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our-time-is-now · 1 year

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September 5, 2019: For when I miss your smell…

(previous play)

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Thursday, 5:42 pm:

David: *has made use of the good weather this morning and rode around on his bike a little again* *has found an abandoned old brewhouse and explored it a little from the outside* *but somehow didn’t want to go inside by himself and plans on coming back again with Matteo one day* *has only taken a few photos and sent them to Matteo before he continued* *has arrived back at the flatshare around noon and has gotten comfortable on the bed with his sketching stuff* *somehow has to keep thinking about the fact that this is their last evening together before the Voluntary-Year-Weekend and is already yearning for Matteo* *thinks that he also still has to pack and that they have to cook or at least eat something and that this will also take up some time* *considers if he should already start packing, but then finds that somehow stupid* *therefore tries to concentrate on sketching again and at some point, really turns on Matteo’s weird grumbling sounds* *has to grin pretty broadly at first, but then gets used to it and leaves it on in the background until Laura returns home from work shortly after 4 pm* *chats with her for a bit, but then says his goodbyes shortly after 5 because he had planned to pick up Matteo from work* *is now standing outside of Lambda and doesn’t really know if he should go inside or wait outside* *but finally pulls himself together and enters the building* *is a little relieved when he immediately runs into Savira in the entrance area, who immediately recognizes him: “Oh, hey! David, right? Are you here to pick up Matteo? I think he’s still talking about something with Kay… do you want to have a drink in the meantime? I’m on my way behind the counter, anyways…”* *smiles when she greets him so nicely and nods* Hey… yes… David is correct and yes, I was going to pick up Matteo… *laughs quietly and nods again* ...and a drink would be nice… *then follows her downstairs to the café and sits down on a stool* *gets asked: “Cola? Fanta? Water? Juice? Or something else?”* *thinks for a moment* Hmmm… Cola is good… *looks around while she prepares his cola and can see a few curious looks directed toward him* *then searches for his wallet when Savira puts the cola down in front of him and pays for it* *hears her say: “If you need something else then just tell me…”* *smiles, nods and thanks her before he takes a sip* *then briefly looks around again and suddenly feels very much aware of the fact that, for the first time in his life, he’s somewhere where being hetero isn’t the norm* *smiles at his realization and takes another sip*

Matteo: *leaves Kay’s office shortly after 6 and was planning on leaving quickly so that he’ll manage to catch the subway at quarter past* *therefore moves toward the exit when Savira comes toward him and grins: “The café’s in the other direction…”* *looks at her in confusion* Café? I’m off work now… *sees her smile again and hears her say: “If I were you, I’d still go have a look… maybe you’ll run into someone…”* *grimaces* Huh? Why would I… *but then already sees her move on* *checks the time and sees that he won’t be able to catch the subway, anyways* *turns around to go to the café* *then immediately sees David sitting on a stool by the counter and beams* *sees that he also noticed him and quickly walks toward him* Hey… *kisses him quickly* What are you doing here? I was already almost outside when Savira told me to go to the café…

David: *has almost finished his cola when Savira addresses him again and says: “I’ll go look where Matteo is - not that you guys miss each other… I have to go see Kay anyways. Have a nice evening, you two!”* *smiles at her gratefully* Yes, great… thanks! And a nice evening to you, too! *sees her smile as well: “Why don’t you come over more often - we never really get to know each other when you’re about to leave again…”* *laughs quietly and nods* True! I will! Bye! *sees her disappear and empties his glass* *then looks around again curiously and beams immediately when he finally sees Matteo coming toward him* Hey… *returns his kiss and loosely puts his arm on his waist* *grins slightly* Yes, Savira thinks ahead… good thing she was here… otherwise I think I might have felt a little lost, after all… *then tilts his head a little and shrugs one shoulder* I thought I’d pick you up? Is that okay? So that we have 30 more minutes together this evening… and… I thought that we maybe could get something to eat on our way back… then we won’t waste so much time with cooking tonight… *pulls him a little closer and tenderly kisses him again* *but then interrupts the kiss pretty quickly because he doesn’t know if that’s okay here… at Matteo’s workplace*

Matteo: *grins when he says that Savira thinks ahead* *nods immediately when he asks if that’s okay* Of course that’s okay… I’m happy… *nods again* Yes, I wanted to suggest that we order something… at first I thought I’d get something on the way, but then I figured that it would take away some valuable time… *grins a little cheekily* *gets kissed again and smiles slightly* Okay, let’s go… let’s get home quickly where we can make out uninterrupted… *carefully pulls him off the stool*

