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thisnoodlewritesao3 · 3 years

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Once Upon A Dream | Kyoutani Kentarou/Reader

Characters: Kyoutani Kentarou, Reader, Aoba Johsai Club Members

Pairing: Kyoutani Kentarou/Reader

Genre: Fluff, just happy fluffy times

Warnings: I don’t think there are any, but if you see any, tell me please!

Word Count: 2111

Summary: For almost 3 years, Kyoutani had seen glimpses of your life in his dreams. It was his favourite part of the day. So, when you move to Miyagi, he's far too excited to meet you. Only, he doesn't know your name or your what you look like. And what's a soulmate supposed to do when you go silent at school?

A/N: This has sort of been shoddily thrown together to help me get out of my weird funk lately, but I like it, so sue me. UwU. Check it out, I posted it on AO3 too (here)

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Kyoutani hated school. Not for any other reason than the fact that the people just annoyed him - much less the fact that he wasn’t particularly good at his - his grades could attest to that. Sure, he loved volleyball, and that might’ve been his favourite part of the day; except his favourite part was sleeping. That was because during the times of slumber, he could see glimpses of what happened during his soulmates day - what happened during your day.

He’d never admit to anyone how happy it made him. He’d do anything to learn everything about you.

At this point, he was sure he knew just about everything about you. Most nights you’d feign studying to your mom - you’d always end up watching far too many episodes of the latest anime that had you hooked - even so, you somehow had almost perfect grades. Every time you were in lessons, you took notes effortlessly, though he only ever saw those notes during class. When you weren’t watching anime, you were writing, listening to music far too loud; a thousand playlists that he could never wrap his head around - he was never sure how you’d managed to memorise where one song in each playlist was all because it took you too much effort just to like it. You couldn’t sing very well, that didn’t seem to stop you - he thought the same about your dancing - but something about seeing a section of that from your day always made him extra happy in the morning. You got along well with your mom, most of those clips you were laughing about something incomprehensible. You seemed to get along with a lot of people, though your closest friends were a pair of twins by the names of Anaka and Anoko. You lived in Tokyo, which hurt his heart far too much than he’d admit.

The one thing that irked him was your dislike for sports, you put in little effort to gym every time. Waking up after those clips of your day were his least favourite thing - he’d even put school before that.

Despite the fact he knew everything about you, or as much as he could, there were two things he didn’t know: your name or your face. He hated that so much. It was as if you never looked at your reflection, or took any pictures of yourself. He had a basic idea of what your hair looked like, but most of the time the strands were out of his vision.

From what he could tell, you were in the year below him; it wasn’t that that particularly mattered to him, it just meant he’d been seeing your life for a year longer than you’d been seeing his life. For the almost three years that he’d been able to see you, you’d barely had two years.

One night, a week before he’d be transitioning into his second year, he’d dreamt of you:

The world zipped by through the car window; you rested your elbow on the door hands, leaning your head into your open palm, forehead pressed against the glass. The view wasn’t one he was used to seeing, it looked more like the countryside rather than the cityscapes; a gentle wave of sadness mused inside of you.

“I know it’s going to be a lot to get used to-”

“You have no idea…” you cut off your mother, not even bothering to glance in her direction. Sadness was replaced with an eruption of aggression. You hid it, opting to clench your fist. Your jaw tightened so much that it ached.

“Isn’t this what you wanted?” Her voice was soft. You let out a soft sigh, nodding slowly. “I mean, you were so happy when you found out what high school he went to. Although, even the idea that you’re going to meet your soulmate won’t take away from the fact we’re leaving behind…” she paused, grip tightening on the steering wheel.

You finally tilted your head to look at her. Something swirled in the pit of your stomach and you reached out, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

There weren’t any more words needed between the two of you. It was easy.

Kyoutani woke up, running his hand through his short hair. That felt different than normal. He couldn’t explain it, not well, at least. And what had your mom said about meeting your soulmate? None of it made sense. Did you actually move to an entirely new place? Why?

It frustrated him more than it was worth.

----

Weeks passed and nothing.

Kyoutani had hoped for something, anything. There hadn’t even been a single sight of you in person. He saw you in his dreams; in class, your stare would be focused out of the window intently; you were quiet, rarely interacting with your classmates. You looked at them with such an indifference.

He loved the days when he could see you at home; you did your usual song and dance, but this time you had a small puppy at home. You’d shower it with endless affection. You didn’t seem to watch as much anime before - he even saw you studying sometimes - but the joy in his heart when he listened to you lazily sing an opening was unfiltered and so pure.

He still had yet to see your face, to hear your name.

At the start of volleyball practise, Oikawa announced that the team would be getting a manager - as long as things went well with them, that is. Most of them were confused, Kyoutani included, until Iwaizumi explained that unlike the others, and there had been so many others, this girl wasn’t interested in Oikawa in the slightest - in fact, she didn’t even know who he was. Kindaichi confirmed this, since she talked to him about this.

Out of nowhere, a girl appeared at the door, she seemed frazzled. Completely in a daze. By that point, Kyoutani had zoned out, choosing to focus on literally anything else.

He missed the looks she gave him the entire practise.

----

Sleep could not come sooner for him. He wondered what you were seeing right now, if you were even asleep; he wanted to know so badly what you thought of him, how you felt, he wanted to see your face. Just once. That was all, if he saw your face just once, he would be happy.

----

Time passed and still nothing. He hated it. He hated how close you were to him, yet how out of reach. Things didn’t change much. You were still as quiet as ever in class; you were still as loud as ever at home. He memorized each word you spoke like it was gospel, because what if you just happened to talk near him one day? How else was he supposed to recognise you if it weren’t for your voice?

He didn’t learn much about the new manager. She was quiet, too quiet. She agreed to things too quickly and acted like she would break. Because of that, everyone treated her like she was going to.

He had caught her staring at him a few times, something that pissed him off because he didn’t want her, he wanted his soulmate. Wherever she was…

If he were being honest, he’d really tried his hardest to find her. No one in particular caught his eyes. He searched every first year classroom several times a week to make sure that he had never missed anyone on any particular day, the idea that you could be somewhere else other than right there hurt him. He looked at the desk where you normally sat. Every time he went it was empty. It sucked.

Oikawa only noticed his mood get more foul as time went on - even managing to hold off on commenting about it considering how he looked like he might actually kill someone.

One night, during his dream, it felt like all the pieces finally fell together.

You stared down at the ground- were you wearing sneakers? -rubbing your thumbs together nervously. There was light conversation in the background. He couldn’t make out a lot of what was being said. Not until you stepped towards a bench, grabbing a vibrant yellow water bottle. “Thanks, L/N!” Kindaichi’s voice chimed, puffing out his chest. He was dripping with sweat.

You gave him a half smile before your eyes wandered around. This sight had become a typical one for you, watching the volleyball club running around and practising. Your eyes land on someone in particular and your heart races, although it doesn’t last long, not until he turns and meets your eyes, glaring.

Maybe you just had your hopes too high; he clearly wasn’t interested in having a soulmate. You turned your head away quickly. Giving him a side glance. “Oh Kyou…” you muttered, turning away.

Kyoutani shot up awake. Never had his body been more alert in the morning. The volleyball manager hadn’t just been some girl, but it had been you? All this time you never said a word to him about it, and he had just glared at you like you were nothing.

It made him sick. The idea that he had been hurting you.

Never had he rushed to get dressed faster. Never had he been so excited to go to school. His uniform was haphazardly tossed onto his body, he almost forgot his bag. Everything felt heightened. The wind was hitting his face harder than normal - that might’ve been because he was sprinting - the ache in his legs was nothing compared to the excitement in his heart. The closer he got to the gym, the more nervous he became.

“You’re here early…” Yahaba snickered - normally Kyoutani would have threatened the brunette, but not today. His eyes were almost frantic as he changed into his gym clothes, darting around like there was something big he was waiting for. Because there was something big he was waiting for. That was you. For you to finally appear. So that he-

“Good morning, L/N!” Kindaichi cheered towards the door of the gym, waving frantically at you. You smiled and offered him a small wave before yawning, glancing towards Kyoutani. When you met his eyes, you seemed to pause mid-yawn, tears building up in your eyes.

He walked over to you. Not really knowing what he was going to say. Not really knowing what he wanted to say. Just knowing that he needed to be next to you. To talk to you. To hear your voice again, right now, right in front of him.

When he stopped in front of you, you almost seemed scared, sucking in a deep breath and leaning back slightly. You averted your eyes, not wanting to upset him in any way. He didn’t move, not an inch. His eyes danced over you, examining every part of your face that he hadn’t been taking the time to examine. This was his first time actually seeing you.

“Beautiful…” it slipped out before he could do anything to stop it. A warmth rushed to your cheeks as you smiled awkwardly, looking away from him.

“Um… thank you… Kyou…” The look on your face could only be described as elated, even as you avoided his eyes, you knew he meant it.

All of the other members looked at you confused, trying to understand what Kyoutani had said that had made you so flustered. That was quickly washed away when he grabbed your chin, lifted your head up and smashed his lips against yours.

Your eyes shot open wide, body frozen before you seemed to collapse. His arm caught you, holding you against him with such a need that it was destroying you. When he pulled away, the gym erupted into screams.

“Took you long enough.” You muttered, gently punching his chest.

“I… I never saw your face before-”

“You see it every day?” You tilted your head.

“No. I mean… t-this…”

“Oh…” He didn’t need to explain. You knew exactly what he meant, “I don’t really like my own reflection. So I just… avoid it?” An awkward laugh slipped out.

“But you’re beautiful.” He caressed your cheek, such a softness in his eyes that you didn’t know he was capable of.

“Can someone explain what just happened?” Kindaichi yelled, eyes darting between both of you as you shared such a tender moment.

“That’s what a pair of soulmates looks like,” Oikawa mused, wrapping his arm around the first year, “well, at least she’s cute. Sucks she has such a… strange soulmate.”

Kyoutani slipped away and pounced on the setter.

You simply laughed at them.

After all this time, you’d finally met him.

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ibijau · 3 years

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Futures Past pt 20 / on AO3

(posting early this week because I might not have time tomorrow)(also, because of the upcoming xisang week, I’m not sure yet if I’ll update this fic next week)

With some help from Su She, Nie Huaisang gets his wangxian ship sailing.

Nie Huaisang guiltily twisted his hands as they left the classroom, already half crying as Wei Wuxian finished retelling his first day of punishment with Lan Wangji.

"I really am so sorry, Wei-xiong!" he lamented. "I really wish I could help you. Maybe if I could find a way to copy part of the rules for you and pass them to you…"

"Lan er-gongzi would surely notice," Meng Yao softly objected. "And then you'd both be punished again."

"Aren't you busy enough with your own punishment anyway?" Jiang Cheng huffed. "You'll be lucky if you can even attend your music lessons with all that extra homework you were given, right?"

With a miserable sigh, Nie Huaisang nodded. Cheating was more work than he'd thought, and he'd have to find a better way to do it if he were to pass that year. Though really, it had been Lan Wangji’s fault for joining the lectures, which he hadn't done the previous year, and also Wei Wuxian's for taunting Lan Wangji by looking at him. Of course Lan Wangji had gotten curious, and he'd noticed the cheating, and…

For some reason, Lan Qiren had decided that Wei Wuxian was the instigator in this business, so he'd been punished the hardest. But Nie Huaisang had been given a lot of essays to write, and he didn't dare to ask Lan Xichen to help, fearing to be scolded for his dishonesty. Meng Yao and Jiang Cheng, who hadn't cheated at all, offered little sympathy and even less help, the first because he was still catching up, the second because he didn't feel like it. Hopefully Su She might give a hand, if Nie Huaisang cried a little.

"It's really not so bad," Wei Wuxian said carelessly. "I won't say that first afternoon in the library with Lan Zhan was fun, he's even more boring than his uncle, but I think I can entertain myself. I bet before the month is over, I can get him to break his self control. Now that'd be fun!"

Nie Huaisang stopped on his tracks and grabbed him by the arm, not a trace of tears in his eyes.

"Wei-xiong, why do you have to antagonise him so much?"

"Why wouldn't I? I'd like to be his friend, but he's too stuck up. Pissing him off is the next best thing."

Baffled by that logic, Nie Huaisang looked at their two friends. Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes, while Meng Yao was trying his best not to smile.

"Wei gongzi is like that, don't question it too much. He likes to tease people, and thinks everyone understands it's meant in a friendly manner."

Judging by the tone of his voice, Meng Yao himself had been a victim of that friendly teasing, and that perhap it hadn't gone so smoothly between them. That would explain why Meng Yao seemed to prefer Jiang Cheng's company, who was less fun to have around, but also a little quieter when he wasn’t shouting at Wei Wuxian.

Personally, Nie Huaisang preferred Wei Wuxian out of the three, but was getting a little annoyed at him right at that moment.

While Jiang Cheng and Meng Yao went their way to enjoy their freedom for the rest of the day (they would waste it studying, they seemed the type), Nie Huaisang decided to accompany Wei Wuxian all the way to the library, so they could chat a little. He still had a plan to put in motion, orders from his future self to obey, and his own natural desire for fun to satisfy.

“I don’t understand why you’re like that with Lan Wangji,” Nie Huaisang said as they took the longest path possible toward the library, trying to keep his tone casual. "If you want to be his friend, there are better ways. Why don't you talk to him nicely?"

Wei Wuxian did not even hesitate. "I've tried, and he ignores me."

That was sadly true, as Nie Huaisang had seen a few times. It didn’t help that Wei Wuxian naturally sounded like he was trying to tease people, even when he was sincere. He was so fun to have around that most people didn’t mind it, but for someone like Lan Wangji...

"Well maybe if you apologised to him?" Nie Huaisang suggested.

"I've tried that too, but he thinks I'm insincere.”

"Because you are!" Nie Huaisang pointed out, fighting a smile.

Wei Wuxian just laughed, but that was an answer in itself.

"Please, at least don't make him any angrier," Nie Huaisang pleaded. "He'll never be your friend otherwise!"

Hearing him get so distressed about that, Wei Wuxian stopped in his tracks, his expression more serious than Nie Huaisang had ever seen so far. He was a little scary like that, something about his height and the shape of his eyes making him look cold and distant when he wasn’t grinning and laughing.

"Listen, Nie-xiong,” Wei Wuxian said in a voice that had lost some of its warmth. “I want to be his friend, sure. I think there's something interesting about him, definitely. I’d really like it if I could be close to Lan Zhan, and given the chance I’ll do it for sure. But if he only becomes friends with me because I start acting like someone I'm not, then we're not really friends, and it's not worth the effort."

“Wei-xiong, I didn’t expect you to be wise like that,” Nie Huaisang whispered, a little awed.

“Only you would find that wise,” Wei Wuxian mocked, and Nie Huaisang found that he could breathe a little more easily now that the other boy was laughing again. “If Jiang Cheng heard me, he’d say that my personality is too awful for anyone to like me! And Meng Yao would say something about compromises. I’m pretty sure they’re the wise ones, but I just don’t feel like acting so seriously.”

Nie Huaisang grinned, a little envious of such a bold way of living. He was not always likeable, according to a lot of people (himself included, when it came to the man he was supposed to become), and so he would never have expected people to fully like him as he was. Nobody except his brother, who had little choice in the matter, and maybe Su She who probably felt like he couldn’t be too picky when it came to friends, and… well, Lan Xichen seemed to like him as he was, too, but that was just because he was so nice.

It was so bold of Wei Wuxian to expect to be fully accepted as he was. But then again, Lan Wangji also wasn’t the sort to make efforts to get others to like him, so at least they had that in common.

As they arrived near the library, the topic had to be dropped. Wei Wuxian, with a grimace of fake agony, went inside to sit with Lan Wangji, while Nie Huaisang had the pleasant surprise of finding Su She about to leave the library, and free to spend some time with him. Lan Wangji had asked for his help to put some order in a section of the building while waiting for Wei Wuxian to arrive, and Su She couldn’t decide if he was flattered or annoyed that the request had been made to him rather than another disciple.

Su She ranted about that for a little bit as they walked away from the library, before complaining about his classes, and then about a letter from his mother who wanted him to send home some talismans because she was still convinced their house was haunted even thought he’d visited during winter and hadn’t noticed anything amiss. Nie Huaisang listened, and even reacted here and there, but couldn’t quite focus on his friend’s problem that day. Su She noticed of course, and asked what hung so heavy on his mind that he couldn’t even laugh at his description of a clearly fake haunting.

“I might have a silly question to ask you,” Nie Huaisang replied. “But please, don’t make fun of me for it. It’s kind of important, and I think you could really help me.”

“That sounds very worrying, but fine, ask me.”

"How would one seduce a Lan?"

Su She gave him such a long, serious look, that Nie Huaisang started feeling he’d rather have been laughed at after all.

"So you're finally doing something about Lan gongzi?” Su She asked. “About time, it was getting annoying how clueless you are. And, well, if you want my opinion…"

"Oh, no, this is about Lan Wangji, not Xichen-gege!"

Su She stopped walking and fell silent for a moment, his expression turning complicated. He looked as if he’d eaten a very sour lemon that also happened to be moldy, all while there was a cut in his mouth.

"Lan er-gongzi? Really?"

"Yes. See, I think Wei-xiong and him could be good friends,” Nie Huaisang quickly explained, startled by that strong reaction, “so of course I want to help. But they're the two most difficult people in the world, you know? Xichen-gege is helping, but a second opinion never hurts."

"Ah, it's just that," Su She said, instantly relaxing.

He resumed walking away from the library, and Nie Huaisang followed.

"Well, yeah. Why did you think I needed help about Xichen-gege?"

Su She hesitated, and even opened his mouth a few times to say something. Eventually he frowned and shrugged.

"If you're too stupid, it's not my problem,” he said. “Let's talk about those other two instead, since you’re so preoccupied. Aside from being equally good at fighting, what do they have in common?"

Nie Huaisang crossed his arms on his chest and shook his head.

"Nothing at all."

Su She nodded.

"Then I guess they need to fight again. Maybe in public."

"You think that'd help if they had an audience?" Nie Huaisang wondered.

"No idea,” Su She said with a wicked grin, “but I'd like to see Lan er-gongzi in a fight that makes him break a sweat."

Nie Huaisang poked him in the ribs.

"Mean. But… Wei-xiong can be pretty full of himself,” he admitted. “I guess I'd also like to see if he's as good as he thinks. How to get them to fight though?"

They’d reached a more isolated part of the Cloud Recesses, a small garden that rarely saw much use, just at the border to the wilderness. They found a bench, and after removing some dead leaves they sat there to continue chatting in peace.

"In two days, you get a day off from lectures, right?” Su She asked. “Get your Wei-xiong to the training grounds after lunch. Lan er-gongzi is always there at that time on a free day, and I'll do my best to be as well. It'll be pretty easy to get them to spar."

"Su-xiong you're just the best!” Nie Huaisang exclaimed, hugging his friend who barely even grumbled against such effusions. “What would I do without you?"

"You'd be less efficient for sure. Now can we talk about something less boring than Lan er-gongzi?”

“Yes, yes! Tell me more about your parents’ haunting, I’ll really listen now! If it’s not a ghost, then what is it?”

Pleased to return to a more fun subject, Su She started discussing his theory about some wild cats and a few squirrels that he suspected to have found their way into the currently disused ‘haunted’ room, and talked about it with such indignation that Nie Huaisang was soon in tears from how hard he laughed.

Although nobody had been warned of the duel to come, a small crowd had quickly assembled around the training grounds once it became understood that Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian were having a friendly fight. They were both reputed to be insanely skilled after all, and rumours about their first duel under the moonlight had spread fast.

So far, Nie Huaisang had to admit that both boy's reputation was deserved. If anything, they were both more talented than he would have expected. They exchanged blows and parried them as if it were easier than breathing, making for a beautiful show. Su She, who stood on Nie Huaisang's right at the very edge of the training grounds, appeared consumed with admiration and envy. He'd fallen silent a while ago, and perhaps regretted this fight he'd helped organise.

On Nie Huaisang's left, Jin Zixuan was almost as upset, just a little better at concealing it.

"I can't believe such talent has been wasted and given to the world's most obnoxious person," he complained as Wei Wuxian dodged a blow.

"Apparently, that's also Lan Wangji’s opinion," Nie Huaisang cheerfully replied. "But I think he's warming up to Wei-xiong now."

Lan Wangji, after a moment of surprise at the way Wei Wuxian had avoided his attack, lunged at him again with renewed vigour.

"Yes, I can see they're on their way to becoming best friends," Jin Zixuan sneered. "Well, that's getting boring. I was hoping to see Wei Wuxian put in his place, but now he's just going to be more insufferable. I'll see you later, Nie gongzi."

He left, but the spot next to Nie Huaisang didn't remain empty for very long. Lan Xichen quickly made his way there. Nie Huaisang immediately smiled at him, but unlike the rest of them, Lan Xichen didn't appear to pleased by the show.

"Huaisang what's going on here?" he asked. "What are they fighting about? Did something happen?"

"Oh they're just fighting for the sake of it!" Nie Huaisang cheerfully explained, only for Lan Xichen to look even more distressed.

"Wangji got into a fight without reason? How?"

Alerted by his tone, Su She tore his eyes from the fight and gave Lan Xichen a quick bow.

"Lan gongzi needs not worry. They're not actually fighting, this is only a friendly spar."

"Yes, we thought it'd be good for them, so we made it happen," Nie Huaisang confirmed. “I think it’s going great! Wei-xiong looks like he’s having the time of his life!”

Reassured that no rules were broken and no serious harm was intended by either party, Lan Xichen finally properly looked at the ongoing duel. He observed the two fighters for a moment before eventually nodding.

“Wangji too is enjoying this,” he said after some consideration. “I’m glad for him. It is so rare for him to get an opponent of his level. Other juniors are rarely a match, and adults won’t spar with him because they don’t want to lose to someone so young. You had a good idea, Huaisang.��

“Oh, that wasn’t even my idea,” Nie Huaisang replied, beaming. “It was Su-xiong who suggested it, and who asked to see them spar.”

Lan Xichen turned his attention to Su She, who appeared a little uncomfortable. Nie Huaisang realised, a little late, that scheming to make people fight, even in a friendly manner, was probably against some of Gusu Lan rules.

“I am glad you have such a good friend helping you set your plan in motion,” Lan Xichen said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Still, don’t drag him into too much mischief. I would be very disappointed in you, Huaisang, if you caused Su-shidi to get in trouble. He’s worked so hard to prove himself to our teachers, let’s not ruin his efforts just because you like to have a little too much fun.”

“Of course not!” Nie Huaisang exclaimed. “Su-xiong, you wouldn’t let me cause you real problems, right?”

“I only agree with Nie gongzi’s ideas if they don’t contradict the rules,” Su She confirmed, bowing again toward Lan Xichen. “And I wouldn’t let Nie gongzi do anything dangerous or ill-advised. Lan gongzi can be at peace, I won’t let anything happen to his friend.”

Lan Xichen smiled stiffly.

"I know I can trust Su-shidi to take good care of Nie gongzi. I am… quite happy to leave him in your hands, where I know he'll be safe."

It was a rather odd way to say that, and there was something a little too cold in Lan Xichen’s tone which did not quite please Nie Huaisang. But Su She himself seemed unbothered, so this might just have been Nie Huaisang imagining things. It was probably just that Lan Xichen still remained doubtful regarding Lan Wangji’s potential friendship with Wei Wuxian, which had to affect his mood.

But things really were going quite well. In fact, they were going much better than Nie Huaisang had hoped. After fighting a little more, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian eventually stopped when a Lan teacher approached them to explain that he needed the training grounds for his own class. There didn’t appear to be a clear winner between them, as far as Nie Huaisang could say. Later, when he asked Su She, his friend gave his more expert opinion that although they had completely different fighting styles, they were equals in strength and capacity. It would be interesting, he said, to see them fight side by side instead of against each other.

For now though, they politely bowed to each other, and Wei Wuxian, grinning more brightly than Nie Huaisang had ever seen him yet, asked if they might train together again in the future.

It was quite funny to see Lan Wangji’s conflicted expression. On one hand, Wei Wuxian was nearly a criminal in his eyes, who had disrespected his uncle, broken many rules, and cheated during an exam, all of which was unforgivable and marked Wei Wuxian as beneath his consideration. But at the same time, this looked to have been a very fun sparring session, Lan Wangji had been forced to use all his skill to keep up with his opponent, and that was something too precious to be easily dismissed.

At a loss, Lan Wangji turned to look at his brother, hoping for guidance. Lan Xichen, in turn, only briefly glanced at Nie Huaisang before nodding at his brother with an encouraging smile.

“Behave in class,” Lan Wangji ordered with a slight frown, before turning away.

Wei Wuxian looked disappointed by what he must have mistaken for rejection, but Nie Huaisang saw that answer for what it was and ran to his friend to explain that Lan Wangji had, in fact, very warmly agreed to fight him again.

#xisang #nie huaisang #lan xichen #double time travel #mo dao zu shi #mdzs #jau writes

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seriouslysnape · 3 years

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First your writing is amazing! Second if you’re willing to write for young Snape will you consider writing him with a fellow classmate (Slytherin)? They’re best friends and there’s been mutual pining but neither of them recognize it, even though her other friends have tried to convince her that Snape is into her. And eventually he’s the one to finally confess and as he anxiously rambles on, she interrupts him by kissing him.

No worries if you don’t want to write it!

SO CUTE. THESE ARE THE BEST IDEAS. This one is stupid cheesy and fluffy.

(Below the cut ofc) :)

Taking Chances

Young Severus Snape x Fem. Reader

Warnings: None.

Word Count: 2,355

“Doesn’t it just take your breath away?”

“He’s looking at you again.” Your friend whispered from where she sat across from you.

You glanced over your shoulder to see the familiar Slytherin boy that you had become so acquainted with over the years. He was sitting by himself at one of the tables in the Hogwarts library, an overly large Advanced Potions book open in front of him. His black hair was unkempt and had grown well past his ears, his slender frame hunched over his study material as he quickly averted your gaze once you gave him a friendly smile.

You turned your attention back to your friend who was looking at you with a knowing smirk. You raised a brow.

“What?” You questioned.

“He likes you.” She stated quietly so no one else could hear.

You gave her a heavy sigh in response. Not this again.

“We’ve been over this. Severus doesn’t like me like that. We’re just friends.” You explained, hiding the disappointment in your voice.

“Friends who spend every day together and very clearly have a thing for each other.” She argued back, tapping her quill on her parchment.

It was common knowledge within the Slytherin House that you and Severus Snape were the unofficial couple of all the sixth years. The two of you had grown extremely close during your time at Hogwarts, and there weren’t many things that the two of you didn’t know about each other. You tended to be so close that you were blind to the fact that you both were crazy about each other.

“Is it so wrong for me to have a close friend who happens to be a boy?” You asked, feeling Severus’ stare on you again.

