with that?
“So, details?” Elias grinned.
Jacob just grinned back, Elias and Annika laughing, and you couldn’t help but laugh as well. Of all the reactions, this was the last thing you were expecting…but you also weren’t surprised in the slightest.
“Here’s what happened…”
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midnightangel155 · 2 years
Text
Just thought this would be cute.
We all know how Kristoff was raised by trolls. And I was thinking what if Scott was somehow raised by llamas or at least people who are part llama/are llama hybrids.
Like- wouldn't that be cute??
Also he definitely talks to his llamas whenever he is stressed or is just telling them stories. He can understand llamas. Not animals. Just llamas. Nothing more. Nothing less.
((Example of that ^
Sausage was once walking around the empires cuz idk- he was bored?? And he overheard Scott ranting to his llamas. And since Sausage can talk/understand animals he knows what the llamas tell Scott.))
Okay- I know Scott's birthday is like- 3 months away but- imma just put this here
Scott has been given a llama for a birthday present. From Sausage ofc. Scott loved it.
Also, since Owen is in empires now as a llama. Imagine if the actual llama turned into Owen. Like- imagine seeing Owen but with llama features! Kinda like Scott's but his are less rainbow more orange.
((Example of that ^
Scott walks into the Tavern to see if his llama is still there: *sees Owen human w/llama features*
Owen: Hi Scott! :D
Scott: Uhm..who are you and what have you done with my best friend?! *pulls out his sword*
Owen: Uhm....Scott I'm Owen?
Scott: 👁️👄👁️ Wut? Owen's a llama..not you!
Owen: *says one of Scott's secrets he's told his llamas*
Scott: *shooketh* Wha-))
Ok- this has turned from me having a headcanon to a full on brainrot lol- i have more!
Scott's part llama(at least to me) and he ENJOYS head pats. Like LOVES them.
He knits. Like- he makes all his clothing all from scratch. He doesn't buy them. He shears his sheep and makes clothes out of the wool.
He is the reason why fWhips pickle business has a sign that says "Do not smelt the pickles into dye due to threat of war". How did he know? Well...llama. One of the llamas told him. Idk how they found out but yeah. The llamas were being snitches.
Occasionally, he falls asleep in either the barn or with the llamas. Like- he forgets to go to his house to sleep and just go get them Zs with the llamas.
People think he's wierd cuz of his heterochromia. People don't tell him that tho because this llama man is sensitive. Like- he WILL get sad IMMEDIATELY.
The designs on his best friends or...in my case his children, are all handmade by him. He also gifts people the stuff he knits.
He can paint and draw REALLY well. I can just imagine him making a family portrait for Joel, Sausage and Hermes. His favorite artwork was when he decided to paint/draw the flower fields.
Scott is friends/neutrals with everyone. Like he definitely is. He is happy llama man and I wanna keep it that way UnU.
Gem has bees right? And exports like- beeswax, honey, basically anything a bee can make. Scott provides the flowers she uses for pollen.
He makes flower crowns for EVERYONE and ANYONE who enters Chromia.
((Example of that ^
Hermes once visited Chromia alone because they know very well the way back to Stratos. And when they reached the "Rainbow man" (that's what I imagine they calls Scott) kingdom they were taught how to make flower crowns by Scott because APPARENTLY neither Joel or Sausage taught them how to. Scott said that they were being horrible parents for not teaching their child such a WONDERFUL thing, as a joke ofc.))
He has long hair. He grew it out when he was out traveling the world looking for new things to add to his collection. It grew till the top half of his back.
He definitely does his nails. Also, Lizzie is a cat and she has long nails( kinda like a cats nails but a bit shorter) and Scott has offered to decorate them because according to him they looked PLAIN. Lizzie of course agreed to this and her nails have NEVER been so good looking. She comes to Chromia every month for her nails.
I think- that's all for now lol- MIGHT add more tho
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