David: *smiles when Matteo says that he’s happy* *then nods* Sure, ordering also sounds good… *grins when he looks so cheeky* That definitely saves some valuable time… you still have to pack… *then lets him pull him off the chair and out of the corner of his eyes sees that some of the teenagers are looking over at them* Today I’m definitely veeery much in favor of being uninterrupted! *reaches for Matteo’s hand a little pointedly because he thinks that they can definitely know that Matteo is taken - if they didn’t already see them kissing, anyways* *grins slightly when they are walking toward the exit and quietly says to Matteo* I think you’ll have to answer a few questions on Monday… they’re all looking…

Matteo: *laughs slightly* Oh, packing… I’ll just throw a few things into the backpack… *grins slightly when he’s also in favor of being uninterrupted* *is a little surprised at how pointedly David reaches for his hand* *but then also sees the others looking and only grins* *laughs slightly at his words* I can live with that… they’re all just jealous that I managed to snatch such a hot boyfriend… *then manages to get out with him and to the subway and they arrive home half an hour later* *drops down onto the bed and looks at David* Okay… so let’s order food… and while we wait, I’ll pack and then we won’t leave the bed again. Deal?

David: *has immediately given Matteo the secretary’s-office-look, of course, when he mentioned the thing with the hot boyfriend, but has then left Lambda with him* *grins slightly when they arrive at home and when Matteo immediately drops down onto the bed* *nods and reaches for Matteo’s laptop* Okay… you’ll order… I’ll take off the binder… then you’ll pack… and then bed… *already draws the curtains in their room and was just about to close the door when Hans walks through the living room and shakes his head in disapproval: “Are you locking us out again?”* *laughs quietly* Again!? You act like we’d do that all the time… *hears Hans say seriously: “Because you do!”* *shakes his head* Only today… last night before our separation… Matteo is going on that seminar tomorrow… so… *grins slightly* Have a nice evening, Hans… *then closes the door and from the other side of the door hears a loud: “Matteo and David have to separate for two days and the world is ending - how horrible! But I promise to not disturb tonight… have fun, my butterflies! And don’t fly too high… and too far… and besides! And if you need anything… you know where you can find me…”* *sighs quietly and frowns slightly because he just noticed that the key to their room is still missing* *stands with his back toward the door in case someone suddenly comes in and takes off his shirt* *says to Matteo in the meantime* I bet tomorrow night he’ll sit here trying to cheer me up and then he’ll complain himself that he misses you… *takes off his binder and quickly puts the shirt back on again before he throws himself onto the bed joining Matteo*

Matteo: *nods at David’s plan and grabs the laptop* *boots it and watches David in the meantime* *grins when he hears Hans and grins even more at his theatrical speech* *then sees that the laptop has booted and goes to the delivery-service page* *grins slightly at David’s words* Probably… but that’s not bad, he’s actually good at consoling people… *watches him and sees that he’s standing in front of the door weirdly* What’s up? *but then already sees him coming back and turns the laptop toward him* What do you feel like? Italian? Döner? Burger? Asian?

David: *frowns slightly when Matteo says that Hans is good at consoling people* *grumbles skeptically because he’s not even sure yet if he even wants to get consoled by anyone* I’ll see if I’ll let anyone get close or if I’ll rather hide under the covers all weekend… *laughs quietly* ...although… the way I know him, he’d probably join me under the covers… *then looks a little confused for a moment when Matteo asks what’s up, but then realizes what he means* Oh… the key is still gone… *but then really joins him on the bed and puts his chin down on his shoulder from behind so that he can also look at the laptop* Hmmm… nothing really special… Asian might be good again… sweet-and-sour duck or something… *grins slightly* ...and baked banana for dessert! *slightly turns his head and kisses Matteo’s neck* Or would you like something else?

Matteo: *smiles lovingly when he says that he’d rather hole himself up and briefly runs his hand over his leg* *frowns when he says that the key is still missing* Someone must have stolen it… I didn’t move it… *then nods when he says Asian* Yep, sounds good… *clicks at a few things, let’s David give him the okay for the order and then sends it* Okay, half an hour… *gets up* I’ll go pack, then…

David: *shrugs at his words about the key* It was already missing last week… *grins slightly* Maybe Hans has stolen it so that we can’t hide ourselves away… *isn’t serious about it* *then nods happily when Matteo shows him the order and kisses his neck again when he sends it off* Thanks… *grimaces slightly when he gets up, but doesn’t say anything because he knows that he really has to pack and that it’s more sensible, of course, to do it now* *still feels a small lump in his throat when Matteo pulls his backpack out and starts* *swallows and then clears his throat* *then just talks so that he won’t have to think about the departure* This old brewery… maybe we’ll even manage next week to go inside… who knows what the weather will be like when I’m fit again to climb into abandoned buildings again. Well, the photos on the internet looked pretty nice… and the property is also pretty cool… and I also already found a spot where you can go inside… almost all the windows are broken… and one is right above a wall and you can pretty easily climb onto the wall with a bit of a running start… I could pick you up from work sometime… maybe even on Wednesday. You get off early that day…