She shrugged, completely forgetting about the assignment she had been working on. Your other friends had been telling you for years that he admired you. They noticed the way he hid his face behind his hair when you complimented him or said something kind. Or the way he squirmed in his seat whenever you entered a room and sat next to him. The only time he ever really seemed to smile or have any sense of happiness at all was when you were around.

Other students always gave him such a hard time. He was a shy, quiet kid with not a lot of backbone to defend himself. He let other kids toss him around and walk all over him. You had always felt sorry for him. Any initial encounter you had with him had been nothing but pleasant. You were a popular Slytherin girl, boys and girls alike of all Houses were constantly feigning for your attention.

Severus was the only one who you had ever had any interest in.

He had a pure heart, which was more than you could say for anyone else who had ever tried to win you over. He was just a little different was all. There wasn’t anything wrong with that. You steadily began to build a beautiful friendship, and you saw a side of Severus that you were sure no one else would ever witness. He quickly became your best and most trusted friend.

You didn’t expect to fall in love with him though.

“Not at all. I’m just saying that it’s clear that you’re dancing around one another.” She pointed out, briefly looking at Severus and then back to you.

You didn’t offer any kind of response, hoping she’d drop the conversation. You were sure that she, along with the rest of your friends, were horribly wrong. You didn’t believe that Severus had feelings for you, no matter how badly you wanted it to be true.

She leaned in even closer, her voice even quieter than before.

“You know, [Y/N]...there’s no shame in making the first move.” She advised.

You snorted, rolling your eyes.

“Yeah, and be horribly rejected and humiliated? No thanks.” You replied curtly.

She shot you a doubtful look.

“Come on. Severus would never embarrass you. The worst that could happen is that he says no to a date,” She said, trying her hardest to persuade you; “Just take a chance. You never know what might happen.”

You rolled your eyes again, packing up your stuff. You were done with this conversation.

“If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to spend my time with someone less pushy.” You insulted your fellow Slytherin friend.

She didn’t take that personally. She brushed it off, knowing you were just frustrated. You moved yourself and your belongings to the table where Severus was sitting.

“Can I sit here?” You asked him sweetly, knowing he wouldn’t mind.

He nodded in response, acting as if he hadn’t just been staring at you for the last half hour. A hot blush crept onto his pale cheeks so he shook his head slightly to push his hair in front of his face to hide it.

“How is your Potions homework going? I haven’t done mine yet.” You asked, eyeing the book he had been reading from.

“Rather well. I can help you with yours, if you want.” He said.

Your chest fluttered gratefully at his offer. Severus was exceptional when it came to Potions. It wasn’t a shocker that he had chosen to take Advanced Potions this year. You were decent enough at it to qualify for the advanced class, but you still struggled with some concepts. Severus, on the other hand, completely aced it.

“That’d be great. This chapter has been hard for me.” You admitted, reaching into your bag to retrieve your less impressive Potions textbook.

He began to walk you through the homework, pointing out what each section required you to do. You had placed yourself next to him, watching as he scribbled the names of ingredients and amounts of each on the parchment. You watched how his focus trained in on what he was doing, and how he carefully explained certain concepts to you.

He was so cute when he was confident.

“You try this last one. It lists the ingredients and you have to figure out what potion the question is asking for.” He said, handing your quill back to you.

When you took it from his grip, your fingers brushed against his for a moment. His skin was surprisingly supple, yet calloused in some areas on his hand.. He spent a lot of time brewing potions, so you expected him to have some wear on them. Your eyes met his for a moment, looking stunned that your hands had just touched.

You quickly zoned back into your work, ignoring the flushing feeling you felt in your legs. He patiently waited for you to read the ingredients listed. He noted how your brows furrowed in concentration while you racked your brain of all the possible answers. You were dedicated to your work and education. You were motivated to be a successful witch after you graduated next year. He admired your work ethic and determination. He was so fond of the way you went out of your way to make him feel seen. You genuinely cared for him and made him happy.

“I think it’s...Everlasting Elixir?”” You said, half content with your answer.

“Exactly,” Severus confirmed; “You’re better at Potions than you give yourself credit for.”

You swallowed hard at his compliment, but gave him a kind smile. He really could be so charming...even if it was unintentional.

“Thanks, S. You’ve been a huge help.” You returned the compliment.

He gave a rare, but cute smile in return. He was more than willing to help you. A silence grew between the two of you. Suddenly, neither of you could think of what to say. You thought about what your friend had been saying. Maybe you should make a move. It wasn’t like it would kill you if you did. You didn’t want to ruin your friendship by any means, but you were afraid you’d regret it if you let this go undiscussed.

“Do you want to meet me in the courtyard later? The sunset is always so pretty this time of year and I hate watching it alone.” You said, deciding you needed more time if you were going to do this.

Sunset watching? Severus thought about that idea for a second or so. You hadn’t ever done that together. Wasn’t that something that couples did?

“Yes. I’d like that.” He accepted.

You sheepishly laughed, nodding excitedly.

“I’ll see you then.” You said, getting up from your seat and dashing out of the library.

You had to prepare yourself for any outcome. At least now you wouldn’t spend the rest of your life wondering what could’ve been.

Dusk came quickly over Hogwarts castle, faster than you wanted it to. The sky blended into a beautiful canvas of orange, purple, and red. You were sitting on a concrete ledge, your feet swinging over the side. You had been building this moment up in your head all day. You still didn’t even know what you were going to say. How would he react? What if it totally destroyed your friendship?

There were too many unknowns that you just didn’t want to deal with if you didn’t have to.

The courtyard was surprisingly quiet for a Friday evening. Usually there were all kinds of students spread out around it. You took that as a blessing though. At least now there wasn’t anyone around to witness your possible rejection. Soon after, you spotted Severus entering the courtyard. He was walking with his head lowered slightly, per usual. However, he seemed to be standing a little taller than he usually did.

“Hi, Severus.” You greeted.

He was lovestruck at how beautiful you looked in the golden hour lighting. Your skin glowed and your eyes sparkled with perfection. He just couldn’t understand how anyone could feel this strongly about someone. He often wished that you were trained in Legilimency so you could read his mind every time you saw him.

That way you’d know how he felt about you. He thought that he made his feelings clear over the last few years. He was obviously interested when he had conversations with you or even when he was in your presence. You were the only person he helped with Potions or any class for that matter. He had laid his feelings out on the table in the only way he knew how. Couldn’t you see how his heart yearned for you?

“You look wonderful.” He said as boldly as he could, taking a spot next to you.

You smiled for the thousandth time that day, thanking him graciously. You looked to the sky, mesmerized by the pretty swirls of color.

“Doesn’t it just take your breath away?” You asked, sighing contently.

Severus replied, but his eyes weren’t on the sky. But you didn’t notice.

“Yes. Every time.” He confessed, his black eyes on you.

He continued on.

“I wasn’t aware that you watch the sunset often.” He stated.

You shrugged.

“I don’t do it every day. Just when I have time for it.” You explained, gaze still fixed on the sky.

He nodded in understanding. He thought about how you were a lot like a sunset. Beautiful, comforting, calm, consistent. He knew he could always count on you to show up for him. He loved that. He was close enough to you that your shoulders were almost touching. If he paid attention, he could feel body heat radiate off of you.

“Did you have a nice rest of your day?” He questioned.

He was always so curious to hear about your day. Every aspect of your life fascinated him. You liked that he always cared about the seemingly small things.

“I did. I managed to finish all my homework. I’m tired of having weekend work.” You laughed.

He laughed as well, a soft, calculated sound bubbling out of him. You felt your nerves begin to rise back in your belly. You had to do this while the moment was right. You had to get on with it. Just ask him how he felt...or rather confess your own feelings. You had put this off for far too long.

Take a chance. Just take a chance.

You took a breath to speak, ready to bite the bullet, but he beat you to the punch.

“[Y/N], can I tell you something?” He asked, forcing his hands to stop shaking.

You were stunned for a split second, but recovered rapidly.

“Of course. Anything.” You prompted him to go on.

He looked to his feet, his shyness shining through. He gulped and anxiously pushed his hair behind his face.

“I really like you.” He confessed through a tight breath.

Your brain short circuited. No way. The tables had surely turned. A million emotions crashed over you like a giant, ocean wave. You were flooded with excitement, relief, happiness, and love all at once. Severus went on.

“Uhm a-and not just as a friend. I lov- I like you a lot more than that,” He announced; “I d-don’t want you to be mad at me now, but-”

And then you kissed him, gently and sweetly.

It caught him off guard at first, not expecting that reaction. He took it as a good sign, kissing back before it was too late to do so. He never saw this moment coming, but he was so glad that it did. He had never had a girlfriend before, but he was pretty sure he was going to like it.

You pulled back to look at Severus, who was wildly blushing now.

“I’m definitely not mad.” You smirked.

He smiled softly and contently.

“You like me too?” He asked, wanting to be absolutely sure.

“Yes. I absolutely do.” You nodded happily.

He exhaled with relief. This was more than either of you could’ve ever dreamed of. It was something you had wanted for long that it almost didn’t feel real. He kissed you this time, adoring the feel of you against him. For a moment, your mind went to the conversation you had earlier. You knew one thing for sure.

You would definitely take chances more often.

#severus snape #severus #severus snape x reader #severus snape x you #severus snape x y/n #professor snape #professor snape x reader #professor snape x you #alan rickman #seriouslysnape

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joonapeach · 3 years

Text

skylines (nj)

college!au, where namjoon openly chases you and you love running from those advances. that is, until everyone in your architecture department finds out you’re the daughter of the man behind the biggest architecture firm in the country.

alternatively... namjoon is a simp for you until he’s suddenly not

author’s note: sometimes i just wanna write for the fun of it and not take life so seriously so this is what i churned out. 8.8k words of some minor pining and mini character development for our oc because tbh, being a student sucks and you get so caught up in your insecurity sometimes

also reposted on ao3

[this is fluff and light-hearted, with a bit of a rivalry trope, 8.8k words]

You love skylines.

From when you were six years old with short legs, you remember craning your neck up high to see each building that surrounded you. At that age, the world seemed big and you seemed small but you loved it. You loved seeing the world build and function around you.

From then on outwards began your decades-long relationship with your first love - buildings.

Well, you called it buildings and your father called it architecture. You were the daughter of his dreams, his proclaimed legacy. What luck I have, he would say, that I have a daughter who will grow up to work beside me.

Growing up, those comments were your food for the day. You would eat up his encouragements and cheers throughout high school, serving him back your high grades on a gold platter.

This is the way you’ve worked through your past nineteen years. It’s a little basic, maybe, but you’ve operated on your father’s ambition for you.

But like all good things, even that seemed to come to an end. Since entering university and embarking on your path as an architecture major, the once comforting encouragement has slowly changed to a choking chain around you.

You’ve learnt a lot in two semesters at university. You’ve learnt how to finish assignments the night before, how to memorize historical names and dates minutes before an exam, you’ve learnt how fun it can be to be with your friends.

But most of all, you’ve learnt that… you’re not special.

You’re surrounded by overachievers, all like you, all perhaps better than you in some way. You’re the daughter of the man behind HN Architects, but some of your classmates look like they’re on their way to the top of the chain.

You always thought you deserved your seat, your privilege, because you’d worked for it. These days, it doesn’t seem much like that. And you worry that your father is thinking the very same thing.

Let’s finish this assignment, you sigh, there’s not much left. Let’s do it, you give yourself a pep talk, fighting back a yawn at the practically empty library before dawn.

Books crash down on your table, right beside you. You shake, being pulled so abruptly out of your reverie. Although maybe you should be thankful, for the sleep that was threatening your productivity seems to have run away from the sound.

“Excuse me,” you scoff loudly, making your presence known to the disturbance.

From above the tower of books on the desk, peeks out a familiar dimpled smile. His eyes glint with mischief and despite the early hours of the day, his face reads no exhaustion.

“You’re excused.”

You groan. “There’s an entire empty library, you can only sit here?”

“Studying is more fun with company,” he retorts with a grin.

“It’s studying. It’s not meant to be fun,” you reply, hostile. “Didn’t I tell you to stop showing up in front of me with no purpose?’

He smiles again, confidently with his eyes unmoving from you. It’s almost unnerving, how much you see Namjoon smile in front of you. Architecture students are not meant to be this happy. They aren’t meant to carry a warm smile everywhere they go, looking at people with such attentive intensity.

“I haven’t shown up without a purpose though,” he says. “I came to ask for help with the assignment.”

This time, you smile. But your smile is one of disbelief and amusement.

“Yes, that’s very believable, Namjoon,” you cock a brow. “You’re the one finishing assignments a week early and screwing up the curve for everyone but I’m sure I could help you with whatever you need.”

He grins, taking a seat next to you. “Hey, sometimes even I need help,” he replies but then pauses. “Ah, you’re right. I should’ve gone with coming to offer you help. That’s a lot more believable.”

“I don’t need your help,” you argue. “Stop showing up in front of me. And stop subtly flexing in front of me. It’s nauseating.”

He throws his head back and laughs. He looks so happy that it almost stirs a scary, fluttering feeling in your stomach. “You should be the last person to feel jealous of me, _____.”

You glare at him. “Yeah, because I’m the one who threatens your ranking?”

He shakes his head. “No, because I would help you with everything if you just asked.”

You still, for a moment. His words lull over in your head and they feel a bit weird. Your major is competitive and cut-throat, even if it doesn’t appear it. To you, Namjoon is your biggest rival, your biggest worry because you can never match up to him.

“Well, I’m not asking you for a thing. Is there really nothing you stress over?”

“No, there is. I just don’t cry over my textbook the nights before exams.”

“That was one time,” you mumble, infuriated. “And I had every right to be crying that night. It was the hardest exam that term and I have big shoes to fill. I can’t afford to be bothering people, like you,” you say with an intentional offense.

He takes none. “Big shoes? Who’s putting expectations on you?”

“Just some family. Stop being nosy,” you say swiftly. “And you didn’t even tell me. What do you stress over?”

He pauses, not giving a response for a moment. You wonder if it’s because there’s really nothing he stresses over. You wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case. While you and your friends have all cracked under the pressure of your degree, you especially with the added burden of your father… Namjoon has not once shown signs of struggle. He walks through life with that smile every day.

“Finding work,” he says after a while.

“Huh?”

He meets your eyes. “You asked me what I worry about. I worry about finding work when I graduate,” he says sincerely.

You bite back a rude laugh. “Please, Namjoon. Get real,” you roll your eyes. “You really think you can worry about that? You were the top of our class all last year.”

You don’t do a good job of hiding your envy, but it’s beyond you to care at this point. You’ve become this person now. The one who seeks everything out of their number on the paper.

“But I don’t have any connections. I come from a village, practically, as you like to call it,” he says with a chuckle. It stings you a little, he’s referring to the time you and your friends had put him down out of jealousy with those words. But he doesn’t say it like it bothers him. He says it like it’s true.

“So?” you say, looking away from him and back on your sheet. “You don’t always need connections.”

“Not always, but a lot of the time,” he shrugs.

“Any company who takes a look at your record and speaks to you for five minutes would want you, Namjoon,” you exhale, knowing your words are 100% true. You think about your father, about HN Architects. Namjoon’s the kind of guy who your father wouldn’t think twice about hiring. He’s the epitome of someone who could fill any shoes you gave him.

You scoff bitterly. “Wait a second. Why am I comforting you right now? You’re a success story in the making,” you snap and he laughs, even though you didn’t intend it to be a joke. “You should be comforting me, you idiot. I don’t even know if I’ll have Mr. Labadee’s assignment done in time for submission!”

He puts his hands up. “Okay, okay, don’t worry. Why do you think I’m here?” he looks away, still smiling as he takes the pencil from your hand and moves closer to the sheet.

“What?” you say, watching the way his eyebrows furrow and his eyes scan the paper. He’s losing himself in the sheet now, and it feels like watching a prodigy at work. You picture this is what it would feel like to watch Bill Gates code on a computer before he formally started his career or watching The Beatles pen a song before they made it big.

“Hm?”

“Did you come here for me?” you ask and for a split second, you see his eyes shift. “Did Chae tell you I was here?”

He doesn’t respond, instead focusing on the assignment. “Your calculation is wrong here. Look,” he says, pointing at a section. As he explains your mistake, you smile satisfied.

He doesn’t need to admit it. You two have gone through this very situation so many times now, that you both know it’s true. Namjoon always comes for you.

You have kept your background, your family, extremely private since joining university.

In high school, you made the mistake of letting people know that you were the daughter of HN Architects. It resulted in years of people smooching up to you, gossiping behind your back, mean assumptions, and just a general nightmare.

That nightmare would only multiply if your friends here found out about it. They were all architect majors, all in the same cut-throat degree, and you came from privilege.

It scared you, knowing what could happen if they ever found out. You begged your family to make sure that nothing would tie you to them here, keeping your name different on the registrar, not publishing photos of you in the paper. You couldn’t risk all the friends and relationships you made. Even if they said things won’t change, you know they would. They always do.

“I need to sleep for 10 years,” you mumble, falling on your bed.

“Fuck this, I wish I was you right now,” Chae cries from her side of the room. “I’ve got one more submission.”

“I woke up at 4 to finish it so you should be fine,” you laugh, looking at her. “And did you send Namjoon to me?”

Chae fights a smile on her face. You sigh, knowing you’ve opened Pandora's box.

“He came to me asking about you last night. I told him you were sleeping, but you’d be at the library at 5 working on the assignment,” she smirks cheekily. “Why, did he come?” she asks, not hiding the overly inquisitive edge to her question.

You say nothing, deciding to turn on your laptop.

“He did!” she screams and your eyes widen, telling her to be quiet. “Sorry! I just can’t help it. That’s so sweet,” she squeals.

“Stop sending him after me. You’re encouraging him.”

“You’re encouraging him!” she counters. “You let him help you with your assignment, didn’t you?”

“Yes, but-”

“And you showed up at his dorm last week for notes, didn’t you?”

“Okay, but-”

“And you told him off for helping Eun like four days ago, remember?”

“Chae,” you stop her, sternly. “Have you lost your mind? Don’t you realize what all those things have in common?”

“They all are evidence of the fact that you reciprocate his year-long courtship?”

You roll your eyes. “No, idiot. All these things are work-related. I can’t afford to be falling behind, and I need his help.”

“Okay, but you were jealous of Eun-”

“I was annoyed that he was helping other people score higher! The last thing I need right now is the lazy kids of the class becoming my competition too,” you complain, grumbling.

Chae stares you down. “_____, not everything is about your degree,” she says light-heartedly, but you know your statement bothers her.

Exhaling, you shut your eyes. You hate it when conversations come to this. Sometimes, you wish you could just tell people which family you came from. Maybe it would do them good, to make them realize that yes, for you, everything is about your degree. Everything in your life revolves around being successful in this path.

You were cynical but at least you were real. You admitted things the way they were, when competition was competition, you said it, and when you needed something, you asked for it. That made it okay, you told yourself.

And when it comes to Namjoon… it’s especially okay. He’s both the only reason you’re hanging on okay in your degree, and the reason you feel insecure. You wonder how it can be that someone like him exists.

“Anyways, are you really gonna leave talking about Joon there?” Chae scoffs. “He’s liked you since we started. You really won’t do anything about it?”

“Namjoon is nothing but another classmate that stresses me out, Chae. I don’t see him that way. I just like his work ethic.”

Chae laughs. “You’re so skewed, honestly. Are you busy tomorrow?”

“Why, are you planning on ratting me out to him again?”

“No, silly,” she laughs, although you both know it’s likely she’d do it again. “Let’s go to the Autumn fair tomorrow. After I submit.”

“The fair? You mean those three stalls they set up and call it an event?”

She frowns. “Don’t be mean. Hobi and the others have really been working hard on it this year. It’ll be nicer than the last, I promise.”

“As long as there are at least 10 booths this year.”

“You’re too mean for your own good, _____,” she says, tsk-ing. “One day, you’ll see what it’s like to be on the other end.”

Your overactive imagination always paints a skyline for you, where there’s an empty space. You can always picture different styles of buildings, standing together, making a city.

It’s at times like those you realize that even if you wanted to give up, even if you tried to pursue something else, your heart will always come back to this. There is nothing more that belonged to you than this.

Even if it’d become difficult now, it didn’t matter. It became a source of worry more than an outlet of passion, but it’s still your calling. You can’t give up on something you love this much.

“Your toffee apple is dripping,” you hear his voice before you see him.

You want to turn and snap at him but the sticky toffee syrup that falls onto your fingers stops you.

“Ugh,” you groan, trying to fix it. Namjoon’s hand comes out with a tissue, quickly wiping your fingers without a word. Even after he’s done, the sticky feeling remains. “I should just throw this away.”

He laughs. “Let’s get candy corn.”

“No, thanks, I have to go find Chae and Yuna.”

Even though you step away, you hear his footsteps almost immediately behind you.

“What’s the rush?” he says, catching up beside you. When you two walk together like this, his tall figure towers over in a way that makes you feel small. “Shouldn’t you offer to buy me candy corn? Did you forget how I helped you at 5 in the morning two days ago for Professor Labadee’s class?”

“You chose to wake up at that time, not me,” you say, keeping your eyes trained ahead. You weren’t expecting much from this fair, but the students had done well. Bright fairy lights decorate the lamp posts around you and along the long path, dozens of stalls are set up. It all feels a little bit like a movie.

“As long as you got it done,” he says under his breath. You dare to take a glimpse of him and inhale sharply. He’s wearing his smile, he always is, but the fairy lights reflect on his face, illuminating him like an angel. Everything about him feels good.

You look away almost immediately. “Stop following me Namjoon,” you say, stopping at a trinkets stall and smiling at the girl behind the table.

“But I like seeing you outside of architecture things,” he grins confidently.

You opt to ignore him, asking the price of something that catches your eye.

He cranes his neck to see what it is. “Want me to get it for you?”

You quickly counter. “Absolutely not,” you say, handing over your money notes.

“You’re really buying an ornament of buildings?” he cocks a brow. “Don’t you want something like this instead?” he picks up a small snow globe, shaking it so the snow moves. The globe is miniscule to begin with, but you notice how in his hands, it looks almost tiny.

“What can I say? I like buildings.”

He smiles. “More than people, maybe.”

You sigh, ignoring his statement. Once you get the paper bag with your purchase inside, you keep walking ahead. You count to three before you hear his footsteps mimic yours.

“I’ll buy you candy corn, then you leave me alone,” you turn to say to him. “It’s not good that you’re always showing up where I am.”

He nods like an obedient puppy. Then he frowns and asks, “why is it not good?”

When you don’t respond, focusing on walking to the candy booth, he adds, “is it not good for you? Getting attached to me now?”

You don’t have to see his face to know he’s doing his goofy smile again. “It’s not good for you to keep going through these many rejections in a lifetime.”

He laughs, your words not bothering him the slightest. Standing in front of the candy booth, Jungkook and Jae, two of your architect classmates greet you.

“Hey Joon! Aw, you two hanging out again?” Jae smiles widely as if he’s in some big secret. You roll your eyes, not saying a word but pointing to the candy corn.

“_____ is treating me to candy corn. Isn’t she sweet?”

“I’m not treating you out of kindness, I’m doing it so you feel compensated for your efforts with my assignment.”

Jungkook and Jae share an amused look that you almost miss. Shuffling through your pocket, you start counting the money to give. As you hand over the money to Jae, Jungkook places a brown paper bag in Namjoon’s hands.

“You two enjoy yourselves,” Jungkook beams brightly.

You scoff. “Is there really such a thing as enjoyment when I have him on my tail?”

Without bidding them a proper goodbye, you walk away from the stall, leaving the three standing. Like clockwork, Namjoon is beside you again.

“Here,” he says, and suddenly the bag of candy corn is in your hands.

You raise a brow. “What are you giving this to me for? You were the one who wanted it.”

“You were eating a sad, overpriced toffee apple. This should be for you too.”

“Namjoon.” You give him a look, but he pays no mind.

Without saying anything more, you two walk together in silence. It didn’t intend to be this way, but it feels nice now. You feel good that you were dragged out of a cycle of the bedroom to the classroom to the library for once.

Of course, it’s weird that amidst all this, Namjoon is the one beside you. Usually, when you see him, your mind wanders to the place that curses him for being everything you wish you were. But tonight, you’re laying off those thoughts.

Staring at the crowd around the speakers, you two pause for a bit. You see Chae and Yuna, along with your other coursemates all together.

Still beside you, Namjoon speaks out of the blue. “Why don’t you call me Joon?”

“What do you mean? I didn’t realize I was required to,” you shrug at the random question. “I don’t know you like that.”

“Everyone in our class calls me Joon. Even your group member who I met that one time is calling me Joon,” he argues. “You know me better than all those people. If anything, you should be the only one.”

“What are you on about? I don’t know you at all,” you throw a blank look his way. “And don’t argue that we spend a lot of time together. You follow me around and show up where I am. That’s not spending time together.”

“We’re spending time together right now, aren’t we?”

“It’s a first. Don’t get used to it.”

He laughs as if your cold remarks are something affectionate. “I don’t think I really could get used to seeing you outside the library, _____. You’re there more than me and I’m always studying too.”

You scoff cynically. “Are you flexing your rank again on me?”

“_____, if I cared so much about my rank, I wouldn’t be helping you with work all the time,” he laughs, amused.

“I don’t know. Maybe helping me is all part of your plan to keep beating me,” you say. “Isn’t this just a power move? You always showing up to help me.”

He laughs again before his stare stills on you. His eyes are bright and sparkling… or is it just the effect of the stupid fairy lights? You can hardly tell.

Despite yourself, it all makes your stomach drop. You hate it when Namjoon shows up unannounced in your life, but more than that, you hate it when he gives you this kind of look. Like he can’t look anywhere else but at you.

“More than a power move, it’s just a gesture for you.”

The fluttering feeling worsens and you blink. You choose to say nothing, instead staring ahead at the view. “That is the ugliest building I’ve ever seen.”

For a second, he smiles but it doesn’t reach his eyes. Eventually, he humors you. “It’s not all that bad.”

“In my professional opinion as a future architect, that is the exact type of building I would want to bulldoze.”

“Well, in my professional opinion as another future architect, I’d say your standards are far too high.”

“I’m allowed to keep my standards high. It’s me,” you smile with a glint in your eye.

He laughs, staring at you softly. “That I can agree with.”

You taunt him playfully. “You’re so predictable. Does it not get tiring hanging off my every word?”

He shakes his head loyally. “Absolutely not. I think everything you say is valuable and worth hanging off.”

“How lame,” you joke although you two share a smile. It’s true, he is a little predictable. But it’s Namjoon’s predictability that at times, catches you off guard. It’s fun, knowing that he’s two steps behind you wherever you are.

A warm feeling stirs in your body and you wonder if it’s the autumn air. Glancing up at Namjoon, the same air ruffles his hair endearingly and you tear yourself away from staring at it.

“I’m only gonna say it once so if there’s any word of mine you wanna hang off, it’s this,” you say before shoving the bag of candy corn back into his hands. “Power move or not, thanks for helping me. I really need it sometimes and I appreciate it.”