Matteo: *shakes his head* Hans wouldn’t dare that… *grins slightly* Maybe you can look for the key over the weekend… to kill the time… *then goes to the wardrobe and pulls his backpack out* *randomly throws a few boxers and two pairs of socks inside* *listens to David while he talks and in the meantime also jams another pair of jeans and two t-shirts into the backpack* *then pulls out one of David’s hoodie-jackets and packs that, as well* *then turns around to him* But that definitely sounds pretty cool… but how about Tuesday? That’s the 10th… would be a nice way to celebrate, wouldn’t it?

David: *also grins slightly at at Matteo’s suggestion* True! It might be a better way to kill the time than hiding under the blankets… *watches him pack while he tells him about the brewery and sees Matteo pack one of his hoodies* *smiles slightly because he finds it somehow nice that he wants to take something of him with him* *then looks at him when he turns around to him and glances at the calendar behind him when he hears his words* *beams and nods* Right - it’s already that time again! Sick… four months… yes, then let’s definitely do that on Tuesday! On Wednesday we’re already meeting your mother, anyways, I just noticed…

Matteo: *nods when David agrees to the date* Yes, you see, that fits… and really? We are? *looks at the calendar* Oh yes, we’re going to her Christian group with her… that sounds like fun… *looks into the backpack and sees that there’s still space left* *thinks that he still has to pack his bathroom stuff tomorrow, anyways* *still considers packing another hoodie, but then leaves it at that* *then turns around again* Tada! All packed! I’ll do the bathroom stuff tomorrow! *then lets himself drop onto the bed* That didn’t even take 10 minutes… *then glances at the armchair and sees that David’s hoodie, the one he wore yesterday and the day before that, is still lying there* *would also like to pack that, but doesn't know if that’s weird* *but then thinks with a grin that David knows that he’s weird and gets up again* *goes to the armchair and grabs the hoodie* I’ll take that with me, okay? For when I miss your smell…

David: *grins when Matteo says that this sounds like fun at the Christian group* Oh come on… she has a lot of fun and is surely totally proud if she can showcase you… I’m sure it’ll be nice. *then hears that he’s done and smiles* *pats the space next to him* What are you standing around there for, Florenzi!? *grins and kisses him on the cheek when he drops down next to him and emphasizes* I’m veeery proud of you for packing /by yourself/… and I hope that you didn’t forget anything… *then has to think about how the packing for Heidesee and Italy went and that Matteo kept talking his way out of it by claiming that he was a lot better at packing* *then sees him get up again and thinks that he might have forgot something, after all* *looks a little confused when he reaches for his hoodie, but smiles veeeery broadly at his words and nods immediately* Of course that’s okay… *sees him pack the hoodie in the backpack and then says* Then I want to keep your sleep shirt here! I also need something to sniff on!

Matteo: *gives him the secretary’s-office-look* It’s only one weekend… *smiles slightly at his demand* Okay… hang on, then I’ll need another one… *pulls an old shirt out of the wardrobe and also jams it in the backpack* Shit, do you think I need writing stuff or something like that? *pulls his phone from his pocket* I’ll ask Hanna… *types a quick message for her and then goes back to the bed* *drops down on it belly-first and pulls David down with him* *then leans a little over him* And now we’ll make out until the food arrives?

David: *smiles when Matteo agrees that he leaves his sleep shirt here and nods at his words about writing stuff* You’d better, right? *but then nods when he says that he’ll ask Hanna and asks* Will Jonas also take Hanna to the bus stop tomorrow? *then laughs quietly when Matteo drops down on the bed and pulls him with him* *immediately wraps his arms around him so that he doesn’t get the idea to move away from him again and grins and nods when he hears his question* Let’s make out until the food arrives! *leans a little toward him and lets his hand slip into his hair to pull him down to him* *kisses him long and tenderly*

Matteo: *nods* Yep, as far as I’m aware of… *then gets a kiss and kisses back and enjoys and enjoys it* *runs his hand through his hair when they pull apart once to gasp for air and then kisses him again* *then eventually hears the doorbell and sighs into the kiss* *but then pulls away again* I’ll go… *gets up with a grumble, grabs his wallet and goes to the door to get the food* *then returns to the room with the food, cutlery and kitchen roll* Let’s eat on the bed?

David: *enjoys being close to Matteo and even manages to sometimes almost forget about the fact that this is their last night before the separation* *has pulled him closer at some point, so that he is now almost lying on top of him and barely notices that the doorbell rang* *also sighs quietly and then murmurs a “thanks” when he says that he’ll go* *stays lying down on the bed when he leaves the room, but eventually sits up again* *sighs again quietly when he glances at the backpack and can feel a small lump in his throat again* *but then looks at Matteo and immediately smiles again when he sees that he thought of everything and also brought cutlery and kitchen roll* *laughs quietly at his question* Sure… I won’t get up again anymore today… well, okay… to brush my teeth and to pee… but apart from that… *takes the food from him so that he can sit down better and unpacks it* How much do I owe you? Or should we just order again next Thursday and then I’ll pay? *puts Matteo’s food down in front of him and reaches for his cutlery*

Matteo: *laughs slightly when he says that he won’t get up again* *puts the bag down next to him and then drops the cutlery and kitchen roll down next to it* *also crawls onto the bed and thinks once again, that David’s bed is just a lot better because it’s bigger and more comfortable* *but doesn’t say it this time* *waves it off when he asks what he owes him, even before he can finish talking* *nods* Yep, we can do it like that… *then unpacks all the food they have ordered and opens all of it* *they both share the food amongst them, anyways, and therefore he leaves it in the middle* Enjoy… *leans over again to kiss him again and then digs in*

David: *smiles when Matteo kisses him again before they eat* You, too… *then they comfortably eat together, but he gets up again in between, after all, because they don’t have anything to drink* *they really manage to eat all of it and he especially enjoys the baked bananas with honey* *afterwards, they clear all of the trash into the delivery bag and he’s pretty proud that he manages to throw the bag into the trash can next to the desk without getting up from the bed* *then also lies down onto his back and stares at the ceiling* *groans quietly* Man, I’m so full… but it was really delicious… *turns his head in Matteo’s direction and takes his hand* *entwines their fingers and lifts them to his lips to press a kiss on the back of Matteo’s hand* *then turns onto his side without letting go of his hand and looks at him* *somehow wants to remember every detail for the time in which they are separated and with his eyes, draws the lines of his face as if he wanted to sketch them* *eventually asks quietly* How do you feel?

Matteo: *claps loudly when David manages to throw the bag into the trash can* *then also lies down onto his back next to David* *laughs slightly when he groans* But it was sooo good… *then feels David’s hand in his and turns his head to him* *smiles slightly when he kisses his hand* *turns around onto his side at the same time he does and looks at him* *gets sad because he’s looking like that and because he somehow already misses him* *reaches his free arm out and runs his fingers through his hair* *sighs slightly when he asks him how he feels and says quietly* I already miss you… *swallows slightly and looks at him* And you?

David: *closes his eyes for a moment when he runs his fingers through his hair* *then immediately feels a lump in his throat at his words and nods slightly, because he feels the same* *closes his eyes again for a moment at his question and tries to swallow the lump* *grimaces slightly and then says quietly* I don’t want you to go… *opens his eyes again and adds* That’s somehow all I can think about… that I don’t want you to go… and in my head it sounds so selfish because I know that you /have/ to go and that you actually don’t want to go, either… *feels the lump growing bigger again and briefly laughs quietly and desperately* And I’m about to cry, even though I know that it’s actually ooonly three days and that we’ll see each other again soon, but… *exhales briefly, shakes his head and stops* *instead scoots closer to him and wraps his arm around him*

Matteo: *swallows hard when he hears that David doesn’t want him to go* *would like to tell him that he doesn’t want to, either, but can’t talk right now* *feels the lump in his throat and swallows harder* *immediately scoots closer to him when he says that he’s about to cry* *wraps his arms around him and kisses him tenderly* *swallows again and then says with a slightly broken voice* Actually, it’s only two and a half days… *knows that this doesn’t help* *but doesn’t know what else he could say, either* *pulls him even closer and kisses him again* *leaves his face close to his and says quietly* We’ll just enjoy the evening now, okay? Only you and I… and the best bed in the world… and nothing else, okay?

David: *gets kissed and closes his eyes again* *sighs quietly when he says that it’s only two and a half days and grumbles* That’s also super long… *scoots closer to him and hugs him tighter* *returns his kiss and thinks that he doesn’t really want to think about those 2.5 days… that he only wants them to pass quickly* *looks at him when they pull away from the kiss, swallows this stupid lump down again, and nods at his words* *then even has to grin slightly* Good that your bed can’t hear that… it would be super sad if it could… *tenderly kisses him again and then murmurs against his lips* Maybe we should switch beds when I move out again… *feels that it’s easier to talk about beds than their impending separation*

Matteo: *swallows slightly when he talks about the bed* *but thinks it’s good, because that’s easier* I talked about this with my bed, it’s completely okay with being the world's’ second-best bed… *then gets a kiss and kisses him again* *slightly shakes his head at his words* That’s a really long time until then… luckily… *smiles slightly and kisses him again and again* *runs his hand over David’s back and then slips it back into his hair*