The grin on his face widens. “One more time, I didn’t hang off it enough!”

“I told you, only one time.”

“But the music was so loud, I couldn’t hear you well.”

“Too bad.”

“Come on, _____, take pity on me.”

“Shut up and eat your candy corn.”

You find yourself quickly back in your routine after the Autumn fair, working on new assignments and projects till your worst nightmare comes to life unexpectedly.

“Please be on time, _____!” Chae repeats to you for the fifth time that morning.

“Chae, I’ll be there. I’ll literally run from the design building to the auditorium, okay?”

She clicks her tongue at you. “Stop acting like you’re doing me a favor by showing up. You should be excited.”

“I am. But… I mean, do we really need this kind of random assembly for our architecture department?” you groan, slipping your laptop into its case. “Can’t they just give us the extra time to work on our homework?”

“But there’ll be companies there!” she retorts, wide-eyed and excited. “Just imagine. This is like those movies, where they come and scout students and then bam, life is sorted.”

You nod, forcing a smile. You remember your privilege, knowing your worry has never once been finding work but living up to the work that was set out for you. But you could never explain that here. How could you cry about the burden that kept you so troubled when it was a burden any one of your friends would happily want?

“Okay. I’ll see you there,” you settle for a wave, walking out to leave. You rush with your bag on your back to your classroom, immersed in your lesson till the hour finishes up.

For the moments after class finishes, your mind is blank. You’re going over your homework in your head, packing your things and your eyes widen. The meeting. You almost forgot.

True to your words, you actually do end up running from the design building to the auditorium. Sprinting from your class to the auditorium proves to be a harder workout than you anticipated and your heart can’t stop racing.

Stepping inside the auditorium, you jump into the first empty seat you see at the entrance.

“Where is she?” you mumble under your breath. Your eyes shift around the room, looking for a familiar head of short black hair. Catching sight of Chae, you wave to her but she doesn’t notice you at all. Instead, she’s busy talking to a group of students all from your year.

Everyone’s sat together, cozy and comfortable in a conversation together. You can even see Namjoon in the row above Chae, chatting energetically. Your heart strangely pangs.

Sometimes, seeing everyone like this, everyone from your major and year together, made you feel more like an outsider than anything. At first, you’d chalked it up to be because of your obsession with studying and academics… but students better than you, students like Namjoon and Mina, all seemed to be doing fine.

In the end, you realized it isn’t anything to do with that. You feel like an outsider because you are one. You’ve tried your hardest to blend in, but the fact remains that you feel alone in the problems you have. You’ve kept your identity as the daughter of HN Architects a secret, you’ve kept your family pressures a secret… Now you’re alone in the burden of your struggles.

Sometimes, you’ve thought about opening up. But the thought terrifies you even more.

If you felt so alone while keeping the truth of your ambitions a secret… there’d be no telling what kind of way your friends would treat you after finding out.

“We’re lucky enough to have… here’s a representative from Canvas Corp… looking for fresh talent… Yongchan Architecture…” you’re hardly paying attention to the speakers on stage till you finally hear, “and most fortunately, the chairman of HN Architects!”

Your head shoots up so fast that it almost flies off. No fucking way.

Your father is smiling on the stage, wearing a crisp suit and greeting the architecture department heads. Without realizing it, your body cowers back into your seat as you see his eyes scan the auditorium. He must be looking for you - his daughter.

His daughter that not a single soul in this room knew was you.

Your heart goes into panic mode before you try to calm yourself down. Relax, you mutter repeatedly to yourself although it’s less effective than you thought it’d be.

Your eyes dance between your father on stage and your group of friends with Chae sitting seats away from you. Neither of them have noticed you.

Instead, your classmates are all watching your father with starstruck eyes. They’re staring at your father like he’s their idol.

Well, objectively, maybe he could be. After all, you admire your father for the very same reason every architecture student does - your father is a legend. His company has one of the best reputations in the country, which feeds your pride, and he’s nothing short of a hard-working, inspiring man.

Namjoon, in particular, is staring at your father like he can’t believe his eyes. It’s a look you’ve never seen from him before. Like he’s both nervous and thinks he’s in a dream. It’s almost endearing.

“To celebrate having the chairman of HN Architects with us today, we’ll have him say a few words!” Mr. Lim, the head of the architecture department, announces enthusiastically into the mic. He turns to your father, “do you mind?”

“Not at all!” your father grins, taking the mic before starting. “It’s my pleasure to be here today! In fact, seeing all of you reminds me of my own days as an architecture student…”

He trails off into a long speech, excitedly. You’ve been witness to every single one of your father’s inspirational speeches since the day you were born so you fight back a yawn. On the contrary, your classmates look like they’re hanging onto every single word.

As your father paces across the stage, he inches towards your side. You blink in panic, bending down but before you know it, it’s too late. His eyes sparkle with joy.

You almost worry he’s gonna wave at you mid-speech. But he doesn’t, simply shooting an overly friendly smile your way. You sneak a glance at your classmates and they’re all giving you a strange look - one that most definitely reads what the heck is he smiling at you for?

Meeting Chae’s eyes in particular, you give an awkward smile and shrug. Soon enough, your father turns to the side and you finally think you can breathe.

“That’s why I’d like to encourage you all to live up to your potential! The world is changing around you as you know it and as future architects, you can be a part of that,” your father enthusiastically continues. His eyes are on you again. “And this is what I tell my beautiful daughter everyday! She loves skylines, my dear _____, and she’s going to be a wonderful architect too!”

My life is officially over.

A little dramatic but that exact thought crosses your mind as you duck into your seat. You think you hear the collective gasp around the auditorium or maybe your ears are playing tricks on you.

No, it’s probably as bad you think it is. Your father’s called you out by name and exposed your identity that you worked so hard to conceal. Your life is quite literally over.

Oblivious to your misery, your father grins happily on stage. He returns the mic to Mr. Lim before stepping to the side. The rest of the assembly goes by without you realizing. You’re still numb to the fact of what just happened.

You risk a glance at your classmates, and in cliche movie fashion, they’re all staring at you with mouths gaping wide open. Every single one of them.

Your neck heats up and you quickly turn around. But curiosity gets the best of you a few minutes later, and you risk looking again.

They’re still staring at you in shock. Like they can’t believe their eyes.

Chae especially is looking at you with hurt flashing across her face. It squeezes at your heart and you feel overcome with guilt for lying to your friend for a year. You don’t dare to imagine what she’s thinking now.

Without realizing, your eyes travel over to Namjoon. Much to your surprise, he’s not looking at you. He’s the only one with his eyes looking ahead blankly, deep in thought.

You frown, evading everyone’s stares to focus on him. An unrecognizable emotion is written all over his face… is it realization? Regret? Embarrassment?

You can hardly tell. But for the first time, an uncomfortable feeling plunges in your stomach at the fact that Namjoon’s not looking at you.

“Dad!” you cry. “How could you do that?”

Your father smiles happily at the sight of you, the two of you standing outside the auditorium in a secluded, private spot. The torture, that was the assembly, has finally come to an end.

“What do you mean?” he answers in confusion. “Do you mean showing up here? Because I was invited by that Mr. Lim fellow, he-”

“Not that!” you whine, groaning into your palms. “I’m talking about saying I’m your daughter in front of the whole architecture department!”

His eyebrows shoot up. “Oh, that? What did I do wrong?”

Your jaw drops. “Dad, are you being serious?”

He nods, clear puzzlement on his face.

“Don’t you remember? I specifically asked for you and Mom to make sure that it never gets out!” you say. “Now, you’ve told everyone I go to college with that I’m the daughter of the man behind HN Architects!”

He blinks for a few seconds. “Is that so wrong?” he almost pouts like a child. “I didn’t know it was such a problem.”

“Of course, it is! Why do you think I asked you not to tell anyone?”

“...I thought you were being modest.”

“Modest?!” you exclaim, before sighing. There’s no use berating your father. It’s no one’s fault but your own for not preparing better for this situation.

“Did you really not want anyone to find out?”

You nod weakly.

“Why not?”

“I… I can’t explain it. They’ll freak out,” you look down. You can’t imagine how much worse your stress is gonna get from now on - it isn’t enough that your own title of the daughter of HN Architects is choking you to death… now you’ll have to deal with every single one of your classmates doing the same thing.

Things will never be the same again. For every grade you get, it’ll be discussed as the grade of the HN Architects’ daughter. For every drawing or idea you’ll submit, it’ll be scrutinized as the work of a girl from privilege. The pressure would multiply infinitely.

“Oh dear, don’t be silly,” your father suddenly says, resting his hand on your head. “I’m sorry for that. I didn’t realize it was so serious to you. But even if they know, it’s not an issue. You’re an excellent student and it’s only right they pay you the respect as the future CEO of HN Architects.”

You shoot your father a smile but your stomach drops. “I guess so, thanks,” you mumble, unable to explain to him that it’s exactly what he said that terrifies you.

For the rest of the day, you hide out off-campus in hopes to avoid facing reality.

“_____, I think you need to pay for the emotional shock you gave us,” Hobi laughs at the lunch table as soon as you arrive.

Hesitantly, you sit beside Chae who doesn’t share a word with you. Since yesterday, you haven’t even made eye contact with her, despite being her roommate.

“I think I almost spat out my water when I heard my daughter,” Mina jokes and the table echoes in laughter. You smile awkwardly.

“Yeah… it’s not really a big deal,” you shrug.

“Not a big deal?! Hello! We’re talking to the next HN Architects CEO right now!” another student pipes up.

“_____, forgive me for all I did wrong last semester,” Yuri playfully adds.

“I think we need to be cleaning the floor for her to walk on!”

These statements all fly around the table, exchanged with laughs and smiles. Part of you cowers in the attention, uncomfortable by such blatant recognition of your upbringing.

Another part of you wonders… will things be okay?

You take a careful look around the table of your classmates. Not a single one seems to wear a glare, all sharing in jokes and smiles. For the strangest reason… you feel at ease.

Chae suddenly stands up, with her tray. “I’m done eating. I’ll see you guys later.”

Instantly, you mimic her and chase behind her retreating figure. “Wait Chae-”

“I have class right now-”

Like a child, you jump in front of her to block her path. “Okay, please just hear me out,” you say, pouting. “I’m sorry.”

She sighs. “What are you sorry for? It’s not a big deal.”

“You must feel… annoyed, right?”

Chae blinks at you. “I’ll admit, I was irritated at first. You come from such privilege and I’ve unloaded so much crap on you sometimes about being scared about post-college life while you never had that… but, I’m not really mad about that. You can’t help who you are, right?”

You nod. “You’re still mad at me though, aren’t you? For hiding it?”

She takes a second before replying, “I just… you’re so unreachable sometimes, _____. After I found out, I kind of realized why you’re so stressed all the time and what you meant whenever you alluded to things about your pressures and all… I’m just annoyed you never shared that part of you.”

“I’m sorry.”

For the first time since yesterday, Chae cracks a smile. “Don’t be sorry. I just want you to be more open with me. You don’t need to feel like you need to hide your background… I would’ve tried to understand either way.”

Her words soothe you more than you can explain. Since entering your major, you haven’t once relied on the people around you for support that wasn’t academic. Now, you’re realizing your fatal flaw.

“I’ll try to be better,” you say with a nod. “Thank you for not being mad at me.”

She laughs. “Anyway, you don’t need to worry about me,” she says with a glance elsewhere. “You should check up on him. He’s been spooked since yesterday.”

You turn on your heel to see Namjoon, walking around with the same strange expression on his face from the assembly. For a brief second, your eyes meet but the second flashes, and he quickly looks away.

“Did you see that?!” you scoff. “He just ignored me!”

Chae smiles. “Wow, there really is a first for everything.”

“What’s with him?” you say, watching his awkward walk in your opposite direction. He keeps glancing in your direction, but once he sees you staring at him, he swiftly looks away. It’s a completely new side to him.

“I don’t know,” Chae shrugs. “He’s being weird. I thought he’d be running after you like always, but he’s resorted to this.”

You scoff again, unfamiliar with this Namjoon who runs away from you, rather than to you. You wonder what’s running through his mind, before pushing the thought away. He’s bound to come after you again after a few days.

The confidence with which you assumed Namjoon would be all over you again is faltering.

It’s been a full week since the assembly, and while life has seemingly gone back to normal for you (as normal as things can be)... Namjoon certainly has not.

In classes, he picks the furthest seat away on purpose. You even started to tease him by trying to sit in his front row with him, but instead, you found him in the back row - where he can’t even see.

His lunches seem to be perfectly timed to not clash with yours. All of a sudden, he’s no longer in the library either. All the places you’d easily find Namjoon hovering over you, he’s disappeared from.

“Does he think this is effective?!” you rant to Chae in your dorm room. “That by suddenly ignoring me, I’ll become obsessed with him?!”

Chae smiles at you knowingly. “I don’t know… if that was his plan to begin with, I’d say it’s pretty effective-”

“Shut up, Chae! I’m just saying this is all so stupid!” you scoff. “Once or twice is fine but he’s actively avoiding me! He saw me in the library yesterday and acted like he forgot a book to leave! We were in the library for god’s sake! What book did he forget that he couldn’t find there?!”

Chae giggles like the situation is laugh-worthy. “Maybe he’s just busy.”

“He made time during final exams last year to bother me. How much busier could he be than he was then?”

“Or maybe he doesn’t want to distract you.”

“It’s not that for sure. Whenever I’d tell him that he’s distracting me before, he wouldn’t care,” you mumble under your breath annoyedly. Chae continues to grin at your behavior, as if your reaction were amusing.

You don’t say it to her but you know very well why you’re annoyed beyond relief. It’s because you know it’s to do with finding out about HN Architects.

You groan. You expected your classmates to be weird around you, maybe even your professors… but Namjoon was the last person you thought would suddenly make a 180 after learning about your family.

That’s why it’s aggravating. Because it’s the one thing you didn’t think he’d care about.

A part of you fears he’s realized just how pathetic you are. After all, Namjoon probably knows how much more promising he is compared to you and now… he had to sit with the fact that you were the daughter of HN Architects.

“Why don’t you just approach him yourself?”

You’re momentarily stunned by Chae’s suggestion. You shoot her a dirty glare.

“What?!”

“I’m not gonna chase after Namjoon! He should approach me himself!”

Chae looks at you like you’re crazy. “You’re the one who wants him to talk to you!”

“Exactly! He should come to me like he always does.”

A laugh escapes Chae’s lips. “Oh, _____… you don’t even realize it, do you?”

You cock a brow before shaking your head. “I don’t have time for your indirect dialogue. I’m just saying that if Namjoon doesn’t come to me and talk this out soon, I’m gonna have to do something very crazy.”

Chae’s eyes flicker with amusement. “Oh? And what’s that?”

You grimace, as if even saying it brings you humiliation. “I’m gonna go talk to him first.”

Chae bursts out laughing, despite your solemn expression. You brush her off, spending the rest of the night on your design homework but secretly planning on wringing Namjoon’s throat if he doesn’t go back to normal soon.

By now, you’re sure Namjoon can feel the daggers you’re shooting into his back.

He’s even risked turning back a few times, to see who’s glaring at him. But as soon as your eyes meet, his head spins around as if it were all in your head. He focuses on the professor teaching ahead of him, taking notes diligently.

Beside you, Chae says with a nudge, “so are you gonna do that very crazy thing you were planning?”

You ignore her for the sake of gritting your teeth. Usually, you have no trouble focusing in classes. It’s all because of this wretched situation that you’re so off-game.

As soon as the professor wraps up his powerpoint, you’re faster than anyone else in the class at packing up your things and zooming out the door. You don’t even bid Chae goodbye.

You tap your foot impatiently, staring directly at your target.

Namjoon… try and ignore me now.

Hooking his bag over his shoulder, Namjoon comes to the door of the classroom before stopping his tracks. Aha, you smile pleased.

“Ah, I just forgot… to talk about my assignment with Mr. Choi,” he mutters out loud to no one in particular. The acting is so terrible that you don’t even have to think about it to know he’s intending it for you to hear.

You march up to him. “No, you don’t,” you scoff and when he looks up at the ceiling, you jump like an infant calling for attention. “Namjoon, if you value your life, you’re gonna drop this act right now,” you say in a menacing voice.

Immediately, he gulps and looks down at you. His height towers over yours but you smile, knowing you’ve gained the upper hand here. He’s looking at you just as he did before - completely enamoured.

You say nothing but give a deadly gesture to follow you. He obeys without complaint.

When you two are finally in a spot you deem private enough, you raise your chin and look at him happily. Under your gaze, he looks down uncomfortably.

“So you want me to say it or will you explain what the hell is going on?”

He blinks. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about, _____.”

Your blood boils. Now, he wants to feign ignorance. “You’re joking,” you deadpan.

He looks at you innocently and shakes his head. You sigh, blinking in confusion.

This whole situation is a first. True to your words, you’ve never actually… had to do anything more than bat an eye to know Namjoon would come to you. You don’t know the words to even ask what’s wrong.

“_____,” he says in a low voice. You glance up at him, completely losing your train of thought. The sight of him has never registered you disorientated before. But now, you can’t help but trace your eyes over his dimples and sparkling eyes.

You scoff at yourself. You must’ve lost your mind temporarily. “You know what I’m talking about!”

He shakes his head so you continue, “you used to always come to the library at my timings and sit on my lunch table.”

“Oh,” he nods. “That’s because I wanted to sleep in more so I changed my schedule around a bit.”

You blink at his explanation. “You sat at the back of the class when I came to the front row-”

“I just wanted to see what it’s like to sit there. Turns out, it sucks,” he pauses when you don’t reply. “_____?”

You frown, part confused and part innocently. “I just mean… why aren’t you following me anymore?”

The words are out of your mouth before you can help it and your eyes widen in humiliation. That isn’t the way you wanted to ask the question.

Namjoon, instead, is amused. He smirks ever so slightly, before cocking his brow and asking, “Are you asking me why I don’t chase you around anymore?”

His newfound confidence almost makes you lose your footing. This is Namjoon - the nerdy guy who’d come to you. He can’t have this effect on you.

You scoff, faking an assured smile. “Are you denying that you chased me around?”

He blinks. “I mean-”

“Surely, you accept the fact that you did chase me around for a whole year,” you say with a smile playing on your lips. Of course, between the two of you, you both know very well of Namjoon’s infatuation with you. He’s danced around those feelings for both of your comedy’s sake… but this time, you won’t let that slide.

He looks at you, tongue poking in his cheek. “Fine. I do chase you around.”

You almost smile with victory but you stop yourself. Before you can speak, he continues.

“But I won’t anymore. I’m sorry. It was wrong of me,” he says sincerely, seemingly ready on his toes to walk away. Your fingers wrap around his wrist without realizing.

“Wait!” you frown displeased. He’s glancing down at where your touch meets his hand and you instantly let go. “This makes no sense.”

He blinks, confused. “What do you… isn’t this what you’ve wanted?”

“You can’t just change your mind like that!” you argue, a strange desperation cutting into your voice. “You can’t make people get used to you and do that!”

Much to your surprise, he wears a small smile. “I didn’t think it’d bother you so much.”

“I can’t stand you,” you groan. “You chase me around, then you find out one tiny fact about my family and now, you think you’re so much better than me to come after me!” you yell, your heart hammering against your chest. You sound like a child, you know as much but… suddenly around him, all logic’s been thrown out your brain.

“_____,” he says in a breath, a glint in his eye that reads surprise and amusement. His dimples are poking out and you wonder what it’d be like to affectionately poke into one. “Do you… did you like when I would come to you?”

There’s no self-preserving answer to this, one that can save both your dignity and pride. You know what you should say to his question, but nerves are prickling under your skin.

It isn’t the nerves you feel before submitting a drawing or entering an exam, but a whole new uncharted territory of nerves. Everything about this conversation is uncharted territory.

“_____, do you…” he starts a question, before nervously brushing the nape of his neck. He looks shy to even ask but after a moment, he looks at you like a child with candy and says, “do you like me?”

Your heart’s in your stomach. Immediately, you laugh, “no! No! Why would I?! Are you crazy?! Why would I ever like-”

“I don’t know,” he blinks innocently, but the stare he holds on you seems suddenly intimate. “That’s what I’m thinking. Why would you ever care about why I stopped chasing after you, if you don’t like me?”

His cocky grin annoys you. You shoot him a deathly look. “Don’t get too confident with me, Joon,” you say although you’re fumbling with words. “I still remember when you couldn’t even look me in the eye.”

He takes a step closer, holding your stare with no qualms. Your heart speeds up again, like you’ve been running.

“_____,” he says softly with a victorious smile. “You like me, don’t you?”

“I’m not answering your stupid question. First, you explain to me why the hell you think you can treat me the way you have the last week-”

“Because I thought you didn’t like me back,” he answers smoothly. “You’re the daughter of HN Architects and I’ve been wasting your time all year long. I’ve always felt intimidated by you… but now, I realized I really wasn’t worth your time.”

You blink with a frown. “Namjoon-”

“I feel really embarrassed, _____… If I ever wanted to work at HN Architects, I wouldn’t even be able to show my face knowing the way I’ve bothered you-”

“You’ve never bothered me.”

“Huh?”

Your cheeks flush and you suddenly become very aware of the words that escaped your lips. You cast a hesitant glance at Namjoon and you can’t help it. Suddenly, everything feels a lot clearer.

“You know, you’re the kind of architect my father dreams about,” you find yourself saying. “You’re the kind of student someone like me should be. It all comes natural to you. I love buildings but everything I do, it’s just part of who you are… that’s why I acted like you bothered me.”

He’s at a loss for words before muttering, “_____…”

“All I ever think about is trying to fit the ideal I know I have to be and it all comes easy for you. You feel embarrassed in front of me…” you laugh with a scoff. “How do you think I feel, needing your help?”

“I never wanted to compete with you,” he says. “I just wanted to be by your side. I really wasn’t helping you for anything apart from looking for an excuse to be near you.”

There it is… the fluttering feeling.

The truth is, you’ve known all this time too. You’ve known that there was never any ulterior motive, just your cynical mind trying to conjure excuses.

You almost hate yourself at this moment. Your insecurity over your work has warped your thoughts so much that you convinced yourself that… that you feel nothing but annoyance for Namjoon.

“_____,” he starts. His hand hesitantly reaches up, stopping multiple times on its way before finally brushing your hair away from your forehead.

“I think it goes without saying but in my eyes, you’re the smartest person in our major and every time I’m with you, I don’t even care if you reject me or look for an excuse to go away,” he says. “You don’t even realize the way I see you.”

Your eyes sting and you’re not sure if it’s because his words move you or you’ve just forgotten to blink for a long while. “You’re so corny.”

He laughs. “Well, someone needs to tell you you’re doing a good job because I can tell you’re not telling yourself,” he says before sheepishly adding, “and I thought we were exchanging what we like about each other.”

“Who said I like you?”

He grins, ruffling your hair despite the scowl you give him. You say nothing but then give a smile. You didn’t expect today to feel so good… but somehow, that insecurity that plagues your mind at all hours of the day disappears for a while.

All you can think about is wanting this feeling to last with him. Without warning, you reach to grab Namjoon’s wrist to walk out into the open garden of the campus. In front of your sight, there’s a skyline of buildings decorating the city.

“Do you still stand by your statement that that building is the ugliest?”

You grin. “It’s literally hideous, Joon. I can’t believe you’re the top of our class but think those colors look nice together.”

He gives a warm laugh, unable to disguise his happiness at the way you call him endearingly. Your eyes go back and forth between the skyline and Namjoon beside you before deciding that while buildings are your first true love… there’s something even more beautiful about the boy next to you.

hehe so excited to write on this blog if u read till the end jus know u have all my love

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weloveharrypotter · 4 years

Text

She Chose You, Moony Pt. 3

Paring: Young!Remus Lupin x Baby!Reader

Summary: The marauders plus Lily were strolling the Hogsmede village when they heard a cry. That’s when they find an abandoned baby. That baby takes quite the liking on Remus.

Warnings: might be cussing, it’s kinda long

It was now the next day, around 1pm. Remus laid in bed with Y/n and had noticed she smelled quite a bit. He sighed as he realized he would need to go shopping.

He placed the napping Y/n on the bed, and started to change. Once he was ready he looked over at Y/n, and noticed she started to wake up.

“Hello sweetheart.” Remus said picking her up. Thats when James and Sirius came into the room.

“Hey guys.” Remus said.

“Hey, where are you going?” Sirius asked.

“Well I need to buy her stuff. Like clothes, food, soap, diapers.” Remus explained.

“Ooh, I’ll come.” James said.

“You want to come shopping?” Remus said.

“Yeah, I have to shop for her too.” James said.

“You don’t have to get her-.” “Yes I do. What kind of uncle would I be if I didn’t spoil her.” James said.

“Right, gotta make sure my niece gets all the toys in the world.” Sirius said chiming in. Remus chuckled at his two best mates behavior.

“Alright than. Might as well invite Lily.” Remus said as he picked up Y/n.

“You go ask we’ll be there in a minute.” James said. Remus nodded and left with Y/n.

Remus managed to sneak to the girls dorm and knocked on the door. The door opened and instead of it being Lily, it was Marlene.

“Remus why the fuck do you have a baby?” She asked.

Remus than proceed to explain the events that took place the past day and 1/2.

“Well, that’s adorable. Why’d you stop by?” She asked.

“Oh, I was going talk to Lily.” Remus said.

“Right. Lily!” Marlene called.

“Yeah?” Lily called back.

“Remus is here.” She said stepping away.

Lily walked out of the bathroom and came into view, than walked over.

“Hey.” She said.

“Hey, do you want to come shopping with Sirius, James, and I.” Remus asked.

��I’d love to, let me put my shoes on though.” Lily answered before turning away.

————————

The marauders plus Lily were now in a muggle shop. Lily insisted it would be far easier for them. They put Y/n in a cart, and looked around the shop.

Despite it being easier in a muggle shop, none of the teens knew where to start. Soon enough they found the baby section.

“What the fuck.” Remus whispered to himself.

“Alright, what’s first on the list?” Lily asked.

“Diapers.” Remus informed. They walked over to the diapers. And looked at the various options.

“Need any help?” They heard a woman asked.

“Uh, yes thank you.” Remus said.

“No problem.” The lady said walking over. She looked over and pulled off a brand he never heard of.

“These are what I used for mine.” He said handing.

“Thank you.” Remus said. “Do you think you could help with some other things too.” Remus asked.

“Of course.” The lady said.

From there on the lady had pulled somethings off the shelf that the baby would need.

—————

“And that’s it for the necessities. The toys are right here, and down that isle is the clothes. I would do the clothes last because even though you think I’d be the toys that would be the most fun to get, it’s really the clothes.” The lady informed.

“Thank you so much.” Remus said.

“No problem, have a nice day.” She said and walked off.

“So toys.” James said. They walked over and started to look around. Remus heard a whine and looked down at Y/n. She was making the grabby arm motioning for him to pick her up.

“No, not right now.” Remus said. That’s when Y/n dropped her hands and started to cry.