David: *looks at Matteo skeptically when he says that he talked about it with his bed* You’re only saying that so that no one feels bad… every bed would like to be the best bed… *lightly runs his hand over his back while they kiss* *then smiles at his words and feels his heart do a little jump because apparently, Matteo doesn’t really want to think about the fact that he’ll have to move out again in 3 months, either* *humms in agreement and repeats* Luckily… *kisses him again several times and then just lies close to him and looks at him for a while* *runs his fingers over his cheek and through his hair* *can feel that the lump is back again after some time, because he’s thinking about tomorrow, and forces himself to think about Sunday when they’ll see each other again* *eventually says quietly* If the weather's still so nice on Sunday, then we could go have some ice cream after I pick you up from the bus stop…

Matteo: *smiles slightly when they are lying next to each other and David strokes him* *also tenderly runs his fingers through David’s hair* *nods slightly at his suggestion* Ice cream sounds good… and then we’ll go home to our bed… *grins slightly and kisses him again* And then I’ll cook for you…

David: *smiles slightly when Matteo agrees to his suggestion and then grins slightly when Matteo then mentions the bed again* The more and the longer we’re separated, the lazier we get because we constantly have to refuel our yearning-batteries in bed… *sits up a little for a moment but only to push his arm under Matteo’s neck again and to pull him closer again* *briefly kisses his forehead when he says that he’ll cook for him and humms in agreement* Then I’ll go shopping on Saturday for it… will you write me a list?

Matteo: *laughs slightly* So what? That’s the best place to recharge your batteries… *smiles immediately when David pushes his arm under his neck* *scoots even closer and puts his head down on his shoulder* I’ll send you a list once I decided what I’ll cook… or if you’ll tell me what you feel like eating…

David: *nods and grins and humms in agreement* True… *strokes over his shoulder a little absentmindedly and says quietly* I like everything you cook… you can surprise me… or I’ll have to guess by the list what you’ll cook and if I guess it right, then I’ll get dessert afterwards… *then hears a knock on the door and Laura’s voice: “May I wish the in-law fun on his seminar or would that interrupt the privacy!?”* *groans quietly but is actually still glad that it’s “only” Laura, who probably won’t interrupt them for long*

Matteo: *looks up at him and grins a little wickedly* There will be dessert no matter what… *winks at him with a grin* But yes, okay, we can do it like that… *then also hears the knock and doesn’t really want to see anyone right now* *but has to grin automatically when Laura calls him in-law* *still sighs slightly* *says a little louder* We’ll make an exception… come in… *sits up a little when the door opens and Laura comes in* Hey…

David: *laughs quietly when Matteo winks at him, but doesn’t get the chance to answer because of the knock* *sits up when Matteo tells Laura to come in and automatically tugs his shirt a little more loose* *regards Laura not exactly happily and gets a secretary’s-office-look from her first thing: “Don’t look like that… I’ll be gone again in a second… I really just wanted to say goodbye… I have the early shift tomorrow and have to be at the daycare at 7 - I suppose you’ll still be asleep then…”* *nods and murmurs* Very likely… *sees Laura nod: “I figured…” and hears her ask Matteo: “And when will you get back on Sunday? Just so I know when my brother will be bearable again…”* *gives her the secretary’s-office-look in return but realizes at the same time that the lump in his throat is back* *swallows it down angrily because he doesn't want to be weak in front of Laura of all people if she wants to tease him right now, anyways*

Matteo: *laughs slightly when David doesn’t exactly look thrilled and she says that she’ll be gone again in a second* Umm… we’ll go back after lunch… so sometime in the afternoon… *then tilts his head a little* And David is always bearable… *hears Laura laugh: “Yes, when you’re there…”* *shakes his head but can’t suppress a grin* *then sees Laura open the door again: “Okay, consider yourself hugged… no, no, don’t get up… and see you on Sunday…”* *waves after her again and sees her disappear again* *then looks at David* Wow, lately the two of you are really… umm… very siblinglike, huh?

David: *briefly smiles gratefully at Matteo when he says that he’s always bearable, but then hears Laura’s comment, swallows against the lump and then says with a really only slightly husky voice* Since Matteo is there most of the time, I have no idea why you’d assume I was unbearable otherwise… don’t worry… I’ll hole up in here and you won’t notice any of my unbearableness… *sees Laura roll her eyes and hears her murmur something along the lines of him being sensitive, but then hears her say her goodbyes to Matteo and finally sees her leave the room* *lies back down onto the bed and looks at Matteo* *shrugs one shoulder at his words* No clue what’s going on with her… since we got notice that we had to move out she’s sometimes so… *slightly shakes his head* ...such a mixture of siblinglike and motherly… whatever… *reaches his arms out for him again*

Matteo: *looks at him a little skeptically when he talks about Laura* *lies back down with him into the same position they were in before* *asks carefully* But you’re also more annoyed about it than usual, aren’t you? *looks up at him*

David: *wraps his arms around him when he lies down again and presses a kiss to his forehead* *then grimaces at his question and sighs quietly* I don’t know… not so much the thing with being siblinglike… I know that from the past. We constantly teased or insulted each other or something like that, but it also passed again very quickly and we made up and were back to normal… her being motherly annoys me more… because that’s new and… because I somehow also don’t understand why she is like that lately… *looks down at him and smiles slightly* But we won’t seriously talk about the currently screwed up relationship between Laura and me on our last night before you leave, right? *frowns slightly in amusement*

Matteo: *hummms slightly at his answer* Okay, I understand that… *also thinks that Laura is keeping a closer eye on David, but wouldn’t necessarily have called it motherly* *but bites back on commenting on it* *then smiles at his question and shakes his head* No, you’re right… we won’t… *lifts his head and kisses him* Let’s better talk about the marvelous relationship between the two of us… *kisses him again more tenderly* ...but maybe not with words…

David: *grins and exhales in relief when Matteo agrees to not talk about Laura and him right now* Phew, thank God… *smiles when he gets a kiss and smiles even more when he hears his suggestion* *humms in agreement and murmurs against his lips* Sounds much better… *then slightly grins into the next kiss and murmurs again* Sounds a lot better… *then doesn’t talk anymore and instead turns more toward him and pulls him closer while they keep kissing tenderly* *tenderly runs his hand over his back and almost automatically slips his hand under Matteo’s shirt at some point*

(next play)

#druck #druck og #matteo florenzi #david schreibner #davenzi #davenzi plays

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squadron-goals · 9 months

Text

A love affair

2.4.16

Went through the trench with Sievers when a ball mine fell on the parapet next to us and exploded, throwing dirt at us. I had 5 new rifle grenades sent over, 3 of which failed to explode because we hadn't screwed in the propellant plate. In the gardens I found a pelvic bone with scraps of French red cloth still stuck to it. You gradually acquire anatomical knowledge here. From the 14th I´ll be sent to Croisilles for the officer training course. The course, in which we are to be taught the advanced knowledge of the craft, lasts two months. I don't like this interruption at all; You just console yourself with the fact that there are many good things to learn (horse riding, court system, etc.) and with the amenities of behind the front. It's a pity that this war with rifle grenades and small mines can no longer be fought, it is really interesting and exciting.

15.4.16

Yesterday we arrived in Croisilles, I moved into a very comfortable place with Lieutenant Reinhard. There are about 24 officers on the course here, including Stahlbock and a Lieutenant Löwen.

17.4.16

Went to visit my old friend Jeanne in Quéant yesterday. As I walked across the street, she came running over, beaming from ear to ear. Afterwards she told me some not-so-nice things. At 10 o'clock in the evening I went back to Croisilles. She had made coffee and it was only with difficulty that she restrained herself from giving me a few more eggs, "since I had become too emaciated in the trenches." She begged me to come back the next Sunday. Jeanne reminds me of the heroine in Sudermann's Katzensteg, but can't a pessimist like me be convinced of better impulses?

20.4.16

Today an orderly came: "Herr Lieutenant is to report to Herr Major at 6:45 in his dress uniform." When I arrived, not suspecting anything good, the major opened a small blue package and put something in my hand: "His Majesty has awarded you the Iron Cross, congratulations!" So finally, where the anniversary of Les Esparges will soon come. Although I haven't accomplished anything obvious that would prove my courage, even if I don't have all the bravado I had in the beginning, I have certainly gained in cold-bloodedness and daring and hopefully I'll soon have the opportunity to show that I'm worthy to wear the black and white ribbon. In the evening it was again, as is so often the case here, very lively that almost the entire furnishings of the casino fell victim to this liveliness.

30.4.16

In the evening I was at Jeanne's in Quéant and was warmly greeted. She told me about the first days of the war of movement.