“No, no, no, no. I’m sorry. Here I’ll pick you up.” Remus said as he rushed to unbuckle the buckle that was attached to the cart.

He lifted her up and avoided the crying.

“See your fine.” He said. Lily had walked back over with a wolf, black dog, and deer stuffed animals.

“Oh that’s amazing.” Remus said as lily put them in the cart.

“I know.” She said with a chuckle.

“What?” James asked as he turned around. Once he spotted them he smiled. Remus noticed a cute stuffed bear that Y/n would enoy. But only he could reach it.

Which ment someone else needed to hold Y/n. His first thought was lily because she didn’t cry when in her arms, but he saw lily had wandered off. He sighed.

“Hey Prongs.” Remus said.

“Yup, moony?” James said grabbing some things, and putting them in the cart.

“I need you to hold Y/n.” He said. James stopped and turned around. And so did Sirius.

“We saw how that worked last time.” James said.

“I know but, There’s a bear I like and I’m the only one that could reach it.” He said. James sighed before nodding.

“Ok.” James sighed. Remus slowly moved Y/n away from him, and into James’ arms. She didn’t cry, and they waited a moment to be sure.

“Ok... ok.” Remus said gaining confidence and backing up. Remus than went to go grab the bear.

James looked down at the baby in his arms and smiled. She smiled back.

“Your adorable.” He said going to kiss her nose. As he leaned in, Y/n grabbed his hair.

“Oh, ow.” He said. He went to pull her hands off but, damn, did she have a tight grip.

“Come on, let go. Hey, pads help.” James said. Sirius chuckled and tried to help, but neither could get her to budge.

Remus got the teddy bear and put it in the cart before noticing what happened. He chuckled and walked over. James gave her back and Remus took over trying to pull her away.

“Ok it’s time to let go.” Remus said pulling her hand. After a minute or two they got her to let go.

“Your gunna be a stubborn one.” Remus said. He put her back in the cart, and buckled her in. After another minute in the toy section they headed to clothes.

Lily already had two outfits picked out. This is when the group lost themselves. They picked out things she’d look cute in, pajamas, mini outfits of ones they had, and even tried their hardest to make a outfit that looked like the quidditch uniform.

Once they were done they went to the check out. The cashier scanned everything and put it into bags.

“That’ll be £173.32.” The cashier said. Remus sighed. Before Remus could even pull out his card James’ money was out, and in the cashiers hand.

“I can’t let you pay, where did you even get the money?” Remus asked.

“Too bad I’m paying. And what do you think I was doing at the bank.?” James said. Remus gave him a face, and James returned it.

Once the transaction was over, they all left.

—————

They all had gotten back from shopping and the guys went back to the dorm, and lily went to here’s.

“Alright, first order of business, bath.” Remus said.

“I’ll go start it.” Said James.

“I’ll go get a towel.” Sirius said.

After that was done it was now time to undress her. Remus started to take her clothes off and carried her to the bathroom.

Once he was sure the temperature was good he placed Y/n in. Remus spread around some toys as Sirius and James took a picture of them.

“Gotta remember the first bath.” Sirius said. Remus chuckled.

——————

It was now after the shower and it was time to put on a diaper. Remus laid Y/n on top of the towel, and got the materials ready.

“Ok, so I know you wipe.” Remus said as he wiped her with a baby wipe.

“Than you do baby powder, and that you put the diaper on.” Remus continued.

“But how?” Sirius asked.

“We’ll figure it out.” James said.

Remus sighed and put the baby powder on and than put the diaper under you. After a couple failed attempts by each, Remus finally got it right.

“There we go.” Remus said.

“Now for pajamas.” He said pulling out some options.

“We all have pants similar to thoose.” James said pointing to the red and gold plaid pants.

“We do. I guess we’ll match tonight then.” Remus said. “No for the top.” He said.

“How about that white t shirt.” Sirius suggested.

“White t shirt it is.” Remus said as he started to dress her. He smiled down at Y/n. They all just looked at her in awe.

“We’re obviously matching her right?” James asked.

“Yeah.” Remus and Sirius said. The three boys quickly changed into the same plaid pants and white t shirt.

Once they were changed Remus gave Y/n a toy, and climbed in bed next to her. There was a knock on the door.

“Come in.” The boys said. The door opened and revealed Lily.

“Hey.” James said.

“Hey.” She replied. “I came to say good night to the little one.” She said coming in. She walked over and gave her a hug.

“And nothing for me?” James asked. Lily chuckled and walked over. She kissed him and turned back around.

“I love you.” James said.

“I love you too.” Lily responded walking out.

Remus than pulled out paper and ink and quill.

“Are you writing an owl?” Sirius asked. Remus nodded.

“I’m going to ask my mom and dad to come in next week on Saturday.” Remus admitted.

“Your dads not going to be happy.” Sirius said. Remus sighed.

“I know.” He replied. Than he looked over at Y/n happily playing with a toy.

“But your very worth it.” Remus said.

——————

(A/N): thanks for reading the next update will be up tomorrow, thank you for reading. As of right now my requests are open, just message me. 😊

#remus lupin #remus x reader #james potter #james x reader #sirius x reader #sirius black #marauders x reader #marauders imagine #adopted #father #shopping #harry potter #magical #hogwarts #dumbledore's army #warewolf #stuff toy

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mandoalorian · 3 years

Text

Shopping with Maxwell Lord

READ PART TWO HERE

DAY FIVE: Shopping with Maxwell Lord [This is the one I really wanted to write for myself and my own self indulgent needs!]

Taglist (let me know if you want to be added!)

Permanent: @supernaturalgirl @phoenixhalliwell @ah-callie @luvzoria @stardust-galaxies @wickedfrsgrl @goth-topic @nerdypinupcrystal @wonderfulfluffer @kiwi-the-first @pedroepascal @castiel-barnes

December Writing Challenge: @mandos-blaster @silent-and-resigned @valentinasubmarina

December Writing Challenge Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Warnings: allusions to sex, mention of orphanages and losing parents, Maxwell really wants a baby...

Word count: 2.7k

Rating: PG-13

Maxwell stood there, front and centre of the living room, in front of the television, frowning. A crinkle in between his brown eyebrows and his arms crossed over his chest. "Max?" you asked, looking at him with bewilderment. He didn't reply. "Max, can you move? I'm trying to watch A Christmas Carol." Maxwell sighed, moving out the way and slumping on down on the couch next to you. You continued watching the black and white movie for only a few seconds before tossing your head back and pausing it. "What?" you asked Maxwell and he narrowed his eyes.

"What?" he repeated, his tone almost accusing.

"Why are you so miserable?" you asked him and he shrugged, looking away from you and back at the paused TV. "Hello? Cat got your tongue?" you quizzed, causing him to roll his eyes. "Talk to me."

"I just-" Maxwell took a deep breath. "I hate the time of year. I mean, since meeting you, it's been better. It's been so much better but still… it still feels tainted by my past." he revealed. You wrapped your arm around him and lay your head into his lap. He found his fingers smoothing out your hair, bringing him a sense of comfort and belonging. "I don't know what to do."

You thought for a moment, glancing back at the paused television and back up at your boyfriend. "You remind me of Scrooge." you said out loud.

"Excuse me?" Maxwell asked and you giggled, reaching over to grab the remote and press play on the television.

"Ebeneezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol," you clarified, pointing at the character on the television. "He was always miserable around Christmas. He made his business associate work in the cold and he never gave to charity… but then three ghosts came to visit him and he changed into a better, kind hearted and more generous man."

"Wow," Maxwell scoffed. "You really know how to make me feel better." he said sarcastically and you slapped his arm playfully. "I don't see the resemblance. I give to plenty of charities and I never make my employees work in the cold… and what is he wearing?"

"Maxie," you laughed. "It's set like, 100 years ago. Listen, I think you're wonderful. You give so much already. And I love you no matter what but… Christmas in particular is a time for giving back. Helping those who are less fortunate than ourselves. I think it could really bring you a kind of happiness. It'll keep you occupied and-"

"You have something in mind, don't you?" Maxwell sighed and your lips curled into a grin.

"Maybe…." you smirked, your eyes sparkling with excitement and desire. Maxwell loved to see you happy.

"Okay, what is it?" He asked and you sat up, taking his hands and giving them a gentle squeeze.

"When I was in the city the other day, I saw that the orphanage have been asking for donations. They're saying they'll accept anything. They just want the children to have a Christmas they'll never forget." you explained and Maxwell nodded. He was one of the biggest investors for the orphanage in DC. As a child, he knew how it felt to feel left behind. "So Max, what if we give them a Christmas they'll never forget?"

"Send more money?" he asked, already reaching for his checkbook.

"No. No that's...not what I meant." you shook your head.

"Well what do you propose?"

"Shopping!" you beamed and Maxwell sighed. "C'mon, it'll be fun." You grinned, pulling him off the sofa and wrapping your arms around him.

"It's Christmas Eve, the mall is going to be chaos." Maxwell shook his head in dismay.

"We are going shopping Maxwell." you said sternly. "Trust me on this one."

You pulled him over to the lobby and passed him his winter coat, scarf and gloves before swinging on your own faux fur jacket and wooly hat. "You can make up for this tonight." Maxwell told you, playfully smacking your ass as you opened the front door. You laughed and rolled your eyes before taking your boyfriend's hand and pulling him outside.

Maxwell was right. The mall was chaos, but luckily everyone was in a world of their own, too focused on getting their last minute Christmas shopping in before the big day tomorrow. "What's the plan?" he asked as you analysed the map of the mall, trying to figure out the most efficient route.

"We get toys and clothes and…" you looked up at Max. "100 kids live in that orphanage. We're going to do the absolute best we can for them, okay?"

"Okay." Maxwell agreed and you took his hand.

"Okay," you confirmed. "Let's go."

The first stop was a department store. It was bustling like you had never seen before. You and Maxwell both decided it would be best if you split up and went your separate ways before reuniting at the main entrance with your shopping. Taking control, like he always did, Maxwell told you to pick up toiletries while he'd look at the children's clothes.

You found yourself grabbing bubblegum flavoured toothpaste and princess pirate toothbrushes and washcloths, mermaid bubble bath and astronaut shower gel. You were practically pushing everything you could find into your shopping basket, trying your hardest to ignore the heaviness and the way your arm ached from the weight of it. You grabbed some fruity fragranced body spray for the slightly older girls and some deodorant for the preteen boys before heading to the checkout.

Maxwell Lord in the children's clothing section of the busiest DC department store was something else. He was surrounded by pink fluffy cardigans made for two year olds and onesies with little trains printed on them. Maxwell was someone who had a key eye for fashion, and while you were someone who wanted to grab everything you could, Maxwell really valued the quality. He strutted over to the designer brand section and picked out a dozen pairs of cashmere socks, winter UGG boots, Gucci jackets and white, frilly, made in Milan dresses.

But then his eye caught on something. It wasn't designer, it was a small, pale yellow babygrow with the words "Daddy's little princess" embellished in pink glitter writing. It was the smallest thing he had ever seen and he was enamoured. He stared at it for a few moments, before it was snatched away by a middle aged red faced woman with her hair scraped back into a ponytail.

"Hey!" Maxwell shouted, spinning around and pointing his finger at the woman. "That's mine." he frowned, angry that she had taken the last one.

"Finders keepers." she snarled.

Maxwell tore his hat from his head and removed his sunglasses. "Do you know who I am?" he quizzed bitterly, his hand taking place on his hip.

The woman gasped, her mouth parting slightly. "Oh- oh my god," she said with shock dripping from her tongue. "You're! You're Maxwell Lord! The King of Infomercials!!! I just seen you on the television in the electronics department!"

Maxwell smirked, satisfied with his reputation and influence he had over people. "Yeah, that's me. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to need that uh…" he didn't even know what to call the babygrow, instead gesturing aimlessly towards it.

"Okay!" the woman beamed, "But could I get an autograph and a kiss on the lips?"

Maxwell's frown deepened. "What?"

She scrambled around in her purse for a pen and handed it to him, rolling up her sleeve. "Sign me!"

"On- on your arm?" Maxwell asked and she nodded eagerly. Maxwell removed the lid and swiftly signed his name over her skin before handing her the pen back.

"Oh wow," she blushed, fanning herself before pouting her lips.

"Yeah, not happening." Maxwell sighed. "I'm not kissing you." The woman knotted her eyebrows together and straightened herself up, but before she could retort, Maxwell snatched the babygrow from her arms and ran to the elevator. "Nice doing business with you!" he grinned, waving his arms and running away."

After paying for the goods, you and Maxwell met back up and made your way, this time together, to the toy store. "Reminds me of when I was a kid," Maxwell smiled at the memory as he took your hand and looked up and down the shelves in awe. "My dad would take me here every year to pick out a new toy for Christmas. It was one of the only times we got to spend with each other." You hummed, leaning your head into his shoulder. Maxwell grabbed a few stuffed animals and threw them into the shopping cart. "I can't wait for the day I have kids." he announced.

"I thought you didn't want children?" you asked, your voice soft at the thought of your boyfriend being a father.

"I thought for so long I didn't want kids…" Maxwell admitted.

"I think you'd be an amazing father," you told him, squeezing his hand, only making his smile grow further. "Hey, we should get a few of these new electronic train sets! And the new Little Mermaid Barbies! What do you think?"

"I like how you think." Maxwell replied, pressing a kiss into your forehead as you picked out the dolls.

It was around 2 p.m. on Christmas Day. You and Maxwell had just finished your dinner and you had slipped into a fleecy elf dress you had purchased at the mall a day prior. You revealed yourself to Maxwell who was laying on the sofa watching the television has his stomach settled from all the food he had enjoyed.

"Check me out!" you grinned, giving him a little twirl, the bells on your elf hat jingling. Maxwell's jaw dropped as he drunk in your appearance.

"Where on God's great earth did you get that?" he asked, looking slightly mortified.

"The costume department at the mall!" You laughed. "I thought I could wear it for when we visit the orphanage. Don't worry, I got you a little something too so you don't feel left out." You presented Maxwell with a full body Santa Claus costume. "Ta da!"

"Not a chance." Maxwell sighed.

"Come on!" you growled playfully. "I'm sure the kids would love Maxwell Lord giving them presents, they'd be star struck. But Maxie, they're kids. I think they'd love it even more if the presents were delivered by Santa Claus." Max grimaced, knowing you were absolutely right. "Please." you pouted, fluttering your eyelashes.

Maxwell sighed again, this time deeper. He could never deny you. "Fine," he grumbled. "I'll get changed and then we can go."

You squealed excitedly, kissing his cheek. "I love you so much Maxie," you said, and Maxwell felt a blush creep over his cheeks. "I just know you're going to be a great dad one day."

"My back hurts." Maxwell moaned as he adjusted the sack of presents over his shoulder. You chuckled, shaking your head as you carried bags of clothes and toiletries of the orphans.

"Proud of you," you assured him. "Almost there."

You practically melted when you saw the delight of the screaming children hurry over to your boyfriend and wrap their tiny arms around him. "Ho ho ho," Maxwell bellowed and you watched with complete adoration as he dropped the sack of presents and interacted with the children. "Have you all been good this year?" he asked and the kids screamed in affirmation.

"Santa Claus!" A little girl gasped, reaching her hands out and making grabby fists. "I thought you weren't coming this year." she admitted, her eyes glossy. Maxwell kneeled down so he was level with the child.

"My elf told me how good you had been this year," Max smiled, pointing at you. "What's your name darling?"

"Maxine," she smiled and you saw Maxwell soften.

"I like that name." Maxwell replied, pulling her into a hug. "Merry Christmas Maxine."

"Thank you Santa, will I see you next year?"

Maxwell looked at you and you nodded your head. "Of course, as long as you be a good girl, I'll come back next year."

Maxine grinned, before hugging Maxwell tighter, refusing to let go. Just then, a boy who you estimated to be about thirteen or fourteen tapped you on the shoulder. You spin around with your best elfish smile, but frowned when you saw the magazine he was holding. It was a tabloid with your face on the cover. You winced at the bad angle. "You look like Max Lord's girlfriend." he deadpanned.

Maxwell's head snapped towards you and the boy and he strolled over. "Well well well who is that beautiful lady?" he asked, taking the magazine from the boy and checking it out.

"Max Lord's girlfriend." the boy replied. "Your elf looks like her."

Maxwell pinched your cheek. "This elf? No, not a chance." Maxwell laughed and you gave the child an apologetic look. "This lady in the magazine is far too beautiful to look like my head elf."

You weren't sure whether you should feel offended or not. Little Maxine gasped, racing over. "You can't say that!" she squealed. "What about Mrs Claus?"

You smirked, leaning into Maxwell. "Yeah Santa, what about Mrs Claus?"

"Uh- well! Mrs Claus… I do love Mrs Claus very much and she's at home baking Christmas cookies so I better be on my way… but it was lovely to meet you all!" Maxwell waved and you stifled back a laugh.

"Please don't go." Maxine cried, hugging Maxwell's legs.

"Be good and I'll be back next year." Maxwell promised, patting her on the head.

"Promise you'll come back?" Maxine begged, tears in her eyes. You wondered how many times little Maxine had asked a parental figure to come back to her and been let down. Maxwell wondered the same, his heart breaking at the thought.

"I promise." Maxwell affirmed, raising back to his feet and placing a hand on the small of your back.

"Merry Christmas everyone! Enjoy your presents and remember to be good children. We hope to see you next year!" you said farewell with a cheery smile and the children waved back.

When you got home that evening, you slid out your elf shoes and took off your hat. "Can you help me get out of this dress?" you asked Maxwell, holding up your hair so he could reach the zipper.

"Actually…" Maxwell trailed off, biting his lip. "Maybe you could wear it for bed?" he suggested with a smirk.

"An elf? Really Max? You want me to be an elf?" you laughed in disbelief.

"Could be fun." he shrugged and you rolled your eyes, opting to leave the elf dress on as you clambered into the warm king sized bed, watching Maxwell as he got undressed. "Oh I almost forgot," Maxwell said, reaching into the bag from the department store yesterday. "Close your eyes." You followed his instruction as he dived into the bag and took out the pale yellow babygrow he had fought for. He padded over to the bed and sat down, placing the outfit in your hands. "Open."

Your lips parted slightly as you took in the embellished words 'Daddys little Princess'. You glanced back up at your boyfriend and gave him a questioning look. "I'm confused." you admitted and he took your hands, rubbing circles into your skin.

"I really want a kid," he whispered, looking into your eyes. "I know you do too, and when we've talked about it I've always shut you out but… damn it, I really want one. Do you think… I mean. What do you think-"

You cut him off by pressing a kiss into his lips and holding him tight. "Okay," you nodded, your voice croaking with all the pent up emotion, rubbing your nose against his. "Let's have a baby." you smiled and Maxwell grinned, pushing you into the bed and climbing on top of you.

READ PART TWO HERE

#pedro pascal #pedro pascal x reader #maxwell lord #max lord #maxwell lord x reader #ww84

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englandsgray · 4 years

Text

Sherlolly Self-Interviews 2020

Well hi 👋

Ignoring the internal image of Gilderoy Lockheart smiling smugly while flashbulbs pop and saying ‘In my autobiography, Magical Me...’ 🙈😆 I shall take the opportunity of this lovely event to introduce myself as a writer of Sherlolly fanfiction on AO3...

I am English and somewhere over 30. I watched the show as it aired, and lost my heart as quickly to Molly Hooper as to Sherlock Holmes. The kiss is British television history. Series 4 is my favourite. Moriarty on the beach is life. The Holmes brothers break my heart every time.

I am extremely lucky to have been provided some questions to answer here by @ohaine and @mybrainrots - huge, huge love and thanks to these two lovelies, and not just for this. I admire you both so much as writers, and your support means the world to me ❤️ Thanks too, to @sherlollyappreciationweek!

Where did you begin to write, and have you written for other fandoms? I wrote my first fanfic when I was eleven years old - a 100 page ramble about The Monkees. Oh yes. Then in 2018, I fell for the characters of the Disney Pixar film Cars and began writing and publishing. So far so random! Writing in this fandom sprang from binge-watching all four series of Sherlock during lockdown. I remembered reading Louise Brealey talking about being disappointed Molly didn’t get chance to ‘roundly kick Sherlock’s arse’ and agreeing with her wholeheartedly. That, over a few weeks, turned into my first fic - Who You Really Are.

You’re a recent (and welcome!) arrival to the Sherlolly ship, and I was wondering if writing in an established, less active than it used to be fandom has been a challenge? Thank you, firstly. My experience of this fandom has been incredibly positive - the sense of welcome has been wonderful. I will admit I was terrified posting the first fic - there are hundreds of times more stories posted daily in the Sherlock fandom as in the one I had some experience of. But I needn’t have worried, it’s been a blast. I will also admit, that it’s no small thing to be surrounded by such brilliant writing and the long-standing passion which goes with it. But I find that inspiring in itself, and I’m very glad to be here - how supportive the fandom are makes me feel like I always have been!

What’s your favourite place and way to write? My aesthetic is Lin-Manuel Miranda in his in-law’s laundry room 🤣 I wrote my first ten-thousand words on the notes app on my phone before my other half told me to stop being ridiculous! I switch between the laptop, my phone and longhand (I’m a sucker for a nice notepad and a Uni-Ball Eye) and, more often than not, not sat up properly at a table.

Since you’ve (done something I’ve never managed successfully and) written a novella length fic... how did you organise/keep track of all the details and where you wanted the story to go? Did you outline/plot in advance? First of all - I would love to see a novella length fic from you @mybrainrots! The final scene of Who You Really Are came to me very early on and I knew I wanted the fic to fit within TFP - a lot of it takes place in the timeframe of the final montage. At first, it was going to be much more about Sherlock’s relationship with the ideas of sentiment and love (the phrase ‘I’m not sentimental about you, I love you,’ haunted me for a while) and I spent some time researching the psychology and playing with scenes from throughout the series - one of my favourites I didn’t go on to use was inspired by the final scene of THoB. Using scenes from the canon gave an automatic structure, and I was always aiming for the final one I wrote early on - the two of them on the beach (everything is about the beach, with me!) As I went along and started, inevitably, to slow down, I mapped out the chapters with a short note of what I wanted to be in each, then would add notes or phrases as they came to me - often emailed from my phone! I had to force myself through a tricky section set in Baker Street at one point, but it came together in the end. I did plot The Pathologist’s Skeletons on paper first, as I found with a casefic which remains a WIP, that I can get confused and lose focus when it comes to details and how to reveal them in a way which stays paced and interesting. I’ll certainly do that from now on with longer stories and cases. How did you keep up enthusiasm for the work? I want to write an original novel, so I am forcing myself to work through the knotty bits and blocks as a learning experience. Not everything is destined to be finished or finessed, of course, but I’m finding this process is building my confidence that I can overcome problems and slow periods. I also find I know when I need some external inspiration - some of my favourite scenes have come to me while out walking the dog or sitting on the beach. I’ve also been inspired by books or other series or things going on in the world, as we all are, and sometimes that’s pushed me on. Plus, of course, I’m a newbie - I’m very much in the honeymoon period of my writing, even though I’ve loved Sherlock for ten years! (Ten years! Bonkers.)

You’ve got a knack for writing Sherlock’s thoughts and capturing his voice. That said, which character do you find easiest to write? Which is the hardest? Thank you so much. I absolutely love writing Sherlock and Mycroft, and I’m sure that’s because they suit my somewhat over-the-top writing style! I find Molly and her POV really difficult. I want the scenes I write from her perspective to sound completely different to Sherlock, but that means writing in a style which doesn’t come as naturally to me. I’m a long way off happy with that at the moment, but I’m enjoying the challenge.

Is there a scene or character that specifically inspired you to start writing Sherlolly? The whole of TFP, but especially from the moment Sherlock arrives at Musgrave onwards. I am desperate to see what a Sherlock Holmes who has been reacquainted with his own heart would look like. I find his emotionality in those final scenes hugely compelling (Mycroft’s office is one of my favourite moments from across all four series) and, as I have always believed in him and Molly, I practically jumped up back in May after watching it and said ‘right, where’s my notebook?!’.

There’s a lovely peaceful, quiet feeling to your fic ‘We’re All Right At The Moment’. Can you tell us what inspired it and if you’ve thought of doing the backstory that goes with it? Thank you! Like everyone, I would go back to January of this year and start again in a heartbeat, but I am hugely fortunate to be able to say that I have a lot to be grateful to the UK lockdowns for. I might never have begun writing in this fandom otherwise, for one, and I have had a brilliant time so far and met some lovely people. Honestly, I don’t feel able to do any sort of justice in my writing to what has happened in the world in any broader sense than drawing on my own experiences of staying at home and enjoying my family. This particular super-short fic sees Molly cutting Sherlock’s hair at home in Baker Street. I wrote it in the evening after I had cut my other half’s hair and had been reminding myself that despite how horribly worried I was - and still am - about everything, we were all right in that moment, and to focus on that as much as possible. I wanted to try to capture that, if for no reason other than to look back on this entire experience and remember something lovely, so I am so pleased to hear you felt the fic did that. It was only after I finished it and reread it, that I realised it is ambiguous as to whether Molly is worried about Sherlock contracting the virus, or whether she is remembering him being treated for it... As I say, I don’t think I could write more about these extraordinary circumstances - perhaps it’s just too close at the moment - so I don’t plan on extending it. But you know how it is, the plot bunnies hop where they will...

Do you have a Sherlolly music playlist? What are your top five favs from the list? Here’s a run down of (6 🙊) songs I have been getting emotional over in the last little while, leading my brain to assign their significance to my favourite couple...

Kissing You - Des’Ree - It’s so 90′s, it’s a bit cheesy, it’s oddly disturbing. It helped me write A Request, Made Properly, and that gave me an excuse to have Sherlock kiss Molly in the snow.

How Long Will I Love You? - Ellie Goulding - part of the playlist, but also in remembrance of a friend who passed away recently. Life is very short, love is forever.

High and Dry - Jamie Cullum - It’s made me emotional for a very long time. The original is my partner’s version of choice, this is mine.

Think About You - Delta Goodrem - Okay, this one isn’t emotional, and it’s not my usual vibe! Blame the zoom exercise class I do! But oh my goodness, it’s Molly. Bless her.

Blinded By Your Grace (P.T.2. F.T. MNEK) - Stormzy - One of the best ever, I reckon. Spent an awful lot of time thinking about angels and demons, grace and what it takes to save someone, while writing my latest - The Pathologist’s Skeletons. This has been in my head most of the (blimmin’) time!

Love Me Like You Do - Ellie Goulding - I didn’t know I was a fan of Ellie until I wrote this list... I don’t subscribe to the theory that the love Molly wants or that which Sherlock has to offer is any lesser because it isn’t ‘normal’ or expected. I don’t think romantic entanglement would come easy to either of them. But it’s still love and it would be beautiful.

Thank you so much for reading. Thanks and love to @ohaine and @mybrainrots. And thank you @sherlollyappreciationweek for the event and for everything you do ❤️

Feel like I should sign off with a quote from the show...

“You’re not a puzzle-solver, you never have been. You’re a drama queen!” Dr John Watson (Moffat & Gatiss) 2014 😜

A fav fic of mine by @mybrainrots

https://archiveofourown.org/works/7563193

A fav fic of mine by @ohaine

https://archiveofourown.org/works/10562904

My stuff:

https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnglandsGray/works

#sherlolly #sherlollyselfinterview20 #sherlock #sherlockbbc #writing #fanfic #ao3 #ao3 author #read on ao3

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jace-todd · 3 years

Text

Slack

@oh-faithful-inner-demons this is totally not about the headcanon you posted a little bit ago, pssh totally not but uhh enjoy anyway~ I tried to use some of your headcanons in this too!! Sorry if it's not that good- I decided to go with the first part of the headcanon, becoming slack in a hug to focus on Aizawa and Hitoshi's relationship as Father-Son but I'm still open to writing a second piece-

Word count: 2,069

You can read it online right here on my Archive

warning for bullying, jumping (as in bullies cornering a student after school hours to beat on them, i'm sorry hitoshi), neglectful parents, abandonment

There were only two people in the whole world who knew how weak Hitoshi was for affection. Affection was never something Hitoshi got a lot of when he was growing up. His parents were firm believers that vulnerability would only aid in you getting soft and getting yourself killed out there in ‘the real world.’ When he was four, not long after his quick manifested, all of the early affection he received to keep childhood development on path disappeared altogether. Maybe every now and then, his mother would ruffle his hair when she’d finish a long shift at the hospital - too tired to even remember her hatred.

At school, without friends, Hitoshi didn’t get to experience friendly hugs. He didn’t have that one friend who’d practically vibrate in their seat when he’d enter the room in the morning, calling out his name with greetings and asking all about his previous afternoon. That one friend didn’t exist so they never pulled him close in between classes, an arm thrown over his shoulders, talking loudly in his ears to combat Hitoshi’s natural silence. That one friend who understood that Hitoshi didn’t feel comfortable talking - not with his quirk as villainous as it was, not with his quirk putting up the risk it did merely by interacting with anyone. That one friend who’d sit next to him at lunch, against a tree, their entire body shoved against his side - completely foreign to something called personal space.

What he got instead were people leaving the seats around HItoshi empty every year, too afraid to go near the kid with the villainous quirk and the absent parents and the snarky personality. They whispered behind his back rumors about how he was the one that leaked the test results two weeks ago, he was the one that made Miyuki punch Kako in the fact yesterday after she hung out with him. The only kind of company and touch Hitoshi received were pushes in the hallways and jumpings behind school. Instead of hair ruffles Hitoshi’s hair would be held tight in a fist to maneuver back to punch him in the face. Instead of hands holding his, feet ground against them until he broke his promise to not show signs of weakness. Instead of hugs, arms kept him from slumping to the ground hit after hit landed.

After a while, Hitoshi stopped expecting to get affection from anyone. It became easier to expect the worst, assume that anyone who got close only wanted to hurt him. Unfortunately, it made Hitoshi’s life easier - knowing the world already wanted to hurt him prepared him for the worst. It prepared him for when his parents up and left two weeks before he started UA - no real explanation, just a final argument between him and his father that ended with Hitoshi silently heading to his room and hiding. When he came out for his work-out the next morning, their rooms were empty and money was left on the counter.

Life really became lonely after that. School was awkward and quiet - coming home to an empty house made it seem even worse. At least when his parents were still around, one of them would be home by the time he got back from school. They wouldn’t greet him but at least Hitoshi knew someone was there. Now though, there were no one to glance in his direction, to eat dinner with, to awkwardly stare at when they found each other in the middle of the night doing their own thing. He had the entire place to himself.

Then Eraser-head started mentoring him. After the Sports festival, being pulled aside during homeroom to talk to his favorite hero had felt like a fever dream. The minute he walked away, Hitoshi pinched his arm three times just to be completely sure that it wasn’t. Starting up training had been learning where Hitoshi’s boundaries were, being taught how to use Aizawa’s - Aizawa, Hitoshi gets to call his favorite hero by his name - original capture device, and figuring out their own dynamic. Every minute kept Hitoshi on his toes, exhausted with lack of sleep and too much working out, but more energetic and happy than he’d been in years.

Their interactions started out as just mentor-mentee. Aizawa was trying Hitoshi to get into the hero course, to get enough strength and control to impress the Board, Hitoshi was learning everything he could from his idol. It was strictly business. And then Aizawa broke first, offering Hitoshi a trip to get some food and water down at a cat cafe, not even two blocks from the school. Hitoshi had flushed, unused to any sort of attention from the hero outside of these training sessions. He had agreed without thinking too much and for the next two hours, Hitoshi found himself pouring out more information about himself than he’d told anyone in his entire life.

Two days later, Hitoshi perfected one of the hardest maneuvers to learn after only a month. Aizawa had given him that weird smiling-but-not-smiling thing of his and reached out. He initially flinched away, expecting the worst but the hand just slowed down. A moment later, it dropped onto his head and ruffled his hair. Hitoshi did not tear up. He didn’t, really. If there was one lesson his father taught him that stuck was that crying meant vulnerability and weakness. However, Hitoshi did feel lightheaded at the sudden affection.

Aizawa ever-observant kept it on his head a moment or two too long before letting go, nodding in the direction of their jungle gym, telling him to get going.

The next couple of months passed pretty much the same. Slowly, Aizawa integrated casual affections into their interactions. Whenever Hitoshi did something well, Aizawa ruffled his hair. When Hitoshi smiled, Aizawa gave it back. Eventually, when Hitoshi started to open up, Aizawa did the same - it was a sign of trust. They were going good - Aizawa and Hitoshi had what he was slightly afraid to call a father-son dynamic, Hitoshi was already admitted into the hero course, Aizawa was getting through physical therapy steadily and surely.

And then Aizawa came into their usual weekend breaks to the cat cafe with a manilla folder. Hitoshi was pressed against the back of the cat cafe, sipping at the strong coffee he had ordered when he arrived, stroking the back of the tabby on his lap, reading the latest comic he got his hands on. When the little ding of the door closing rang out, he lifted his head out of the pages to see who it was. Aizawa lifted a hand in greeting, heading straight to him rather than get his usual strong coffee and retrieval of his favorite cat.

Immediately, Hitoshi felt a pit rise in his stomach. This was it, this was where Aizawa decided Hitoshi wasn’t fit to be in the hero’s life anymore, wasn’t fit to be a hero, that he had come to his senses and Hitoshi would be nothing more than a low-life villain. He stuffed the comic back into his bookbag, careful with it despite the way his hands were starting to shake and he was getting light-headed. “Aizawa-Sensei? Is everything okay?”

Aizawa slid into the seat across from him, “Everything’s fine, Hitoshi. Take a deep breath for me, okay?” He didn’t want to take a deep breath. What he wanted was for Aizawa to just rip the bandage off so he could leave. One of Aizawa’s hands disappeared from view for a moment before coming back with one of the fidget toys he kept around for his kids. In a sign of peace, he put it in the middle of the table and Hitoshi took it, swiftly working it over with practiced ease.

It worked well to calm him down enough to hear what Aizawa wanted to tell him. “What’s in the folder, Sensei?”

The teacher flipped it around so that it was facing Hitoshi before opening it. “See for yourself, kid.” Staring back at Hitoshi in big bold letters were the words ‘Report of Adoption.’ The world stopped as Hitoshi read through it all. His biological parents had been contacted and had signed over custody already, Aizawa and Yamada’s information were nearly completely filled out except for the very last signature, which left only Hitosh’s section empty.

“Are...Are you serious?” He couldn’t look away from the papers, going through them over and over again just to make sure he wasn’t missing anything. Surely, there was his mother’s signature and then his father’s. On the other page, neat Shouta Aizawa stood above Hizashi Yamada.

Aizawa nodded, “I’m completely serious. It’s only logical considering your living arrangements and the multitude of arising issues as you enter the hero course next year. Hitoshi, you deserve to have someone who cares about you and whether you make it home safely or not. Hizashi and I have already spoken it over and we’ve contacted our lawyers. Before we continue anything else, I needed to tell you. Do you consent to being adopted by Hizashi and I?”

Did he consent? Did he consent to being taken in by the hero that kept Hitoshi going his entire childhood? Did he consent from having to leave the one place that was always home to him to move to a brand new location, a brand new layout, a brand new family? Everything between them would change again. He would have to readjust, find himself and where their limits were - surely, they would have rules and strict No’s for him. Maybe they’d regret adopting him not even a week into their legal adoption and then it’d all be for nothing. Maybe Eri would fear him and he’d leave. Not that he’d mind it. Eri and her had interacted plenty of times but he knew he made the little girl uncomfortable.

But Hitoshi wanted it. He wanted it more than he’s ever wanted anything in his entire life. Hitoshi wanted to wake up to Hizashi’s singing in the mirrors as he cooked breakfast. He wanted to wake up to his own cat pressed against his side. He wanted to step out of his room in the morning, dressed for the hero course, and see Eri leaving her own room, smiling up at him while he smiled down. He wanted to be able to walk home with Aizawa after training rather than have to go separate ways every day. Above all else, Hitoshi just wanted to be loved.

“I- I consent.” Aizawa’s smile was toothy and a little lopsided but Hitoshi didn’t really see it past his own tears. He hadn’t cried since he was six and had scraped his knee badly enough to need a hospital trip. This was the biggest thing in his life, the biggest change surpassing the hero course with ease.

The cat had already scurried off, leaving Hitoshi’s hands and lap free once he dropped the fidget toy. He stood up, rounding to Aizawa’s side. The hero stood up as well, and Aizawa reached a hand out to ruffle his hair no doubt. No more did Hitoshi flinch but he didn’t let the hand reach him. Instead, Hitoshi threw himself forward, wrapping his arms tight around Aizawa’s shoulders, tucking his head in the crook of his arm and Aizawa’s neck. Aizawa returned the hug, holding on even tighter than Hitoshi was, one hand on his back and the other curled around purple hair.

He let the emotions and relief finally escape him, completely silent sobs racking his body as he went limp, letting the hero hold his weight for him. Aizawa grunted, planting his feet more strategically before shushing him, “I’ve got you, Hitoshi, you’re safe, you’re okay.”

Aizawa didn’t budge under Hitoshi’s weight - even if the teen was nearly as tall and as heavy as the hero was, steadily starting to surpass him even. For nearly five minutes they stood there, Aizawa supporting both their weights, talking softly to Hitoshi the entire time, telling him to let it out, that he would be there and so would Hizashi no matter what Hitoshi needed. Unfortunately, Aizawa’s straining muscles eventually caused them to both slide to the floor, still gripping each other tight, Hitoshi slack in his arms.

They didn’t need to move anytime soon so Aizawa let the kid remain there. After all, it was about damn time Hitoshi got some well-earned affection.

#shinsou hitoshi #aizawa shouta #hannah's writing

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thorne93 · 4 years

Text

Inside the Criminal Mind (Part 3)

Prompt: You’re married to Dr. Spencer Reid of the BAU, and are a distinguished doctor yourself on the team. You’re sent down to Miami, Florida for teaching and as a side request from the FBI, to investigate a string of missing persons. When you think you’ve figured out who the unsub is, your life becomes more complicated than you ever could’ve imagined.

Word Count: 3181

Warnings: (throughout the fic –>) death, blood, gore, killings, language, disturbing mental notions, mentions of rapes/murder/etc (You know, Dexter and Criminal Minds related business)

Notes: Thank you so much to @arrow-guy, @carryonmyswansong, and @mrs-dragneel-stark-solo - without each of you, I couldn’t have finished, written, or properly navigated this story. Each of you helped me fish out details that were incredibly important to me. Beta’d by @carryonmyswansong and @mrs-dragneel-stark-solo… Aesthetic by @mrs-dragneel-stark-solo

This is a crossover of Criminal Minds x Dexter. First time writing Dexter.

Also, the timeline is after Season 1 of Dexter, but during season 14-ish of Criminal minds into Season 15. Enjoy!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spence dropped you off at the gate, a rather tearful parting, mostly for you. You two had only been apart for the time Spence was in prison, and that was utter hell. Compared to that, this should be a cakewalk.

Your first week was the hardest. You spent most of it getting acquainted at the school, in the classroom, rehearsing a few of your lectures, meeting other faculty, rereading the textbook you’d chosen. There wasn’t any time to look at the FBI cases you’d been given, let alone trying to find a more permanent residence while you were in town.

The second week, the classes began and you could already feel a rhythm beginning to set in. Some of the students really seemed to be ready and liking the class. Others, you could tell, were stuck with this class. It made no difference to you, as you’d teach the best way you knew how and help anyone who had questions.

The second Saturday night, you dove into the case files. At first, not much had tied them together. Different backgrounds, ages, races, sex. Victimology was all over the place. If these were even victims at all. But they were missing persons, who had never been heard from again, there had to be a reason. Something, or someone, chose these specific people, for whatever purpose. It was your job to figure out why those people.

Over the course of the next few days, nothing struck with you. None of it made any sense. Finally, you caved and talked to Spencer about it.

“So how is the case going? Got it cracked?” Spence questioned.

You let out a heavy sigh before groaning. “Actually, I think I need your help.”

“Oh no, we know it’s a tough one if you need me,” he said with a laugh.

“I just can’t figure this out. Here, let me run the profiles by you.”

“Okay, shoot.”

He listened to you inform him of all of the cases, all their demographics. By the time you were done, you could practically hear him frowning. “That’s really odd. There has to be some kind of common denominator.”

“I know but… nothing.”

“No, no. Let’s look more closely. Do you need Garcia to run their backgrounds? Same high schools? Any familial relations?”

“That’s a good idea,” I murmured. “I’ll do it myself though. I’ll dig as much as I can and if I get lost again, I’ll have her run them through the database and see if any hits show up.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I mean, at the very least, they all lived in Miami at the time of their disappearance, so there’s that.”

“It’s a start.”

----------------------

As you dug deeper and deeper though, you found that most of the people had been through Miami Police Department as suspects, arrested, or even a ticket. Somehow, they had a run in with the law. Not all of them had been in trouble, some were actually stand up citizens in the community, or so it seemed. But unsubs don’t just take some people, then switch it up and take the opposite.

So you took it upon yourself to head up the investigation in the Miami police department. You began to question the cyber crimes unit, seeing as some of these people never came in contact with the police, maybe their browsing history did. Maybe they pissed off the wrong person. After a day of questioning the entire unit though, no one fit any loose profile you might have built.

The following day that you only held a morning class, you headed straight to the narcotics department. Maybe some of the well-to-do men and women that had been missing, kidnapped, or killed, whatever their fate was, were involved in some crazy drug ring, but the officer couldn’t get good evidence on them.

However, that was quickly a bust too. Miami and their police had no problem busting drug rings for coke, heroin, and pot. Their detectives seemed open and honest and most of them admitted to knowing some of the missing persons but it would go as far as, “Yeah, I arrested them,” or “Sure, I saw them, I think they were in the station in booking at one point.” Not exactly real motives.

None of this felt right.

Well, you couldn’t do anything about that now. Thursday and Friday were booked solid with classes and a meeting for the psychology professors.

Again, Saturday and Sunday you spent investigating and apartment hunting. Finally, you found a place for the apartment. Economical, good part of town. You didn’t need a lot, a bed and a kitchenette. All the paperwork was settled on Saturday and you were moved in by Sunday afternoon, the files spread all over the floor as you studied them.

Monday came and you had classes starting at noon, but that left your morning open so you got up bright and early and went to the homicides department. That’s when everything started to feel a lot more promising.

“Lieutenant LaGuerta?” you asked, poking your head into an office in the back of this section of the station.

“Yes?” she responded, lifting her head from a pile of papers.

“Hi, I’m Supervisory Special Agent Dr. Y/N Reid of the FBI,” you stated as you walked in and extended your hand. She took it and shook your hand, a frown coming on her face. “I’m here to investigate some missing persons.”

“Oh? Under whose authority?”

“The FBI’s, ma’am. I’ve already conducted some questioning in the other units. This is the last stop on my tour,” you noted with a laugh to which she gave you a somewhat hesitant, forced polite laugh.

“I don’t recall anyone telling me you’d be down.”

“Well, it’s not exactly under the radar, but we aren’t advertising that the FBI is actively investigating,” you explained.

“I see. Don’t you all usually come down only if it’s crossed state lines?”

You couldn’t help but wonder why all the animosity. Sure, cops were territorial, and no one liked anyone coming in and saying, “You can’t do your job so I’m here to do it for you.” But the fact of the matter was, there were eighteen missing people and Miami was the hub of it all and that’s the lead you needed to follow.

You grinned, looking down, humming. “We don’t, usually. But our Florida division is stumped so, they brought me in.”

“Wow, a whole team is bankrupt of a lead, and you have one. Impressive.”

You couldn’t help but bite your lip and ask, “I’m sorry, does my presence here offend you in some way?”

“I just don’t want you wasting my units time with pointless questions about missing persons we probably know nothing about.”

You nodded. “I understand, but I would hope, as a fellow law enforcement officer, the goal would be to check all avenues first and make sure these missing persons are found and justice is served. Correct me if I’m wrong, and I’ll tell my supervisor back in D.C. that the Lieutenant doesn’t want me snooping around this case.”

Your eyes leveled with hers, challenging her. You weren’t typically someone to throw your weight or rank around, or even start confrontation, but you had a job, a duty to do and this woman seemed adamant against helping you in that endeavor.

She grinned politely. “You’re right. I apologize. What can I help with?”

“First off, do any of these people look familiar?” You pulled out the paper that you’d photocopied all of the pictures and wrote their names, ages, and sex below it. Rather than tossing out eighteen files

She glanced through the pages. “Uh, yeah, a handful of them. The names ring a bell too. These your missing people?”

You nodded. “Yes, they are. Would you happen to know anything about any of them? If any of them moved after a trial or perhaps ran? Not all of them have a criminal background but about half do.”

“And the other half?”

“Mostly spotless, relatively good citizens, but where I come from, victimology doesn’t swing on a pendulum like that.”

“Alright, well, all I can say is that yeah some of them are familiar.”

“Would you mind if I questioned your detectives?” you wondered.

“Not at all. I’ll introduce you and you can proceed how you like.”

She took you out to the common area where she introduced you to Sergeant Doakes, Detective Batista, Forensics specialist Masuka, Detective Morgan, and forensic specialist Morgan.

“She’s conducting an investigation for the FBI, please assist her any way you can. Dr. Reid, you can use the conference room to do questioning.”

You thanked Lieutenant LaGuerta and decided to just go down the list from highest ranking to lowest ranking. Sergeant Doakes was first.

“Hi, Sergeant Doakes,” you greeted as you sat down in front of him. “Thank you for speaking with me.”

He merely nodded.

“I’m going to show you some people, and I’d like you to tell me if you recognize any of them?”

“Alright,” he said with a shrug.

You slid the papers in front of him, and waited for a reaction, gauging anything he did. An eyebrow twitch, a clenching of the jaw. Anything.

Yet, you saw nothing but a studious eye from a good detective.

“Yeah, I have seen some of these people. Booked a few of them myself. Sonsabitches got away on some bullshit their lawyer pulled. Why?”

“They’re missing,” you informed with a cocked brow. You wondered if he would change his less caring manner, but he didn’t.

“So you want to know if I’ve seen them?”

“Or where they might’ve gone. Did any of them seem like they had other connections that might help them disappear?”

“I don’t know. Some might’ve,” he agreed.

“I’m not convinced all of these people are victims. Some may have very well gotten involved in some things they didn’t know how to get out of. Some may have just ran. I’m just checking all avenues.”

“Makes sense,” he stated. “What’s your gut say?” he wondered.

You sighed as you shook your head. “I don’t really know. I’ve got people with criminal backgrounds, others with nothing at all except attending church and a perfect attendance at work.”

“Be kind of weird for all these people to all skip town.”

“Yes, it would be. But Miami is big, with a lot of transient people, and it isn’t exactly Cookie Cutter, USA.”

“True. So you got any more questions for me?”

You shook your head again. “No. If you can think of anything, where they might’ve gone. I’d appreciate it.”

He nodded and stood. You asked if he could send in Batista.

Questioning with him was much easier. He seemed a lot more easy going and he seemed more willing to share information. Your gut didn’t tell you it was him though. It didn’t tell you it was Doakes either. Batista felt more of a “I like justice being served” kind, while Doakes felt more like a “criminals get what they deserve.” But that didn’t make you suspect him.

Next was Masuka, then Debra Morgan.

Debra was a colorful character but clearly not witty enough to carry out a crime. She was bright enough to solve a crime, but not stage one, let alone eighteen. Masuka was just as bad, if not worse. He seemed oblivious, and not on purpose. He said he didn’t recognize two of the missing people, but when you reminded him that he’d investigated two of their crimes he suddenly remembered all the details of the case. He was spacey, not covering anything up. But spacey doesn’t bode well for anyone who may have abducted eighteen people.

Finally, Dexter Morgan, Detective Morgan’s brother met you in the conference room.

“Hi, Dexter, I’m Dr. Reid.”

“Doctor of what?” he asked casually as he leaned back and smiled. That smile didn’t seem… sincere. Oh, it felt sincere on him, but not a friendly, polite smile. It was a smile of… an inside joke.

“Doctor of psychology,” you stated with a grin.

“Love the mind, do you?”

“Yes, Mr. Morgan. I am really interested in what makes people tick.” You flashed him a smile that served as a warning not to fuck with you.

“Me too.” He smirked quickly before hiding it with a serious face but it didn’t go unnoticed by you.

“So you and your sister work together? That’s nice,” you remarked.

“Sometimes.”

“Do you not get along?”

“We do. We’re really close, but everyone needs space, privacy now and then.”

You nodded. “Mm. I understand. I work with my husband. We met on the job, and work together on the same team, and obviously live together.”

Dexter stared at you for a second before speaking. “Wow. That’s a lot of time together.”

You bobbed your head in agreement. “Yes, it is. But I’m down here now. He’s back in D.C.”

“You’re just down here for this case?”

You couldn’t help but laugh slightly. “Actually, I’m teaching at the University. A new forensic psych class. But I believe I need to be questioning you, Mr. Morgan,” you reminded.

He chuckled, nodding. “Right, right. Go ahead.”

That bothered you. All of the other people that had come in weren’t as relaxed as him. Masuka and Batista might’ve been a little lax, but he was entirely too at ease. Almost smug. Not to mention the smirk and the fact that he was trying to find out much about you, and delaying the questioning.

You pushed the pictures across to him.

“Tell me what you know about these people,” you ordered. You didn’t even bother asking if he knew them, because you knew he did. He had to have known them. All of his colleagues did.

He looked at the pictures, a good amount of time. Not too long to pretend which ones he knew and which ones he didn’t. But not so short that it was curious how he could dismiss it so quickly.

He picked out about five of them that he knew, what he knew about them, then smiled and sat back. The smile. That’s what got you. Batista, Morgan, when they were done telling you what they knew they would look up at you expectantly. Wondering if you were profiling them, wondering if they’d satisfied you, wondering if they needed to go on, wondering if they were under suspicion.

Not Dexter. For some reason, he smiled.

Did he think that’s what he was supposed to do? Did he think innocent people smiled when shown a list of missing persons? It wasn’t smug, not the smile itself, but the action of smiling. A gut feeling formed and it was aimed right at him. You knew he had something to do with this. Whether he abducted them or knew where they went or who took them, he knew something about it.

“Do you have any reason to believe these people would run after committing the crimes they did or getting arrested?”

“I can’t speak to other people’s motives, Dr. Reid.”

A bemused smile fell on your face. “You aren’t on trial here, Mr. Morgan.”

“I know that.”

“So then tell me, you interacted with these people. Did they seem like the type to run?”

“People are capable of all kinds of things. This guy here who was involved in that armed robbery, probably not. But take this guy who murdered a twenty-one year old girl, he might have.”

“He was acquitted. Said there wasn’t enough evidence to hold him.”

“He might have feared retrial. Maybe his life was ruined down here.”

“Maybe,” you agreed, peering at him.

“It’s a shame though. Lots of people missing.”

You nodded. “Mhm, eighteen people.”

“Have you talked to their families? Maybe they know something. I mean, we just arrest them here.”

“Well, you don’t,” you corrected. “You investigate the crime scene. You tell your colleagues if the person is capable of doing it, based on their strength, size, height.”

“Yes.”

“So you’re rather familiar with crime scenes, and what they look for, and what they don’t look for… Who’s capable of doing criminal acts…” You were pacing at this point, talking to him, thinking out loud.

“That’s right. It’s my job to know exactly how someone could or might kill, and how they might clean it up. Just like it’s your job to profile people based on age, sex, and whether or not they have mommy or daddy issues,” he said, his voice getting a bit more agitated than it had been.

You couldn’t help the grin that popped onto your face. “You don’t believe in profiling?”

“I believe that people aren’t so black and white. I believe that you all like to think you can put people in a box with a pretty ribbon and say ‘Here, this one is a textbook psychopath who kills women because his mother beat him for masturbating when he was fifteen’.”

“You seem to know an awful lot about my job.”

“Am I wrong?”

“Yes.”

“Prove it.”

“Check my track record,” you challenged with a gleam in your eye. “Profiling isn’t breaking people down with textbook definitions and diagnosis. We look at victimology, and branch out. If the victims aren’t related in any way, much like my missing persons, we have to seek out the one thing that is common for them. For Dahmer it was young men. For Bundy it was women. Gacy, little boys. Jack the Ripper, prostitutes. You get the picture. Whether you like to believe it or not, Mr. Morgan, killers have a type, a style. It can be obvious like sex, or something small. For whoever may have kidnapped these people, I’m sensing a trace of vigilante,” you informed. You hadn’t told anyone this yet.

“Why?”

“Because it’s simple. About half of these people have had run ins with the law and for whatever reason they were back out on the street. The other ones have picture perfect lives that are just a little too picture perfect for me.”

“What do you mean?”

“I think these people all committed crimes, whether or not they were caught by police is another thing. I also think that the person who took these people knew about some sort of shady past.”

“That’s quite the theory.”

“Exactly. Only a theory. Once I talk to all of these families, I’ll be back for further questioning.”

“Does that mean we’re done?”

You gave him a polite smile. “It does. So far all of you have admitted to knowing some of these people, and the rest, well the rest are just perfect citizens that I need to figure out how they’re related to these criminals.”

“Sounds like you have quite the task, going around to eighteen families.”

“It may take a bit, but I’ll get it done.”

“Between that and teaching, has to be a lot.”

“It’s my job, Mr. Morgan. I can make it work.”

“I bet you can.”

With that, you two said your goodbyes and you went back to your apartment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tagging:

Forever Tag:

@essie1876

@magpiegirl80

@letsgetfuckingsuperwholocked

@iamwarrenspeace

@marvel-imagines-yes-please

@superwholocked527

@missinstantgratification

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Spencer Reid

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@esoltis280

#inside the criminal mind #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid #spencer reid fic #dexter #dexter morgan #dexter morgan fic #criminal minds fic #criminal minds

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priorireverte · 3 years

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Congratulations Marcia!