14.5.16

Lieutenant Schulz, who arrived wounded yesterday, had his leg amputated today. In the evening I'm in Quéant with Jeanne. As I stepped out of the house at 0:30, a flashlight flashed in front of me and shone straight into my face. I immediately asked who was doing it and received the laconic answer: "Gendarme." I went to the field gendarme, who held out a metal sign with the number 41 in front of me and demanded my pay book. When I said I didn't have it, he said: "Then I have to keep Herr Lieutenant here." Holy shit, sacrament, that's ridiculous. Nothing to do. Finally the redeeming thought came to me. I knew the leader of the bakery column, Lieutenant Schoppard, old Filou. So we broke into the castle and met Schoppard in his nightgown on the swelling pillows. Thank God he recognized me and so I escaped the threat of arrest and its consequences, which would have been as fatal as they were ridiculous. The gendarme also told me that a sergeant at the train station had reported me as a suspect and since I wasn't wearing any armpit pieces with a number on my coat, the suspicion increased. A gendarme was guarding the train station, another was roaming the city, and so I, an unsuspecting man, was caught. However, the good thing was that the gendarme ruefully gave me his bike, which I then rode back, half angry, half laughing, via Lagnicourt, Noreuil, Ecoust. The thing didn't even have a brake, so you had to take the sharpest corners at terrible speed in the dark.

21.5.16

Today I wanted to visit Jeanne. In Quéant there was so much activity in front of the church that I wasn't able to knock until 11:30, as my last adventure was still fresh in my mind. Strangely, I heard whispers, then immediately there was a loud voice: "C'est un jeune officier" and it was opened by two figures wearing nightgowns. It was Jeanne's 17-year-old sister and a friend. They told me a strange story inside. Jeanne was supposed to have been detained for two days because the gendarme had seen the light in her room the last time I was there. At the same time, the local commander, Lieutenant Schoppard, was said to have reproached Jeanne out of jealousy. Schoppard is said to have said that I had been arrested for two days for violating my vacation. The commander wanted to force Jeanne to undergo a medical examination because of my visit, to which Jeanne, as she writes, responded with a "non radical". However, she had to give in and was arrested for two days. I was really tired and angry, so I just went to sleep in the big bed, but we joked around so much that I didn't get a wink of sleep the whole night. In the morning I walked the 8 km back to Croisilles via Boullecourt and was just in time to have a coffee and then take a tour of the Recruit Depot 76. Despite the lack of sleep, I was mentally and physically very elastic and in a good mood.

#ernst jünger

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featheringmyemptynest · 9 months

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Office With A View

If you have to sit on hold, listening to benign elevator music, waiting to talk to the insurance company, you might as well be looking at the ocean.

This was my thought as I took my bike ride on the beach path this morning. It was one of those absolutely gorgeous, perfect beach day mornings that personify Southern California. Say what you will about the traffic, earthquakes, fires, whatever you want to come up with to hate on California. But if you want perpetually perfect beach days with no humidity, this is it.

As I looked out at the sparkling water, perfectly blue skies, lazy rolling waves, and miles of mostly empty sand, I thought, as I’ve thought too many times to count, “Why don’t we go to the beach more often?” Whenever we do, we always say, “We need to do this every week.” Here we are, less than 2 miles to one of the most famous beaches in the world, and while we ride down almost every other day on our bikes, we don’t spend that much time sitting in the sand, enjoying the spectacular beauty.

Why is that? People live near amazing natural wonders all over the country, but the only time we go enjoy them is when out-of-town company comes and we want to entertain them. We are so darn busy. Who has time to just go sit and ponder the deep thoughts that come with witnessing nature. We have our earbuds in and our emails to open and our lists to check off. We had a pretty strong wake-up call during the pandemic, and many of us rediscovered nature and the beauty of a slower life. But that’s over baby, and we are back to business!

One of the best things my husband and I did when our daughters were growing up was to make a hard and fast Friday night routine. We took them to the beach for sunset and happy hour, followed by dinner out at “our place.” Every Friday. We sat and enjoyed the calm peacefulness after a busy week, and the joy of three little girls playing in the sand. And every SINGLE Friday night, an older couple would stroll by and call out to us, “Enjoy these moments- time goes too fast.”

And it does! Too fast, in fact, to let opportunities to fully enjoy each day pass by, especially since we’re now that older couple! So, as all this flew through my mind as I pedaled towards home, and I wondered why we don’t go to the beach more often, I am proud to say I made a snap decision. Today my office was going to be on the beach.

I rode home, packed a lunch, some ice tea, my computer, phone and to-do list, grabbed the beach umbrella and loaded up my trusty bike. I’m sure I looked ridiculous, with all that and a beach chair on my back, but who’s laughing now? For once, when I asked myself why don’t we enjoy the beach more often, I actually gave the right answer. Instead of sitting at home on my computer and phone, I’ve spent the most perfect afternoon at the beach. And I’ve actually gotten some work done too!So, this is me saying “Just Do It!” Not very original, but believe me, your office can be anywhere, so why not change up your routine and make it somewhere beautiful?