Your application for Cho Chang has been accepted, with the discussed changes about her working with the Returned. I can’t wait to see how Cho handles both those unstable revived and her own lasting trauma from the war.

Please look to the checklist for the next steps and reach out if you have any questions!

OUT OF CHARACTER:

NAME & PRONOUNS: Marcia, she/her

TIMEZONE: GMT+7

ACTIVITY LEVEL: My activity level is pretty fluctuative depending on how college is doing but since college is all online right now, I have lots of time to roleplay.

ANYTHING ELSE: Triggers: sexual assault. I’ve actually roleplayed Cho a few times so I’m quite familiar with her character!

CHARACTER DETAILS:

NAME: Cho Chang

BIRTHDATE: 15 November 1979

DEATHDATE: -

GENDER, PRONOUNS, and SEXUALITY: Female, she/her, as far as Cho is concerned, she’s straight but she definitely has biromantic tendencies. She has been dating boys and men exclusively but has definitely had crushes on girls and women. She just never acts on them due to her own confusion regarding her sexuality.

BLOOD STATUS: Halfblood

HOUSE ALUMNI: Ravenclaw

OCCUPATION: Currently unemployed. Previously before the Battle of Hogwarts, Cho was admitted to St. Mungo’s Healing program as their newest Healer-in-training. She worked overtime shifts after the war ended and found that she needed time away from her profession. She needed to re-evaluate her life goals, ambitions, and the things she really wanted to do. So she resigned and was planning on joining a non-profit group whose mission is to help Wizarding communities around the world rebuild when she heard of the Returned. She felt compelled to stay in England in light of recent news.

FACECLAIM: Jessica Henwick.

CHARACTER BACKGROUND:

POSTBELLUM:

Cho felt the war before it even happened, knew it was coming while everyone else closed their eyes to it. Its effects have not left her since the moment Harry brought back Cedric’s cold dead body. She mourned and mourned and fell into grief. Grief left unresolved and added to as the war swept through her and the people around her. As she watched the people closest to her lose and die. She tried to move on from the war. She attended the memorials and the wakes and then went home telling herself that she was okay. But found herself opening another bottle of alcohol instead. The first few months were the hardest. She cried a lot and could not even take time off from her work because St. Mungo’s was running at full capacity and she was not the only one hurting. So she bottled her unresolved grief up. The only solace during this period was the presence of her mother, a Muggle woman who could never fully comprehend the ugliness of a Wizarding war as she is so removed from it after her divorce from Cho’s father. Cho was urged to go to therapy, Muggle therapy. It worked, sort of. Even though she had to alter details of her story, of what actually happened, she found solace in confiding in someone, in taking medications. She’s getting better. She keeps a journal now where she writes her dreams and nightmares and all the good things that have happened to her thus far. Recently, she added three words to the journal, under the “Good Things” section: “Survived the war.” For now, surviving is enough.

When she first heard of the Returned, hope bloomed in her chest as she thought of the families and friends that could be reunited. This is a happy event, right? It’s practically a reunion! And she did feel happy. Joyful at such a turn of events. At the fact that death can no longer keep people apart. That the war, in the end, did not take so much from her. But then she heard of Cedric’s arrival, of the possibility of him being back in her life, this first love of hers. The boy she mourned and cried over, and she felt like keeling over. It isn’t that she does not want him to live again. It’s that how is she going to navigate life with him again in it? Is she going to pretend to never know him so that she can continue on peacefully? Or should she seek him out? See where things could actually lead now that he’s alive again? Everything is complicated and she does not know how to feel. Long long ago she lost him and grew up too quickly. But now he’s here again and has not aged a day and she’s a woman he could no longer recognize.

PERSONALITY:

Cho Chang has an innate curiosity within her, this want to know more, to stretch magic thin and find out what it actually is capable of. A scholar approach to things. She wants to combine and mix and concoct and see what comes out of it. A natural researcher, a born academic. When people see her, they see someone who is kind and good. Someone who volunteers to finish group projects when no one else wants to. A doormat. A bit of a well-meaning pushover. Someone that can easily be taken advantage of. But in actuality, she uses her kindness as a weapon, as her bargaining point. She extends and withdraws it in accordance to the attitude and respect people give her. Her friends say she has Slytherin tendencies and they are right. Even the Sorting Hat thought Slytherin would be good for her. Se cares too much about what people think. There’s a need within her to fulfil expectations and to present herself only in the loveliest of ways. She puts a mirage on herself. She’s not as open as she looks. She tells you one thing but holds back five others. But she’s a loyal friend who will push you to be better. She’s a good listener and adviser. She’ll never say “I told you so” and she never holds a grudge. She hands out second chances and gives people the benefit of the doubt.

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF FAMILY:

Cho’s mother’s family is rich and posh. They’re old money and they have lived within the same neighbourhood in London for generations. Cho’s mother graduated from a respectable Muggle university with an art historian degree. She works as an art curator for a museum. Her father’s family back in Taiwan in contrast is very middle class. Her father moved to England for a better life, to be able to send money back home to pay for his sick father’s mounting hospital bills. He found employment in the Ministry for Magic and climbed his way up. He’s now a diplomat.

Cho’s parents divorced when she was five. She spent five days a week in her mother’s house, a Muggle townhouse bought by her grandparents, during her childhood. The other two days she spent at her father’s flat. Since her parents divorced when she was young, she does not have any resentment towards them for separating. After all, the two are fine as co-parents. What she finds burdensome about their divorce however is the clear divide between her magical and Muggle extended families and how she has to juggle the two. How she is forever stuck in the middle of Muggle and magical, rich and not rich, privileged and unprivileged.

But her parents are great overall. Her mother has a revolving door of boyfriends and her father has his work as a diplomat to drown himself in. Cho is naturally closer to her maternal grandparents than her paternal ones who live in Taipei and she only sees once a year at most. She’s an only child so she receives a lot of attention.

HISTORY:

Cho Chang’s formative years were pretty normal. She was born inside a Muggle hospital at the insistence of her grandparents and then brought home to the family’s townhouse in Kensington. She was one of those kids whose parents pampered them. They could not give her one big happy family so they made up for it by making sure that she was never without anything she wanted. She had toys and a dollhouse and a chinchilla. She had two bedrooms in two different houses, each one decorated with her favourite hue of blue. There was never any restrictions on what she could and could not do. She played with her cousins and the neighbourhood kids. She went to a Muggle elementary school when she was old enough. Learnt how to read and write, found herself entranced by language and literature, struggled at maths but excelled at science. And then she said goodbye to her Muggle friends and told me she was going to a boarding school when her Hogwarts letter arrived.

Her Hogwarts years were good too. The hat placed her in Ravenclaw and she enjoyed her time there. An uneasiness built up inside her however as everyone looked at her and called her pretty. They fawned over and she did not know whether they saw true beauty or someone exotic and different enough from them to gawk over. When she was the only girl admitted to the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, she accepted it but found it odd that no other girl was good enough for the team. Nevertheless, she carried on. Charms and Potions were her strongest subjects. When it came to Transfiguration, she was so so. She focused on herself and did well and had fun with her friends. They’d hang out in groups and go to Hogsmeade together. There’s a spot on the Ravenclaw table in the Great Hall meant just for her and her group of friends.

One day, Marietta Edgecombe pointed out that Cedric Diggory was staring at her. The rest was history. There were dates and a whirlwind romance. There was happiness. And then, everything was snuffed out. She played the part of the grieving girlfriend, emotional and weepy, and irritated her friends with her cries. Everything fell apart. Her grades dropped. Several professors kind enough to close their eyes on her academic incompetency gave her leniency. Professor Flitwick cautioned her about her grades and her career choices. She went to the library and had another cry and picked Healer. She dated Harry Potter and then Michael Corner. It was all a blur, just another Hogwarts boy to laugh about in the future. When graduation came she was so happy. She enrolled in the Healing program, became a Healer, and helped as much as she could with the war efforts. She went to Hogwarts for the Battle.

OOC EXPLORATION:

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO? I’m looking forward to the idea of Cho having to reverse all her grieving and mourning if that makes sense? Like Cho having to reconstruct her life again, to make sense of her trauma and hurt all over again. I also would love to see what a Cho-Cedric friendship or aftermath would look like after the war.

ANYTHING ELSE? Enjoy this playlist for Cho I made! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6FaZMH55GqPSogRg07ju5H?si=4rM8UPiDTgyBbNisAS1vNw

#prioriacceptance #prioriannouncement #cho chang #admin.emmy

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thelittlestcheshire · 4 years

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Hello! I’m Katie, and this is my muse Ches. If any of you were in Luxor over the summer, you know this pain in the ass so I’m probably gonna do a quick “here’s where this brat was” recap at the bottom, along with anything I’ve changed between that Ches and this Ches! I’m really excited to be back, and I’m really looking forward to roleplaying with everyone.

I also have the habit of writing crazy long bios when I do bother to write them so there’s a tl;dr for that, also some wanted connections at the bottom. I love plotting so if you ever have any ideas, feel free to come excited scream with me here or on Discord! So without further ado ♥

TWs: Gun Violence / Murder / Death (not by Ches), Blood, Abuse (Relationship), Cheating, Mental Illnesses, Drugs/Alcohol, Overdoses (also not by Ches / did not result in death)

Is that HAILEY CHESHIRE “CHES” ELSWOOD? Wow, they do look a lot like KATHERINE MCNAMARA. I hear SHE is a SEVENTEEN EIGHTEEN year old SENIOR who originally attended CARNIFEX Academy. Word is they are an ARISTOCRAT student. You should watch out because they can be IMPULSIVE and STUBBORN, but on the bright side they can also be ENERGENIC and LOYAL. Ultimately, you’ll get to see it all for yourself. [KATIE, 23, EST, SHE/HERS]

Last Edit: 8/26/2020

♥ basics; Full Name: Hailey Cheshire “Ches” Elswood Preferred Name: Ches Elswood Age: 18 Birthday: July 19th, 2002 at 03:22 am Sexual Orientation: Biromantic bisexual Relationship Status: It’s complicated ( @ Elliot ) Occupation: Student Nationality: American [with French dual citizenship] Ches’s Car

♥ classes;

Anthropology

Shakespearean Studies

Linguistics

Latin

Music

Advanced Sociology

Advanced Psychology

World History

♥ extracurriculars;

National Honor Society

Theater Club (Actor)

Concert Band (Piano)

♥ background; Place of Birth: Paris, France Hometown: Manhattan, New York, New York Health Issues: Borderline Personality Disorder and PTSD, not that she likes to admit to it, however. She’s also highly allergic to the Perciformes family of fish (tuna, mackrel, perch , and bass). While she’s okay with the salmoniformes (Salmon and Trout), she really doesn’t touch fish outside of... literally salmon she makes herself since that’s all she trusts ok. ((Shellfish is fine though) Traumas: Watching her mother die (mugging gone wrong/shot to death)

♥ physical; Face Claim: Katherine McNamara Eye Color: Green Hair Color: Red Height: 5′3 ½” (not at fc height quick side note) Weight: 115 lbs Tattoos, Birthmarks, Scars, etc: Mole above her belly button, a few moles on her thighs, freckles and face moles. (Face Ref 1, Face Ref 2, Body Ref 1, Body Ref 2) . She also has a tattoo now.

♥ zodiac;

Tropical

Sun: Cancer Moon: Scorpio Mercury: Cancer Venus: Virgo Mars: Leo Jupiter: Cancer Saturn: Gemini Uranus: Aquarius Neptune: Aquarius Pluto: Sagittarius Lilith: Aries N Node: Gemini

Placidus Orb

I ASC: Gemini II: Cancer III: Cancer IV: Leo V: Virgo VI: Libra VII: Sagittarius VIII: Capricorn IX: Capricorn X MC: Aquarius XI: Pisces XII: Aries

♥ relatives;

Father’s Full Name: Edward Valentine Elswood Father’s Status: Alive Father’s Occupation: CEO/Owner of a multi-billion dollar luxury goods conglomerate (net worth of 50+ Billion in fact - in turn, Elswood kids do NOT bat an eyelash at prices) Mother’s Full Name: Julia Andrieux Elswood Mother’s Status: Deceased [shot by a mugger on the twin’s 8th birthday] Future Step-Mother: Rebekah Carroll (soon to be Elswood, watch this space lol) Step-Mother’s Occupation: Siblings: 6 brothers and sisters (family page here) Elswood-Carroll Children Oldest to Youngest:

Logan Elswood (24)

Jamie Elswood (22)

Emmett Elswood (19)

Cade Carroll (19)

Jonah / Ches Elswood (TWINS)

Flynn Carroll (16)

Effie Elswood (14)

Ella Elswood (10)

She also has a niece named Isabella (Belle) who’s now almost 8 months (DOB: 07/10/2019). Belle belongs to her oldest brother, Logan (and Belle’s mother isn’t in the picture).

This is a link to the Elswood family page if you’d like to know more about her family.

♥ relationships; Ex-Significant Other(s): Probably a handful of people tbh, hit me up if you want this as a WC Reason for Separation: Stuff not working out, Ches getting bored before she got attached, so on - she’s a flirt tbh, it takes her wanting to get invested for her to stay Current Significant Other: N/A

♥ misc;

Hobbies and Talents: Ches’s main hobbies are playing piano and archery (she forever misses her bow and arrow while she’s at school), as these are also the two things that are best at calming her down. She has an intense love for acting, so it’s not uncommon for her to be one of the first people to sign up for auditions, and she tends to sing a lot so musicals are truly her shit. It’s not uncommon to see her in the library, reading a book late a night.

However, a talent she doesn’t exactly own up to often is her talent for forgeries and lockpicking. While she doesn’t use these skills as they’re intended for often, she does tend to practice them a lot, so she’s not rusty for when they are actually useful.

Pinterest Section // Musings Tag // Playlist (it’s an in general Ches playlist tho)

Ches speaks English and French fluently, her mother was born and raised in Paris so she learnt them both at the same time

DO NOT CALL HER HAILEY unless you really want to end up on her shit list, it’s her biggest pet peeve, she will glare at you for hours.

She’s the mom friend if your mom friend also goes “I HAVE THE BEST IDEA” and drags you into trouble. Literally, the one who frets over you and proceeds to get you into trouble.

This muse does what she wants, I just write it down I apologize always for her

Doesn’t really... seriously date too much because of past situations (Her older brother slept with the first person she truly loved) and she tries to avoid falling in love

That being said platonic I love yous are her shit, she loves her friends a LOT

Ches is very serious about her studying (and wanting to be among the best of the best because - this girl has Ivy league college dreams and she has no intents on fucking those up), so like expect her to do shit like read an entire textbook at the start of school and study at midnight when her insomnia is kicking her ass.

She’s a bit of a closet nerd - if you look under her bed she has a chest of comic books, she’ll just lie if you ask her about them

Ches left Luxor due to a family emergency in October, it was a really hard decision (and it was a really hard decision to come back). She is just now coming back to school.

She got her tattoo while she was away from school, using a forged note of parental consent in New Jersey.

♥ bio;

TWs: Gun Violence, Murder, Death, Blood, Abuse (Relationship), Cheating, Mental Illnesses

Growing up as an Elswood means two things, you have a lot of siblings and a lot of money. Her parents had decided to raise their children in Manhattan, New York, where they could keep a close eye on their multi-billion dollar conglomerate. Her mother, Julia, would take them on trips constantly too - when she wanted to get the children away from the hustle and bustle of the city they’d go to their vacation home upstate, or their private island, or even to visit their family in Paris. At that point in life, Ches was happy. She had a solid group of friends, she had the best friend she could ever imagine having in the form of her twin brother, she had a loving and warm family, and she had a parent who would tell her no.

When she thinks back to her life before the incident, it feels like a completely different story. A fairytale even, perfect and happy in every way compared to her life now. However, it wouldn’t last, after all, fairy tales didn’t exist and reality was a much crueler mistress. One could say Lin-Manuel Miranda described it best; “life doesn't discriminate between the sinners and the saints. It takes and it takes and it takes.”

Everything changed on her eighth birthday when her mother took her out shopping to get a present for twin brother Jonah at Palisades Mall. A man came up with a gun while they were in the parking lot and asked for all of their money. Julia Elswood compiled but she made one mistake, the simple utterance of “Cours, Ches” as she gave the man her purse.

Ches might have gotten out of the event alive, but not she was not unscathed. Julia Elswood was pronounced dead when medics finally arrived on the scene, her blood coating her daughter’s hands and clothing from Ches’s attempts to stop the bleeding. She might have survived the event without physical harm but she was never the same child she was before after that.

One day she had an intact family, the next day the Elswoods were in ruin. Her father completely shut himself out from the family, only coming out for birthdays and holidays. Her oldest brother stepped up as their parental figure, first starting out with homeschooling before he eventually dropped out to ensure his siblings were getting as much of his time as they possibly could. He tried his hardest to make the loss of their mother easier on the younger girls especially, given how young they were at the time. She helped him with the girls as much as she could (and overtime she slowly started filling the role as their second parent). Because of how busy the younger Elswood children kept him, sometimes Logan didn’t have the time to comfort Ches when she woke up in the middle of the night, haunted by their mother.

That was when Emmett stepped in. It wasn’t uncommon for him to sleep on her floor so he’d be there when she woke up terrified out of her mind, and he was there when she just eventually stopped sleeping like people tended to. Over time she realized that Jonah and her weren’t truly two peas in a pod the way they used to be, that Emmett was the only Elswood who truly got her. He wasn’t perfectly normal either, his thoughts and feelings were flawed like hers.

In a family that made her feel so broken at times, Emmett was a saving grace - a reminder she wasn’t alone.

Going to school in Carnifex was an easy decision when you felt so alone at home, at school she found a close group of people she loved and cared about - she felt less alone and less like her family were judging her, and when the feeling came up - she could always toss herself back into her schoolwork and pretend that maybe, just maybe, she was just a normal kid living a normal boring life. Family issues easily bred vulnerability though, and it was that vulnerability that was exploited not long before she was set to start Carnifex.

Long-distance relationships weren't’ supposed to be easy, but when she fell in love for the first time. At the time, she had thought she was as fucked up as she could ever be, that at this point she was just focused on healing the wounds her mother’s death had left in therapy and after that, everything would be fine. James Ruth quickly showed her how mistaken she had been, even now she doesn’t like thinking about everything he had done to her. She doesn’t discuss everything he had put her through in the time they were together nor does she have any intentions on truly discussing the worst of the abuse she endured while dating him and she was home - even in therapy. It did, however, have an effect on her, it made her terrified of truly falling in love with somebody again. (Note: James is also a massive reason why she doesn't get along with her brother Jamie, the two Elswood siblings never recovered from Jamie sleeping with Ches’s boyfriend. It causes a good deal of tension in the Elswood home but Ches can’t just forgive him, her brother never even apologized for his actions, she wasn’t going to pretend he didn’t hurt her because her father wanted them to get along for his own sake. They were on the rocks before this and afterward, the tension just got a whole lot worse.)

Going back to Carnifex her sophomore year was a key factor in helping Ches get away from her relationship, and it became as much of a home for her than her actual home was the longer she attended. Sure, she still misses her younger sisters, she misses Emmett and Camellia, and she misses her friends in the city. She also dislikes just how restricted she truly is when it comes to Instagram and trying to grow her influence while she attends Carnifex. Networking had to wait until she was home and sometimes she questions why she decided boarding school was a good idea. And then Ches looks at her friends, at the education she’s receiving, and all the fond memories she’s developing. Carnifex, and now Luxor, was well worth the fear of missing out she feels.

If you had asked her at the start of this school year, she would have told you nothing could have gotten her to leave school for any amount of time her senior year, she had spent the whole summer at Luxor (even after hearing about her baby niece, that meant a lot) - she finally settled in, she couldn’t imagine anything happening that would cause her to leave the academy. And then, on October 16th at two am in the morning, she got a phone call from Ella. Their oldest brother, Logan, had overdosed. While his drug addiction had never been a secret to the family, his relapse had been a surprise to Ches. Her brother had sworn up and down he was fine, that everything at home was okay. Going back to New York was a no brainer, her family needed her - and she needed them.

Logan, who’d been the closest thing to a parent she had since her mother died, almost died - she almost lost all the parental figures she ever knew. It was hard, getting adjusted back to New York City, she threw herself into her school work and did her best to fill the shoes Logan left open as he went through rehab, and then, adjusted back to being home. While she stayed in touch with the people she had at Luxor, she wouldn’t come back until her brother way okay - until she felt safe about leaving him with his daughter and their siblings without her as a backup. Coming back to school this time was really hard on her, the homesickness is worse than ever and she’s constantly trying to check in on her siblings (because mom!Ches is truly in full force and she’s trying to get it back down) but she’s glad to be back. She’s missed being at Luxor, a lot, so she’s glad to be back.

TLDR / quick important notes bio recap for rereads:

Ches’s mother was murdered on her 8th birthday in front of her

She was raised by her oldest brother, Logan, and is NOT close to her father really. She also helped raise her younger sisters and is very protective of them.

The Elswood she is closest to is Emmett, Jonah and her grew apart after her mother’s death.

Ches’s first real love was James (an NPC), they dated (entire)Freshman-(mid)Sophomore years, it was abusive (much more than Ches will ever discuss unless she gets majorly close to someone and they HAVE to know (cough still hasn’t happened though cough)) and Ches is now terrified of falling in love again. Her messy as fuck relationships & exes all start after this point.

Ches’s history at Luxor is pretty much in-tact, changes will be below in another section!

Ches left Luxor because of her oldest brother, Logan, overdosing. He is alive but she stayed in NYC until he was out of rehab / stabilized in order to take care of her younger siblings and her niece, Belle.

Notable Luxor Notes:

Anything relating to Thomas (for those of you who know what I mean) really hasn’t occurred, so if you mention it she’ll just be like “who?” This seems like the easiest course of action given how things were left off

Other muses of note I’m not going to account for are: Asher (more will be added as needed).

Ches isn’t a member of the Churchill Circle (I’m leaning towards was never one either just because the reasons she joined are no longer a factor so... she probably wouldn’t have ever joined)

If anyone wants to change history and/or keep it intact, feel free to dm me to let me know and I’ll update this accordingly.

Wanted Connections:

Exes (when Ches dates it’s not for long, but she’s definitely the type to be like “I’ll go out with you” if asked and then... dump you if she thinks she’s getting too attached. So her exes are either on good terms, neutral terms, or they probably dislike her a lot)

Former friends with benefits - while Ches is no longer taking on new ones because of Elliot (and is starting to wean off her current ones), I’m always willing to headcanon past things!

FRIENDSHIPS (I am weak af for a good friendship plot, never be afraid to be like “hey can our muses be friends” the answer is legit always yes)

Enemies (Ches can... be a lot so it’s not unlikely she’s pissed people off ok)

#luxorintro #so yeah pretty much have a Ches and I am SO FREAKING EXCITED TO BE BACK OK #sorry this is so freaking long too ♥#also I was excited I revamped the bio and drafted it #it's about my bedtime right now though so not sure how far I'll get with replies I'm gonna try but it's legit the time I pass out right now

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anagentinwriting · 5 years

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Subscribe - Part 4

Summary: (Modern AU) Peter was your college sweetheart until a certain event led to your break up. Seven years later another event brings you two back together, but this time a little girl is in the picture. Will listening to your podcasts be the reason you two get back together or be another reason to keep you apart?

Pairing: Peter Quill x Reader

Word Count: 2577

Warnings: Fluff, swearing

Subscribe Masterlist / Main Masterlist

AN: Don’t want this to get confusing, but the podcast is in italics and the flashback is indented and in italics. I am hoping the indention works on all platforms. Fingers crossed!

_____

Today was the day Peter was dreading; it was the first day he wasn’t going to see Meredith since he found out. Gamora had the day off and admitted she missed hanging out with the little girl. Peter agreed, realizing this would be the only way he would get work done.

Between switching tasks, Peter decided to take a short break and listen to another episode of Everyday's a Monday. He laid on the couch in his and Bucky’s office slipping on his headphones and clicked on episode #12 of 129. He has been trying to listen to them when he had time, but he wanted to hang with Meredith as much as he could. He hasn’t heard anything about himself yet like Meredith mentioned, and he still couldn’t remember the nickname you gave him. You haven’t even talked yet, but Wanda has talked an awful lot about you. He closed his eyes as Wanda began the introductions.

"Hey, beautiful people, today's guest on the show is Dr. Helen Cho, our favorite OBGYN. And you won’t believe it, but YN agreed to join us at the end and tell us a bit about her adorable baby girl, Meredith. Que the intro.”

Dr. Cho spoke about the baby forming, c-sections, and menstrual cycles. Like how the sex of a baby can be better determined at twelve weeks after conception. During c-sections, mothers are awake. Menstrual cycles take a while to come back especially if the mother is breastfeeding. It was a lot of information about women’s bodies Peter never thought about.

“I want to thank Dr. Helen Cho for coming in and speaking with us. I hope our listeners enjoyed the conversation and learned a thing or two. Unfortunately, she had to rush off to deliver more beautiful babies into the world, and I hope she will stop by again. Anywho, it’s time for our next part of the podcast talking with my good friend and producer of this show, YN.”

“Thanks for blackmailing me to come on my own show.”

“Ignore her. I would never do such a thing,” Wanda tittered. “With us talking about pregnancy and birthing today, YN does have an interesting story of how she came into the world. Would you mind sharing?”

“Of course not, I mean it fits the topic of the week. My mom suffered from ovarian cysts, and most of the time they got so bad she needed surgery to remove them. My parents started debating if it was even worth to keep trying to get pregnant if my mother continued to suffer from this. Then a few days before surgery to remove them, the doctors were performing an ultrasound, and ‘tada’ found me. They delayed the surgery until after I was born. Then a year or two later, my family decided to adopt, and that’s when Gamora and Nebula came into my life. We might not be sisters by blood, but we did become a family.”

“You’re sisters are the best. Her sister, Nebula, travels the world as a photographer and always brings back the best gifts. Gamora is a badass lawyer who works at Coulson & Associates. Then you’re the hotshot producer, and you’re doing it all while raising your 5-year-old daughter, Meredith. How do you handle being a single mother?”

“It can be hard, but I’m fortunate to have my parents and sisters willing to help me if I need it. I remember the first year being the hardest, especially the nights I was alone, but somehow I managed to pull through. At the time, I was living with my sisters because all the money I made went to paying for daycare. Most weekends my sisters helped, and forced me to get out, but I would only be gone for a few hours before I had to connect myself to the milk machine, again,” you chuckled. “I don't miss that at all. Around six months, things got easier because she got on a schedule.”

“Schedules are nice. I know with my twins, Me and Vis struggled, and to this day we still don’t know how we did it.”

“Oh yes, I bet it was like a daze for the first few months.”

“You have no idea. Does the dad know about Meredith?”

“No,” you sighed. “I know it's wrong, but when I tried to tell him I was pregnant it never felt like a good time? The one time it felt right something came up, and I waited which lead to more waiting and more waiting until I never got the chance to tell him.”

“Does she know about her dad? Or ask about him?”

“Yes, I tell her everything she wants to know. I promised I wouldn't keep anything about her dad from her. She deserves to know him, and when I find the courage, I will tell him.”

“At least you’re not keeping her in the dark about him. Some mothers don’t even share the details with their children because it’s too painful to talk about.”

“It’s hard, but I’m not going to keep the side of her, that is her father, from her. If that makes sense? Anyways, I make sure to tell her the good stuff about him and keep it simple. Like when I first met him or our first date,” you chuckled. “At least I didn’t think it was a date to start with at least.”

“Oh, I hear a story coming. Story…story…story,” Wanda chanted.

“Okay, I will share my first not a date date with…him......

There was a knock at your door, pulling you out of your dream. You leaned up, stretching your neck out, and realized you had fallen asleep on your computer. You rubbed your eyes as they adjusted to the soft glow coming from the desk lamp in your dark dorm room. Someone knocked on the door again as you stood up to answer it. When you pulled open the door, you squinted your eyes to try and shield them from the harsh hallway lights.

“Wow! You look like you’ve seen better days,” he chuckled.

“Thanks, man,” you sighed, leaving the door open for him to enter.

“Oh my god, did a twister come through here? Why are their papers everywhere?”

“I’m writing a paper, and it’s due in like 25 hours, and I haven't even started.”

He stared at your computer screen. “According to this, you have 537 pages. Is this for a music class?”

“What? Why would you ask that?” You shoved past him to see the screen.

“Because it says aaaaaaaaaaaallllllllll909. It's like you’re testing your vocal cords, but what's with the numbers?”

“Shut up---” you pushed on his chest “-- so I fell asleep.”

“Explains the keyboard marks on your face,” he snorted, making you roll your eyes. He scrolled up to the first page to see the title. “Insert fucking title. Wow, great title for your essay.”

“Shut up. I can't think of what to write about,” you confessed, running your hands down your face.

“I think you need a new perspective,” he said as you shot him an annoyed look. “Maria told me you've been locked in here since Friday. It’s not healthy, YN. She also told me she would like her bed back.”

“What are you---oh my god, I’m a terrible roommate! No wonder why she left last night and didn't stay. I can’t even see her bed.” You stared wide-eyed at Maria’s bed, running your hands through your hair.

“Hey, how about we clean this mess up, and I’ll get you out of here for a few hours.”

“But it's 11 pm.”

“On a Sunday! Come with me, I got a plan.”

He convinced you to leave your paper behind and drove you out of the city. You watched out the window as the city disappeared behind you. “Where are we going?”

“We’ll be there in about ten minutes or so?”

You sat in silence, staring out into the darkness. He always came up with the best plans, so what could he have planned on such short notice? You knew he wasn’t going to give you any details, so you turned the radio to your favorite station to fill the silence. All of a sudden one of your favorite songs started playing, and you belted out the lyrics. He laughed at you before he started singing along, too. He turned onto a gravel road and into what looked like a parking lot. He turned off the car and told you to follow him. Turning on his flashlight, he led the way.

“Dude, wait up, I can’t see shit without a flashlight.”

“Shit, sorry.” He grabbed your hand, and you felt a sensation you couldn’t explain.

He led you up to a small hill to clearing right over a cliff. The sight before you took your breath away. You could see all the stars in the sky and hear the crickets chirping nearby. The moon reflected off the flowing river in the distance as the city lights were shining on the horizon. The slight breeze sent a shiver down your spine and goosebumps to your skin.

“It’s beautiful.”

“This place has always helped me clear my head. I don’t know if it’s the stars in the sky or the fresh air, but I thought it would help you, too.” He squeezed your hand. “And you can blow off steam here, too.”

“Care to demonstrate, Star-Lord.”

“Haha, you’re hilarious. Listen to this--” he let go of your hand and put them around his mouth and shouted “--PROFESSOR FURY OR FURRY, HOWEVER, YOU SAY IT, YOU’RE A REAL A-HOLE.” He smiled, turning back to you. “See now I feel better.”

“Do you really?”

“Yes. Give it a shot.”

You repeated his position and shouted. "WHAT THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO WRITE ABOUT FOR THIS FUCKING PAPER? THIS CLASS IS A FUCKING JOKE?” You put your hands back at your sides and chuckled. “I do feel better for some strange reason. Thanks, I needed this.”

“I know,” he winked, making you scoff. He reached for your hand as you continued to stare out at the view. His fingers intertwined with yours, sending a warm and tingling feeling coursing through your body.

You glanced over at him, catching him staring at you. “Why are you staring at me?”

“Care to dance?”

“There’s no music,” you commented as he hit play on his Walkman around his waist; you never understood why he always carried it around with him wherever he went. Music started to play over his headphones. “Smart ass!”

He takes his free hand and places it on your waist, sending a spark shooting up your back. He pulls you closer to him as your breath quickens. He raises your conjoined hands in the air, forcing you to roll your eyes. He tilted his head at your arm dangling beside you before tilting it to his shoulder. You obliged and placed your hand on his shoulder. You shake your head at him, trying to hide the smile from appearing on your face. Both of you started to move to the slow quiet music playing through his headphones. When you glanced back up at him, he was gazing at you with this boyish smirk on his face.

“Is this the trick you pull to get all the girls?” You asked with a shy smile on your face.

“No, I don't usually need tricks. Most of the time, all I have to do is smile, and girls fall at my feet.”

You scoffed, slapping him on his chest. “They do not.”

“No, they don't,” He confirmed with a quick snicker. “You’re the first and only girl I brought to this place. I knew you were the only one who would appreciate it and see the beauty in it.”

“I do,” you grinned, staring at his chest, feeling the heat rush to your cheeks.

“If you had the chance to do something you always wanted to do, but you would be risking everything. Would you take the chance, or would you not and regret for the rest of your life?”

Your head snapped up to him, and you could see something in his eyes you have never seen before. He stared at your lips as his eyes drifted back up to yours. He started to lean in but stopped short right before his lips could touch yours.

“That's a risk I am willing to take,” you whispered, leaning in to kiss him.

“Wow! Is it hot in here or is it just me? Woo! Damn, Star-lord sure knows how to plan a great date, or in this case, not a date date. How did you two meet?”

“Second semester of my sophomore year of college. I was sitting in class half paying attention and half not. I had one earbud in and was doodling all over my notes. I think it was an economics class with one of those monotone professors. You know the type, where you stare at the clock and wish time went by faster.”

“I hated those professors!”

“Anyways, I was listening to my music and doodling when someone nudged the back of my chair. I ignored it, and then all the sudden I felt a piece of paper slide down my shoulder. I opened it up and it said something like, ‘Enjoying the tunes. Why am I not listening to music instead of this boring professor?' I peeked over my shoulder, and I'm sure I had the look like ‘what the fuck’ on my face. Oh crap, I’ll have to bleep that out later,” you chuckled. “As I said, I turned around, and he smiled and nodded at me. I acknowledged him and went back to doing what I was doing. When class ended, I was walking, and he came up next to me and introduced himself. He had this boyish smile that drew me in and made him look so carefree. It wasn’t even a full on grin, but it was a little sexy smirk thing he did that drove me crazy. Anyways, we ended up forming this great friendship, which morphed into something more."

“Awwww cute. How long did you two date?”

“A little over two years.”

“Star-Lord seems like the guy who knew how to romance a lady”

“Sometimes,” you breathed a chuckled. “Other times he failed miserably, but he’s a great guy.”

“When was the last time you spoke to him, if I may ask?” Wanda questioned with curiosity in her voice.

“About 5 years ago,” you stated without hesitation.

“Wow, a dramatic yet romantic way to end this week’s episode. If you like this podcast, please rate, comment, and subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. Until next time, from all of us here at Everyday’s a Monday, have a great rest of your week.”

Peter zoned out as the episode ended and stared up at the ceiling. Star-Lord. Star-Lord, how did he forgot the nickname you gave him? That night was one of his favorite moments with you, and he even documented it was an out of focus photo taken on his flip phone. It was the same photo Meredith found in the shoebox under your bed; the one with you smiling and laughing at the camera as he gazed at you. It was one of his favorite not a date dates, and he hated to admit it, but that night he knew you were the girl he wanted to marry.

_____

AN: How about that? What did you think about Wanda being the host for Everyday’s a Monday? I think she's got potential, I mean it is only episode #12. You learned a few tidbits about the readers past, but there is still a lot left to uncover. What did you think about their first not a date date or about how they met? Comments always encourage and as always thanks for reading!

#peter quill #peter quill au #peter quill x reader #peter quill reader insert #peter quill image #Star-Lord #star lord x reader #star lord au #marvel #marvel fanfic #Marvel AU #marvel fanfiction #Chris Pratt #subscribe #Guardians of the Galaxy #gotg

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luckyhoran · 5 years

Note

Can you do a blurb on Niall writing Mirrors about you?

Yes! Yes I can! Mirrors is my favorite song by Niall

It does mention self harm shortly just an fyi

Send in your blurb requests for Niall or Harry!

“Do ya wanna tell me why you’re locked in there Y/N?” Niall said after he softly knocked on the bathroom door as he was leaning on the wall. He heard soft cries coming from inside and sighed lightly as he turned to face the door and laid his left hand and forehead on the cold wood. “Is it your mind again?” He continued.

He paused, waiting for your reply, until he heard his phone bing from the sound of a text message. He reached into his right back jean pocket and pulled out his iphone to look at his screen as he leaned on his left hand that was on the door. He clicked the side button to make his screen light up and he saw it was a message from you just saying yes.

He nodded his head and ran his fingers through his brown locks before he slid down the wall behind him to sit on the ground. Niall knew he had to be very patient with you when you were like this. He knew you couldn’t be rushed, since he’s been helping you deal with this for so long.

…………………..

Niall had always been your closest person, you’ve lived next door to each other since you were five, and he was 6. You ended up having to move to Ireland when your mom got a great job opportunity there. Your parents moved into the cute little house at the end of the road, and it just so happened that the Horan’s were your neighbors. Your parents were always outside, whether it was gardening, or just relaxing. And Niall’s parents saw one day and introduced one another as they looked and talked to each other over the brown stained wooden fence. Days past, yours and Niall’s brother Greg got to be super close, and that’s how you got to meet Niall. Your brother got told one day that he had to start bringing you with him so that way you could play with kids as well. Your brother jake sighed “She’s like a freaking baby, I don’t want to have to bring her over to watch her” the 13 year old would scuff.

Your mother sighed, “Maura said she wouldn’t mind watching Y/N. Just make sure your sister comes back safe and you get her there safe, that’s literally all you have to do.”

Your brother sighed one last time, grabbed your hand and said “Let’s go.” As you waddled in your cheap plastic princess high heels that your mom got you from the toy section. Your brother walked with you, obviously not enjoying it until you got to their front door. He rang the door bell and Maura answered the door, with one of the biggest smiles on her face once she realized who it was.

“Ah! Jake and Y/N so good to see you! Jake, Greg is in the back yard with Niall.” Then she turned and looked at you “And Y/N,” She said as she looked at you sweetly “I want you to meet my other son Niall. He’s not much older than you and I think you’d get along great.”

Your brother quickly ran to the back to instantly go play outside with Greg, when you walked in with Maura and sat at her kitchen table. “How come I’ve never met Niall?” You replied.

Maura giggled and poured you a glass of milk, grabbed her cookie jar and walked over to you “He was stayin with his friend for a few days since it’s summer break.” She replied as she opened the lid and you reached in to grab a cookie. You grabbed one and she placed the cookie jar on the kitchen counter as she walked over to the glass sliding door that lead to the back yard.

“Niall! Get in here! I have someone for you to meet!” She closed the glass door and started walking toward you, “He’ll be in soon.” She said as you were eating your cookie.

You heard the glass door open and a small boy walked in and replied “Who do ya want me to meet?”

You turned and looked at the boy, who had the bluest eyes, with a bit of freckles and light brown hair. You were only 5, but you never thought boys were gross. And as you stopped and looked at him, you thought he was the prettiest boy you had ever seen, so pretty in fact, that you even put your cookie down.

Maura smiled as he walked in, “Niall, this is Y/N, Jake’s younger sister.”

You went to get up off of your seat to go say hi to the boy, when your plastic high heal snapped it’s heel, almost causing you to fall. Maura luckily grabbed you in time and asked if you were okay, you just simply replied in your sweet voice, “I’m fine, but I’m sad about my shoe.”

“Lets see if I can maybe fix it.” Maura said as she grabbed it and took it over to the counter.

Niall walked over to you and said “I thought only princesses wear those shoes?” You stood there quietly, not really sure how to reply. You couldn’t tell if he was going to make fun of you like your brother always did. Niall laughed and replied “Well, then it must mean you’re a princess, a clumsy princess, but still a princess.” Your frown quickly turned into a smile and nodded. He followed with a smile and asked “How old are you?”

“I’m five” you replied

“I’m 6,” Niall stated, “But I’m going to be 7 in October.” You nodded your head to reply and Niall continued “I’m older which means I��m going to have to look after you, the princess.” You started to blush, “Don’t worry, I’m a skilled warrior, I’ll protect you our whole lives.”

You smiled the biggest smile, “Okay Niall.”

And the rest was kind of history, you and Niall grew closer and closer over the years. All throughout schooling, he’d walk home with you. You were there for each other when his parents would fight, and finally divorce. Luckily Maura kept the house that was right next to your family’s house that way you two never had to split up. You were with each other through all the ups like when Niall auditioned for the XFactor, to you when you finally got diagnosed with severe anxiety and depression. You two never left each other’s sides.

What was the hardest was watching him have girlfriends, which you hated to admit it, but you had the biggest crush on the Irish boy since the first time you saw him. And of course when he had to start disappearing a lot due to touring with 1D. You never took it personally, but you really missed your best friend. But Niall never failed to contact you whenever he got the chance.

………………….

Niall unlocked the screen and began replying to you right away. All you heard was nothing but silence and the clicks of his keyboard as he was replying to you. Sending you the message “Please let me in when you’re ready to talk, I know your anxiety makes you silent. Just please let me know when you’re ready.”

You wiped your tears as your phone vibrated revealing the message you got from Niall. You sat there, for what seemed to be hours, but was actually just 20 minutes. You slowly crawled over to the door and unlocked it, without pause you heard Niall turning the door knob and looking at you with the saddest look on his face.

“Oh, Y/N” He said as he instantly sat on the bathroom ground with you and wrapped you up in the deepest, and warmest hug. His hands, tangled in your hair rested on your head and upper back as you cried into his shoulder. You hated to admit it, but a lot of nights were like this. You felt like your life was going out of control and there was absolutely nothing you could do about it. You got tired of being in an every day battle with your head, what upset you even more was the fact you remember when you didn’t feel like this, and it was the most frustrating feeling knowing that you didn’t use to feel this way.

“Shhh,” he said softly as he rocked you, “It’s gonna be okay, it’s gonna be okay.”

Time passed, and you were finally able to calm down, Niall was softly rubbing the left side of your face and stopped. “Do ya wanna go to that diner you love and get something to drink, maybe eat?”

“It’s almost midnight Ni.” You replied as you pulled up your long sleeve over your right hand and wiped your nose of the tears that shed.

He chuckled lightly, “That’s why I suggested it also, because it’s a 24/7 diner.”

You leaned up and looked at him, realizing you were only inches apart. You blushed lightly and sat back a little bit so you weren’t so close. “But aren’t you afraid of getting recognized?”

He shook his head, “Don’t worry about me, everything will be fine. I’ve gotten a bit better at hiding from people.”

You laughed slighlty, “If you were so good at it, then how come I see photos of you every time you go out?”

He jokingly looked offended, “Don’t doubt my skills.”

You both laughed, and then you sighed thinking about your break down. Niall gave you a reassuring smile, and he wiped some mascara that was coming down your cheek.

When you both got to the diner, Niall got a booth in the back where no other people were around. He was right, it did seem pretty safe. You orded a coffee along with a banana nut muffin, and Niall ordered his usual.

You sat there in silence with your sleeves over your hands and your arms crossed on the table. The food came and Niall sat there, ate his and realized you didn’t even touch your coffee. As he finished he pushed his plate to the side and leaned in closer to you with the table inbetween. “What caused it this time Y/N?”

You sighed as you twittled with the handle of your coffee that was now cold. “I’m worried Ni.” You started. “I’ve always been alone. Even in school. No guys ever chased after me, or even wanted to take me on a date. And now I’m especially worried, that because” You paused and then continued “I’m really worried that with how fucked up I am, now no one is really ever going to love me.”

Niall sighed, he reached over and grabbed your hand that was playing with the coffee cup and started stroking your hand with his left thumb. “You’re never alone Y/N. You know you will always have me.”

You nodded your head and continued, “You know what I mean Ni. No guy is going to want to marry some crazy person.”

He chuckled lightly looking down at your hands then back at you. “You’re not crazy Y/N. You could never be crazy.” He took his right hand and grabbed your other hand as he leaned in as close as he could and looked into your eyes. “Any man would be more than lucky to be able to call you his wife. I mean it. You’re more than amazin Y/N.”

You could feel your cheeks start to heat up as your heart literally felt like it was going to burst through your chest. Niall let go of your hands and turned around and asked for the check, as he turned back around he looked at you with a playful smile “Have I ever told you how beautiful ya are?”

He got up and went to go pay for the check after he got it from the waitress. As he walked away you slowly smiled to yourself. Niall always told you how amazing and beautiful you were. But you told him it never counted because you guys were always so close. And he would just always reply with “Well, I’m not lyin!”

Months had past, Niall had finally finished his first solo record and he brought you over to his house so you could be the first person to hear it. You rang the door bell to his house. You always called it his fancy house because of how big and nice it was. You just lived in a tiny 2 bedroom apartment.

Admiring his house you heard him walk up to the door, and unlock it. You turned and looked at him “You know, this is a big house for just one Niall.”

He chuckled and instantly wrapped you up in a hug. “I wanted a big one so we could have room to hang out it.”

You hugged him back and you laughed as you walked in, and sat on his grey sectional couch. He went and grabbed his laptop, and sat it on his glass table.

“Now, as ya know I worked really hard on this, so please don’t hate on it too much.” He stated

You laughed, “You know I’ve always loved any song you’ve ever sang Ni. Even if you did or didn’t write them.”

He smiled and then started to explain his Flicker album to you. You were so amazed at how detailed and excited he was about it. His eyes were lit up the whole time he was explaining each song he wrote to you as he played them on his laptop.

Once he finally got to the song Mirrors he actually kind of went quiet. The only thing he said was that this was one of the ones he was most proud of, and he worked really hard on it.

You nodded your head as Niall leaned over and clicked play.

As the guitar started to play through the speakers Niall sat there quietly at the edge of his cushion with his legs spread and his hands interlocked between them. He bit his lip as he kept switching from looking down to at you.

Instantly as he started singing in the song, you felt tingles in your body, and you felt it begin to heat up. Not in a bad way, kind of like your heart was so full of love that it was bursting out.

As the lyrics sang “She wants to fight, but her eyes are tired, nobody’s on her side.” You stopped and looked at him. He smiled slightly and nodded his head as you looked back to the screen and started to listen more.

After he first sang “I need love, to hold me closer in the night” softly, tears started to form in your eyes.

Once it got to the part where he finished “He turned around and said, I hope you know, you’re beautiful, have you ever been told?” Your tears immediately started to fall, falling onto his white fluffy rug. Niall came closer to you, wrapped his right arm around you and pulled you close to him as he reached up and lightly put his hand on your head to lay it on his shoulder before he held onto you as the tears stil fell.

“D-did you rea-” You started, but Niall cut you off before you could finish.

“Ya told me that you didn’t feel special, that you felt all alone. But I wanted you to know that you’re never alone. And everything you feel is real, and yes, I know its scary for you Y/N. It’s hard seein ya like that. It’s scary for me too, but I know it’s so much harder on you. I’ve been there for you since the beginning, through all the self harm to now. I want you to know that your battles don’t go unnoticed, and honestly Y/N, you’re the strongest person I know. Nothing is harder I can imagine than being in a constant, everyday battle with your own head. But I’ll promise you one thing Y/N, I’ll continue to always be there for you. You’ve come such a long way princess.”

You looked up at him and he looked at you, he reached up and lightly wiped away your tears. “ You haven’t called me that in awhile.” you soflty stated.

He smiled, “Well, ya are one.” he tucked a piece of hair behind your ear. “You’ve always been my princess, and you always will be.”

You smiled, and wrapped your arms tightly around his torso as the song continued to play in the background.

He held onto you, oh so tightly. You closed your eyes, listening to the soft beating of his heart as you felt the warmth of his body quickly soothe you. Not for a second did Niall let go of you.

“I love you so much Ni.” You stated. You couldn’t see, but Niall smiled softly as he started to run his fingers through your hair, something he knew you always loved and would always soothe you.

“I love you so much too princess.” he carefully moved his right hand where his index finger was directly under your chin and softly rose your face slightly and he leaned down and kissed your forehead gently. “I promise I’ll always be here for you. I’ll always protect you. Whether it be bad guys in real life, or the demons in your head. I’ll be right there beside you.”

#one direction #one direction preference #one direction preferences #one direction blurb #one direction fanfic #one direction fanfiction #niall #niall horan fanfic #niall horan fanfiction #niall horan blurb #niall horan imagine #niall horan imagines #one direction imagine #one direction imagines #niall blurb #my writtings #mine

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1dffexchange · 5 years

Photo

To: Zohra @gonebutstill

From: Brianne @tiostyles

Summary: When new neighbors move in across the hall from them, Harry and Lin are at each other's throats to impress them. Harry seems to always be one step ahead of her, but Lin is determined to not let him win the title of best neighbor.

“What are you doing?” She muttered in a low volume, just to Harry, but still with quite a vicious tone that he definitely deserved.

“Being neighborly.”

“Looks more like desperate bribery.”

Harry leaned in closer and kept his eyes on Tom, who was scrawling on a pad of paper at his kitchen counter, to make absolutely sure that the next thing to come out of his mouth was heard by her ears only, “‘Least I don’t fancy my married neighbor.”

Author’s Note: I went a little out of the box from your original prompt, but I still hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it! I hope you had a really great new year and I hope 2019 is going well for you!

Picking out the perfect dessert at the bakery section of Costco to buy for her new neighbor across the hall was a lot more intricate than she realized. Thinking back to when Harry had first moved in, Lin had brought him a mug and some tea instead. But, seeing as the set was still sat in the far corner of his counter, untouched, she figured it was best not to repeat old mistakes.

Although, skimming across all the pies and cookies and muffins the store offered she seriously considered sticking to the tea. What if the new neighbor was allergic to gluten? Or chocolate? What if they hated raisins? What if they hated her for brining raisins to their doorstep?

“Fuck,” she mumbled quietly under her breath, though it wasn’t silent enough when an innocent child found himself in the crosshairs of her sudden outburst. He gave Lin a funny look while she was too caught up in deciding between a six-pack of chocolate-filled croissants or a container of assorted cookies. Or maybe a raspberry-filled danish would be the smarter choice.

“Should’ve guessed I’d run into you at the sweets section.”

Lin just about tore out of her skin when Harry stood right next to her, running his mouth like he was really trying to give her a heart attack.

“Scared the shit outta me,” she eyed him while he, too, browsed the vast array of decisions in front of them, with her hand on her chest to feel just how sped up her poor little heart had gotten, “and what exactly do you mean by that?” She threw her full offense at him, hand on her hip and everything.

“You invite me over for dessert almost every night.” Harry reached out for the most delicious-looking apple pie, and while she was unsure what he planned on doing with it, she didn’t bother to question him as he placed it in his empty shopping cart.

“And you reject me almost every night,” she reminded him.

“S’good practice.”

“Piss off.”

“Oh, I would, but seeing as you don’t own a car, it’d be quite rude of me to let you Uber yourself home with all that shit.” He nodded toward her cart and the growing pile of junk she had accumulated during her “quick” Costco trip that started over an hour ago.

“I don’t need a ride from you.” Without giving him any bit of satisfaction by looking his way as he grinned at her characteristic stubbornness, she settled on the raspberry danishes and added it to her own basket.

He followed beside her as she wheeled herself off to the next section, “Probably not, but you do want a ride from me.” She didn’t even have to see his face to know his comment was laced with innuendo, whether he’d admit it or not.

“Ew, I can’t fucking believe I share a wall with you,” Lin parked her cart in front of the the strawberries, Harry following and watching as she bent over to give them all a good inspection until she found just the right box of undamaged berries. Of course, he was giving her ass a pretty good inspection as well.

“I don’t hear you complaining when it’s late and you’re out of butter.”

“The whole floor complains when it’s late and you have what’s-her-face over,” turning back to her cart, and to Harry, they both swapped teasing looks at each other like they were rivaling 10-year old siblings because Harry had lost that one.

“I was going to say something about you, but it’s kind of hot.”

“What?” Walking up the main section between dairy products and frozen foods, Lin was too distracted by what she might need from any of the aisles to fully process what Harry was getting at.

Until he leaned closer to her and made a buzzing sound right in her ear.

And with a quick shove of his shoulder, she pushed him right into an undeserving older customer who just about had a real heart attack. Waving an apology at the poor old woman across Harry’s cart, while he snickered, she felt the embarrassment doubling in size.

Once they had moved on from that incident, she hit his shoulder with a little less passion this time, “The fuck are you listening to me?”

“The walls are pretty thin… and you’re not exactly quiet.”

Her cheeks were bright red and she felt like disappearing off the face of the planet just then so that no one knew anything about her anymore. So that she no longer had to stomach the fact that Harry knew too much about what she did in her apartment right next-door to his. The hardest piece to swallow was that she’d been so carelessly loud enough for him to hear in the first place.

He recognized her dimness and hesitation like he was staring at the back of his hand, however. “Sorry… s’nothing to be ashamed of… like I said, I think it’s hot.”

“Don’t really care what you think.” She steered them down the hygiene aisle, the last stop on her trip, to locate a new pack of toothpaste.

“Well I care what you think… especially while you’re…” he raised a suggestive eyebrow and that just about did it for her.

“Fuck,” she smacked his chest with her open hand, not even coming close to hurting him however, “off,” another smack. “I fucking hate you.”

“This is a family store, Adeline.”

“You’re the one talking about masturbation in the middle fo Costco, Harry,” she kept her voice down as a middle-aged mom wandered down their aisle.

“We could talk about it tonight at your place instead if you’d like.”

“It’d have to be my place because a damn hurricane blew through your apartment.”

“Was that a yes then?”

“Hell no.”

There was no amount of convincing that could’ve stopped Harry from helping Lin unload her items into the trunk of his car. They were friends, after all, even if they did often throw around harmless jokes at the other’s expense.

“M’not really a fan of danishes, to be honest.” Harry placed in the box she’d bought with everything else as well, emptying the cart and closing the lid to the trunk.

“Good, they’re not for you.”

He cocked an eyebrow, ready to question her further, but she was already off to the cart return without an explanation. They had combined carts when Harry was awkwardly rolling around a lonely apple pie, so as she made her way across the parking lot aisle, he rolled his eyes and got himself situated in the driver’s seat. Unlocking all the doors for her, he warmed up the car and flipped the radio from the popular station to the one that played seventies and eighties oldies that Lin usually preferred.

Harry did as well, he had just been in the mood for Ariana Grande and Post Malone on the drive to Costco.

“Who are they for then?” He was positive he already knew her answer, but he still oddly found himself worried she’d bought desserts for a new secret boyfriend.

“What?” Their previous conversation had completely slipped her mind when she was pulling her seatbelt on and adjusting the vents that blew cold air in her face.

“The danishes.”

She sat back in her seat, buckled in and ready to go, eyes finding his as she wondered why he cared and why he hadn’t left yet. Or at least put the car in reverse. “Not that it’s any of your business but it’s for the new neighbor.”

“Neighbors,” he emphasized the plural, finally making a move to get them out of the horrendously busy Costco parking lot while a wave of relief washed over him that Lin did not, in fact, have a new boyfriend.

Not that he should care.

“There’s more people moving in? To what room?”

“No… it’s two people moving in across the hall. They’re married.”

“How do you know that?”

“I met them when I got home from work.”

“Jesus,” she glanced out the window while he stopped at the red light that kept them imprisoned inside the parking lot. “I feel bad for them. Their first impressions of their new home had to be you.”

“Oi! Better than you and your fucking danishes.” He made a disgusted face as he followed the cars ahead of him through the green light onto the main street, now only a few minutes from their building. “Not even gluten free, are they?”

“I’m sure I can find some gluten-free danishes to shove up your-“

Her knuckles hit their wood door four times, feeling as if she’d overdone it after the second knock with the intense nerves stirring around in her stomach. And if she wasn’t so competitive, she would have asked Harry to come along with her, but there was no way she’d let him steal the ‘nicest neighbor’ title from her.

“Hi… can I help you?” Her nerves skyrocketed when the presumed husband opened the door in front of her and she forgot everything she wanted to say that she’d rehearsed the past hour. Even if he was married, he was incredibly handsome and she completely lost her train of thought.

“Um, I… I’m uh…”

“Oh! You must be from across the hall! Addy, was it?”

Now she was very visibly bewildered. “It’s Adeline, actually, but I prefer Lin… who told you that?” She didn’t mean to sound so offended, but she had her suspicions. Only Harry called her that awful nickname just to spite her.

“Oh, sorry. Your neighbor, Harry, told us.”

“Figures.” Narrowing her eyes, she made a pinky promise to herself to strangle him later. Setting her displeasure for her aggravating neighbor aside, she remembered why she was at their doorstep in the first place. “I, uh, brought some danishes as a housewarming gift.”

“Oh, thank you!” Glancing down at the plastic-wrapped plate in her hand, his face lit up and he turned his head over his shoulder to his wife, who had previously been unpacking a kitchen box, but now she was nodding her head and giving him a silent signal to invite Lin inside.

“Do you want to come in? We have pie as well.”

If it wasn’t for Harry looming in the back of her mind, she would have never stepped foot inside their apartment. After all, they could be murderers. So, she practically tiptoed into their kitchen, feeling the tiniest bit safer with Harry just across the hall.

Not that he’d be very useful if she was being stabbed to death.

But the thought helped.

“Those look wonderful, thank you.” The wife took the plate from Lin, who reluctantly slid herself into the barstool at their identical island counter after the husband offered her the seat.

“You’re welcome… I never got your names actually.”

“Oh, I’m Paulina and this is my husband Tom.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you guys.”

“It’s definitely a relief to have such nice neighbors,” Tom started while Paulina grabbed three glasses from a cabinet closest to the fridge. The shelves all looked neat like she’d just unpacked their dishes and they hadn’t made a mess of everything yet. It made Lin reminisce on the days when she was new to the building… back before Harry was around. “We moved out of our last place because they were horrible.”

“Well, I can’t speak for Harry, but I’m nice, I think.”

“Really? He seemed pleasant enough,” Tom defended. With three glasses of water in front of them and three smaller dessert plates, Paulina put their options down in the middle of the counter as well.

There was her unwrapped, perfect, (and, in fact, gluten free) raspberry danishes.

As well as a Costco brand apple pie.

Glaring at the box with a few small slices already missing, she had absolutely no pleasant thoughts about Harry fucking Styles.

“Trust me, there is nothing pleasant about him.”

“Hm,” Paulina glanced nervously at her husband as he chewed cautiously on a bite of apple pie. “He’s not loud is he?”

Lin finally managed to rip her vengeful eyes away from the apple pie long enough to see how apprehensive she’d made the poor couple. “No, he’s just… irritating.” She’d be lying if she said Harry was a horrible neighbor because he was actually somewhat likable, for the most part.

Not that she’d ever say it out loud.

“Oh, good. We can handle a little irritation. Our last neighbors argued all the time.”

“And played their music as loud as they possibly could,” Tom added. “It wasn’t good music either, sounded like something dying.” He shuddered at the memory.

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that here. It’s pretty quiet.” Lin reassured and took a sip of her water. “Actually, if you don’t mind, I have a lot of laundry to get done so…”

“Oh, yeah of course! It was nice meeting you Lin.” Tom stepped around the counter to walk her out while Paulina gave her a gracious smile in agreement before they left the kitchen.

As soon as Lin was out in their deserted hallway again with her new neighbor’s door shut behind her and a content smile on her face, another door was opened. And just as quickly as Harry appeared in the threshold to his room, the smile was swiped right off of her lips.

“So?” He grinned like he was up to no good. “How were they?”

“Think you already know,” she crossed her arms.

“Oh, don’t be so cross, Addy.” He really could not stop the smirk forming on his own mouth, even when she glared into his soul like she was ready to end him.

“You’re such an asshole.” She stomped the couple steps to her room and ignored him when she heard his door shut and felt him standing beside her while she got her key out.

“Guess that means I’m not invited over for dessert?”

Once she had her door unlocked, she held it open with her foot and turned to him, “You’d be guessing right.”

“It was just a joke.”

“You know I don’t like to be called that.”

“Yeah but why not? It rolls off the tongue better…”

Without a word, she moved toward her room again ready to leave him to his own devices out in the hallway.

“Wait,” he planted his hand flat on her door before she managed to shut it in his face. “I’m sorry.”

“Maybe if you actually meant it when you apologized, I’d consider letting you in.”

He sighed, thinking it was ridiculous but still standing up straight to give her his best apology. After all, it would be worth it to not spend his Thursday night alone and without her incredible tea and biscuits. Clearing his throat, he began, “Lin, I’m sorry for calling you that name you don’t like.”

“And?”

“And telling the neighbors to call you that too.”

“And?”

He wracked his brain for what else she could possibly want from him for a moment before something finally came to mind. “And I won’t call you that again… can I come in now? I’ve been craving your stupid biscuits all day.”

“Hm… no.” And with that, the door was shut in his face and securely locked. Shaking his head with a dimply grin like he couldn’t believe she made him go through all of that and still not let him in. But he knew he should have seen it coming, so he didn’t even bother knocking or begging any further. Lin was as frustratingly stubborn as he was.

“Don’t want your biscuits anyways,” he shouted through the door.

“Yes you do, and you’re not getting any.”

“Hey, I just wanted to let you know,” Lin’s impeccable articulation of what she needed to say in front of the very intimidatingly attractive Tom was briefly interrupted with an all too familiar door creaking shut behind her and an all too familiar scent of cologne creeping up beside her. She squeezed her eyes shut in irritation for less than a second before she opened them and tried to focus less on Harry and more on why she was knocking at Tom’s door for the second time this week. “I’m having a small party tonight. You guys are invited if you want to come. If not, I just wanted to apologize for any noise.”

Tom brought out his perfect, beaming grin as she watched him glance at Harry who she’d yet to acknowledge and then back at her. “We’d love to come actually! Should we bring anything?”

“No… well, if you want any alcohol, you can bring that. I just have beer for everyone.” Lin explained, knowing very well she had her own bottle of alcohol in her fridge currently that no one else was allowed to touch.

“Actually,” Harry finally piped in, to Lin’s complete agitation, “I was going to the store after my run, I could pick up something up for you guys.”

Lin twisted her head over her shoulder, full-on scowl greeting Harry’s neighborly smile.

“That’d be great actually, let me write some things down and give you some cash…”

“Oh, don’t worry about it, s’on me.”

Tom’s eyes grew round, but grateful after all the money they’d spent over the past few days on new furniture. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, it’s no problem.”

When Tom retreated back into his room absentmindedly to find a pen and paper, Harry turned his smug face to Lin.

“What are you doing?” She muttered in a low volume, just to Harry, but still with quite a vicious tone that he definitely deserved.

“Being neighborly.”

“Looks more like desperate bribery.”

Her mouth sprung open as if appalled by what he’d said. Like it was an unambiguously ridiculous claim she couldn’t believe came out of his mouth. So ridiculous that she smacked his shoulder numerous times before he had to grab her hands to get her to stop.

“You’re a fucking prick,” whispering, she attempted pulling her arms from his grip with no avail and only to struggle against each other even more.

“You’re the one hitting me and I’m the prick?”

“You deserve it!”

“Okay!” Tom’s much louder voice seemed to boom between them loud enough to break apart the grade school roughhousing and arguing. And once Tom was headed to the door again, Lin’s hands went back to her side and Harry’s polite smile smacked back on his face as if nothing had ever happened in the hallway.

“Here’s a few things my wife likes, you can just get one of them, though, whatever you can find.” He handed the post-it sized paper over to Harry before returning his attention to Lin.

“Should we dress up or?”

“No. Just casual is fine.”

And with amiable smiles all around and ‘see you later’s, Lin and Harry were alone in their hallway again.

“You’re uninvited,” Lin grumbled out first.

“You can’t uninvite me, your friends all love me.”

She stepped closer to him, poking her finger into his unexpectedly toned pectoral, “If you show up in my apartment tonight, I will fight you.”

He swallowed, so amusingly unafraid of her he almost couldn’t hold back the smile that threatened to creep onto his lips and ruin the whole bit. “Very intimidating.”

“I’m serious.”

“Never doubted that you were.”

“Then why are you smiling?”

He shrugged just as smug as ever, “I’ll see you tonight, Lin.” Winking, he left her feeling both powerless and also like she could punch him square in the face quite effortlessly.

“Linny poo!” Harry shouted through her apartment, two reusable shopping bags in hand as he stretched his arms out like wings after successfully making it inside her apartment without having to take on a bridge troll first. And once he found her on the couch amongst the crowd, a distinctly bothered face behind a glass of pink alcohol, he continued, “I’m here, come and fight me!”

With none of her friends in on the joke, but all still entertained by Harry, they stared straight at her for some explanation. And with both Harry and Lin sufficiently pre-game tipsy, she simply shot him her middle finger while continuing to sip on her drink.

The party was already in full swing when he showed up, and after his obtrusive entrance, he laid out the alcohol he’d brought over, leaving it all on the counter apart from an already opened bottle of Smirnoff he kept to himself.

“Why are you here?” Lin was right next to him all of a sudden, making him jump when she spoke up over the chatter and music.

“I brought the good alcohol, remember?” He glanced down at her glass, it clearly not filled with the piss-colored beer she’d provided for the night and making his eyebrows crease in confusion.

“Yeah, but I thought I told you you were uninvited.”

“And I told you you can’t do that.”

He could tell she was getting angrier with him the longer he stood in her presence. “Can we talk in the other room?”

“Are you going to try and hit me again?”

“Maybe.”

Even so, he followed her to her bedroom for the private argument that was sure to unfold once there was a closed door between them and everyone else.

“Fuck, your room’s a mess.”

“I’m literally this close,” she pinched together her thumb and index finger in front of him, “to punching you right now, so I wouldn’t push it.”

“You call me to kill the spiders, Lin, you won’t punch me.”

“I hate you.”

He grinned like he was proud of himself. “Seriously, though, you made fun of me for my messy apartment and your room looks like this?”

“No one’s coming in here anyways.”

“I’m in here.”

“You don’t count.”

“Why do you hate me so much?”

“You’re an asshole.” She answered him a little too easily and he was the tiniest bit offended by it.

“Well, so are you.”

“Only because you try to ruin everything all the time.”

“Like what!?” Harry was the embodiment of dumbfounded then, with his pointed eyebrows and flared nostrils.

“Like the neighbors.” She stated obviously, “I put a lot of thought into what to bring them and you just swoop in with your fucking apple pie.”

“You put a lot of thought into raspberry danishes? Really?”

“Better than a boring apple pie!”

“No it’s not!” He shouted back, neither of them at all worried whether or not anyone in her apartment could hear them at this point. “Everyone loves apple pie! It’s a traditional comfort food and I can’t believe you think your fucking danishes-”

Harry would have expected a punch to the face coming his way a lot sooner than what she actually did. And, quite frankly, so did she. But, seeing him yelling passionately about baked goods, and still a bit buzzed, landed her lips on him instead of her knuckles.

With her hands securely on either side of his jaw, she pushed him back against the wall with a slight thud all while he had no idea how to react. And when the initial shock of it wore off, his hands slid up her sides to her lower back where he supported her as he returned all the angry passion she’d kissed him with in the first place.

He took over quickly with his much larger arm muscles, spinning her around and pinning her up against the wall now. Still, her strong will seeped into how she made out with him, making his lungs burn and his lips numb. He didn’t want it to stop either, however, after he spent god knows how long thinking about kissing her.

“Thought you hated me,” he breathed out, resting his forehead on hers when she finally gave him a break.

“I do.”

“Hm,” he blinked a couple times then settled his gaze on her lips, the smeared red lipstick making him feel things he never thought it would. “You always kiss people you hate like that?”

“You’re the only person I hate,” she ghosted her lips over his, and they both felt the slightly shameful rate at which he was growing in his pants.

“Guess I should be flattered then.” He kissed her again twice, both very quick and also very slow like he wanted to feel everything and remember it beyond the hangover he’d have in the morning.

“Well you definitely feel flattered.”

Smiling against the side of her mouth, he let out a gravelly laugh. “S’not you, actually.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah… I get really turned on by desserts.” She found herself rolling her eyes at him, and then they took a detour, rolling back in her head as he wandered down her neck, determined to leave marks on her that no one at the party would question came from his mouth.

“Lucky for you, I bought more danishes,” she teased, between the whimpers as he continued to nip at her skin, and particularly when his hands slipped up under the back of her skirt.

“Oh, fuck you and your danishes.”

#1dff #exchanges

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berriestart--lilacsweet · 6 years

Text

Once Bitten, Twice Shy Part 1.5

NEW CHAPTER!

Regis and Evangeline get to know one another better as they travel. Eva reveals details about her past and how she longs for a family. Regis comforts her after she become bitter and takes her anger out on him. Adorable fluff and bonding.

AN: This take place while Regis and Eva are on the road. An inbetween bit. Instead of messying up what I already have posted by rearranging things I'll just put this here and it can serve as a flashback I guess. Anyways hope you all enjoy! I had alot of fun writing this one.

BY FIRELIGHT AND STARLIGHT

PART: 1.5

Evangeline and Regis rode hard and traveled fast, only stopping long enough to eat and get a few hours rest when need be. Every night, as more time past, they became better acquainted with one another. Regis spent a majority of the time finding various herbs and flowers then passed the night time hours sketching their likeness into a leather-bound journal. To pass the time during the day they would quiz one another on the medicinal properties of various plants. Occasionally, Evangeline would surprise Regis with unique uses of certain herbs or mushrooms and what roles they played in Witcher decoctions, potions and oils.

He sketched most evenings by the fire; twirling stems, leaves, and petals in his slender fingers. His renditions were impeccable; the empty space around his drawings were slowly, over time, filled in with his delicate scrawl.

His herbaria included specimens of phytology (flora), mycology (Fungi), and phycology (Algae). He was particularly interested in ethnobotany (the study of flora and their individual uses according to the region’s people). His herbarium was divided into sections using standard taxonomy with binomial nomenclature (a standard system of identifying species of living things using two-part Latin names). He studied every specimen’s preferred ecology, and their anatomy; dutifully dissecting everything and drawing its likeness on the smooth paper in his book.

Regis was very thorough with his work; ensuring that every page was legible and every spare section of space used as to what could aesthetically be allowed. The leather-bound journal was large; over three inches deep by sixteen inches tall and eleven inches wide. It took up the entirety of his lap while he worked.

One night in particular they were sitting around their campfire when Regis beckoned the Witcheress over.

“Tell me what you think.”

“About what?”

“Come, come.” he motioned for her to take a seat beside him. He had his legs splayed out before him and his back to a moss-covered log. She gave him a puzzled look, hesitant to sit so close to the mysterious, yet interesting and attractive stranger. “I’d like you to look over these last few entries to ensure I haven't forgotten or omitted anything.”

She nodded slowly, still contemplating whether or not she wanted to sit so near to him.

“I don’t bite.” he jest, sensing her hesitation. She rolled her eyes and took a seat beside him. He let his arm rest behind her on the log and handed her the journal with his other hand. She settled the book into her lap and thumbed through its pages, lightly running her fingertips over the graphite lines.

“These are beautiful. You’re a talented artist, Regis.” she mumbled as she continued to look over his work.

He chuckled lightly. “Thank you. It’s... taken me a very long time to get his far.”

“I couldn’t draw like this to save my life. But...” she ran her fingers over a drawing of a bleeding heart. “I used to paint watercolors... a very long time ago.”

“Really now? Since when are witchers taught the fine arts?” he asked genuinely surprised.

“... Before... I became a witcher... I was the daughter of a merchant. My father was rather wealthy; I was taught many things befit a proper lady... like painting.” Evangeline sighed, moving on to another drawing in his book.

“You were a merchant’s daughter, I never would have guessed that. What... If I may ask, happened for you to want to become a witcher?”

“That... is a very long story.” she sighed leaning back against the fallen tree with him.

“I don’t' have any place to be.” he shrugged.

She sighed and glanced up at him. He gave her a soft smile of encouragement; something she was discovering was very endearing about him. “Well, this story begins a long time ago, longer than I care to admit, actually.” she sighed again. “When I was sixteen my mother passed away. My father had a hard time coping with her death. So, we decided to travel for a while; go to some distant lands and bring back wonderous things to sell. So, we did, only on our return journey our caravan contracted a mysterious illness. One by one our party fell ill and died... My father and I were the only ones to survive. We were traveling thought the upper range of the blue mountains... Winter came early that year. We wandered thought the wilderness for weeks, abandoning our possessions and treasures along the way. Meanwhile, my father contracted the illness... Finally, we came across a small path. It was hard to track but I managed it somehow; it led to the Witcher keep, Kaer Morhen.”

She sighed again and brushed hair from her face. She felt his gaze on her, so she avoided him staring down at the pages of his herberia instead of making eye contact.

“That's when I met the Witchers: Geralt and Vesemir; I'm sure you’ve heard tale of them. They were kind enough to help me with my father... They convinced the others to take us in. My father got worse though, there was nothing to do. He didn’t last the first week... I was alone, the only woman in a strong hold of about a hundred men. The elders wanted to toss me out, but Vesemir convinced them to let me stay until spring when they could escort me to Novigrad. So, I pitched in to earn my keep; cooked cleaned, did the laundry... It kept me busy but... I couldn’t resist the library.” she smiled at the memory. “I read a lot. Vesemir brought me new books often. I kept to myself, but still managed to draw the attention of some...” she sighed and shrugged. She felt Regis’ eyes boring into her, she grimaced and kept ignoring him, not wanting him to see her face as she spoke the rest of her tale.

“He tried to force himself on me, luckily for me though, Geralt was paying attention as well. He saved me. And offered to teach me how to defend myself. The next few months I learned all I could. I trained with Geralt as often as we could.” She chuckled before continuing. “He said I had a natural aptitude...” she swallowed hard before recommencing her story. “And he taught me fighting techniques only witchers use. One day, while training by the lake, we were attacked by a kraken. I... My body was broken.” She looked down at the palms of her hands and flexed them as she sighed. “Luckily, again, we were being watched. Vesemir and some of the trainees counter attacked and Geralt swam out and killed the creature; a few were injured in the battle, but … I was dying. Geralt and Vesemir decided they would put me through the trials of the grasses in an attempt to save my life. The Elders refused, but somehow Geralt convinced them, he’s rather good at that I suppose.” she laughed with a crooked grin. “He told them it’s what I would have wanted and they gave in. Surprisingly it worked. I lived, it affected me slightly different that the others.” she twirled her hair in her fingers as she spoke. “And... that's how I became... this.” she shrugged with a sigh.

Regis wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him. “I had no idea you’d been through so much, Dear. You’re certainly the strongest woman I've her had the pleasure to have known... Thank you for sharing your life with me. I... I’ve a newfound respect for you.”

She shook her head against his chest. “Doesn’t change anything. Still me.”

“Well, yes, but most people couldn’t even imagine going thought what you have. Let alone live through it. And, well, you��re one of the most famous witchers of our time. I’d day you adapted well.”

“I had to... I’ll admit it was hard at first... I had issues accepting the changes to my body... and lifestyle, but I was thankful to even be alive... I had to be.”

Regis nodded and continued to hold her, running his hand through her hair. She let him. It was nice to have someone who wanted to listen to her; someone who held her as though they cared.

“I think the hardest thing... Is growing older and knowing what all I missed out on... A family... Never being able to bare a child still hurts... Even after all the training and mutations... It's still a base instinct, want, need for a woman... Something that even witcher life couldn’t take away.”

He kissed the top of her head. “I know it's not the same... But you could always settle down and adopt. There's plenty of orphans in need of loving families after the war.”

Evangeline shook her head and sat upright. “Who would want a barren wife? Let alone a monster slayer... a murderer... for a wife?” she scoffed. “No, that'll never happen.” she muttered trying to stand up only to be pulled back down by Regis.

“You might be surprised by what some men want, what some are open to, what some are willing understand and look past...” he said gazing into her eyes.

“Or men who feign those emotions and intentions only to use me as their mistress, because I can’t bare a child. I’ve been down that path before. I’m done trying to be normal Regis. Witchers aren’t meant to have families.” she said a bit harsher than she meant, pushing him away and rising to her feet.

“That’s not true. Geralt has his family, surely you’ve heard of Ciri and Yennifer.”

She paused a moment. “Yes, I’ve heard of Geralt’s love of the sorceress Yennifer and their adoptive daughter, Crillia. Geralt’s situation is... unique. Beside women find witchers attractive; they’re mysterious and women can’t become pregnant from them. It’s the exact opposite of my situation. Men fear me. They fear those stronger than themselves, while most women welcome witchers to their beds... I’ve yet to find a man with similar intentions, normally they shun me, run me out as soon as the job’s done.”

“I assure you-”

“I don’t want to talk about it anymore, Regis. I shouldn’t have said anything to begin with.” she growled sliding into her bedroll, her back to him. “This is why I don’t keep company.”

“But Eva-”

“Just drop it, Regis. Go to sleep, we still have a long journey ahead.” she sighed, angry with him for pressing the topic and angry with herself for even opening up to him.

“You can go on to sleep...” he said flatly. “I’m going for a stroll. You’re welcome to join me if you wish.” he stated as he walked away into the woods. Evangeline grunted and pulled the blanket up further around her shoulders.

“Suit yourself.” she grumbled. He shook his head and ran a hand though the hair at the base of his neck.

“Why do witchers have to be so damn stubborn?” he thought out loud as he disappeared into the darkness of the forest. Eva tossed and turned cursing herself for opening up to him, then for being so harsh with him. She ground her teeth. The cold earth beneath her penetrated her body as she forced herself to lay there trying her best to calm herself. She adjusted herself, moving some missed twigs out from under her and settled back down. Some time went by as she waited for his return, internally hoping he would come back sooner rather than later, hoping that he wouldn’t stay cross with her.

“Damnit.” she muttered climbing out of her bedroll. “I won't be able to sleep until I apologize to him. She muttered as she grabbed her swords and followed his tracks into the woods. She traveled about half a mile before she spotted him in a small clearing. He sat on a large tree trunk looking up into the night sky.

“I wondered how long it would take you.” he said not taking his eyes off the starry sky. He motioned for her to sit beside him. She smiled slightly and sighed before taking the vacant space beside him. “Sometimes I forget how lovely my surroundings can be. It’s beneficial to get a new perspective at times.”

Evangeline nodded and gazed up at the stars with her companion. The sky was pitch black but littered with millions of little white, blue and red tinted specks. She didn’t remember the last time she had stopped to take in the beauty of the constellations. She felt at ease beside him; her anger having subsided she accepted the simple happiness of just sharing this experience with him.

“Eva... I’m quite sorry for earlier. I didn't mean to upset you.” he muttered, turning to face her, breaking the silence between them.

She shook her head. “You have nothing to apologize for Regis. I’m the one who should be asking for your forgiveness. I over reacted.”

He smiled softly down at her and wrapped his arm around her pulling her to his side again. “I shouldn’t have pushed the subject. I... I understand why you feel how you do... I’m not exactly welcome by most people either. It took you a while to warm up to me as well.”

“I’m sorry Regis. I’ve been an inconsiderate ass.” she said pulling away to look him in the eye as she apologized.

“I think we both are equally guilty. Call it even?” he asked. She nodded her head and allowed him to pull her to his chest again. She closed her eyes and savored the moment. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had been so kind to her. They sat there in silence simply enjoying one another’s company. Slowly he slipped his hand down to rest on her hip, she welcomed it.

“Regis?”

“Hmm?” he hummed lazily as his head rested atop hers.

“Do you... Nevermind.”

“No, do I what?” he asked pulling back to look her in the face.

“I... I don’t know... Am I...” she shook her head and looked away suddenly afraid to ask her question; afraid of what his answer might be.

“I see.” he sighed pulling her back to him. He kissed the top of her head. “You don’t scare me.” he chuckled. “I think you're perfect the way you are. Don’t let any man make you feel otherwise.”

She closed her eyes and nodded. She took in his herby scent and hugged him. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it Dear.” he mumbled into her hair, as he ran his fingers through her long locks. They sat there in one another's arms for what felt like an eternity to Evangeline. She didn’t want to move from him, she wanted to stay wrapped in his strong arms entranced by his delightful scent until she fell asleep.

“Come on.” he sighed stretching his arms above his head. “We’d best get a little sleep.” he said pulling her to her feet and walking back towards their camp. “Thank you for being open with me, about your life.” he said slipping his arm around her waist with a smirk and resting his head against hers. “Perhaps tomorrow I’ll tell you more about myself...”

“I’d like that.” she replied with a smile. Turning her face up to his. He caressed her cheek with his fingertips as he tucked her hair behind her ear.

“I would as well.” He leaned forward and kissed her gently on the cheek. “Goodnight Eva. Get some rest.”

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