#beach #beachlife #oceanview #oceanoffice #whynot #youonlyliveonce #officewithaview

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mochegato · 3 years

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Even the Losers

Chapter 17

Chapter 1 Chapter 16

Marinette shook her head and tried to hide her giggles. Red Robin had to have thought he was being discrete, right? Unless he was intentionally making himself known as a way to intimidate any more rogues from trying to get to her. He was discrete enough that the average person probably wouldn’t notice him, but anyone paying attention, looking for him, would see him easily.

She waited until he was looking down at her again and waved at him. He smiled and waved back before blushing, shaking his head, and motioning for her to continue. Marinette grinned and looked back at the map on her phone. The restaurant Jason chose was around here somewhere. One of the places he just ended up at a lot, he said. Low key and cozy, exactly the kind of place she needed right now.

After that, he said he was planning on following her around for the rest of the day. He’d said it in a joking tone, but she knew there was nothing joking about his intent. He would be shadowing her for the rest of the day. He couldn’t hide the gravity behind the statement. He couldn’t mask the concerned questions, no matter how casually he tried to play them off. The insistence on seeing her apartment, make sure the view was good enough and the kitchen was stocked enough. The way he casually suggested she teach him how to make a baked good she liked.

Honestly, she was shocked he let her walk there on her own, but he said he’d be have eyes on her anyway. She looked back up at Red Robin with a smile. Clearly, he wasn’t kidding. White lensed eyes. The smile quickly morphed into a frown when she couldn’t see him. He hadn’t been hidden this whole time, so where was he now? She squeaked and whirled around into a fighting stance when she heard someone land behind her. She barely had time to put her hands down before Red Robin was standing next to her, his hand on her shoulder while he looked around, eyes sharp and calculating.

Marinette followed his lead and scanned the crowd. In lieu of knowing what she was looking for, she kept her eye out for anything that seemed out of place. Everything looked normal though. Nothing seemed suspicious. There were a few people throwing them odd looks, but nothing that seemed hostile or calculating, instead it seemed more curious and fearful of what having a vigilante dropping down in the middle of the night meant for them.

Red Robin turned back to face her. “Let’s get you somepl…” his hand went up to his ear. “Shit!”

Marinette’s eyes widened in fear. “What happened? Did someone get hurt?”

Red Robin’s eyes looked around them again and narrowed at one of the buildings. He moved his arm to her back and firmly pushed her toward the building. “Nobody is hurt.”

She looked at him doubtfully. “But…”

“There’s just an issue that needs attention, but nobody has been hurt,” he assured her, looking down briefly to meet her eyes.

Marinette nodded uncertainly, not feeling calmer with his reassurance. She couldn’t see his eyes past the white filters to gauge his sincerity, and it was unsettling. “So my friend and brother, my… the Waynes, they’re… nobody is hurt?”

Red Robin paused almost imperceptibly. If she hadn’t become used to his constant pressure on her back, she wouldn’t have noticed. He looked back down at her as they walked, the tense muscles in his face softened considerably. “They’re all safe. Your friend and brother and family. They’re all safe. I promise. I just need to go assist someone, but I don’t want to leave you alone.”

Marinette raised an eyebrow at him. “I can defend myself you know.”

Red Robin gave her a deadpan expression. She’s sure if he didn’t have a mask, he’d have his own eyebrow raised at her. “After last night, you can understand that we and your family are a bit concerned and perhaps a bit overprotective just right now.”

Marinette rolled her eyes with a sigh but didn’t fight him. “So you’re going to, what? Hide me in some abandoned office until everything blows over? That sounds safe.”

Red Robin huffed out a laugh. “Absolutely safe. That is our standard approach. I’m glad you understand how we operate.” He gave her a look she couldn’t quite decipher with his mask in the way. “No. I think your family would hunt me down if I did something so reckless with you. They’re quite protective, you know?”

Marinette opened her mouth to say something but shut it quickly. He was a stranger. There was absolutely no reason to get into her family dynamics with him. “No,” he continued, oblivious to her uncertainty. “I’m going to stash you with someone we know we can trust.”

Marinette looked up at him with narrowed eyes. “A babysitter.”

The corners of Red Robin’s mouth quirked up. “Well, if you’re going to whine like a baby…” he teased.

Marinette gasped dramatically. “If you want whining, I can show you whining. I grew up with the most spoiled brat in existence. I can give new meaning to the word.” Red Robin actually laughed as he opened the door to the business. “You know, I’m supposed to meet my… um… br… brother,” she stuttered over the word. “Jason’s going to wonder about me.”

Red Robin cringed slightly. “You should probably text him. It isn’t a good idea for you to go out until this is resolved.” Marinette nodded and shot a text off to Jason letting him know she was okay and Red Robin was putting her somewhere safe for a bit.

They heard movement from the building, finally drawing Marinette’s attention to the business they had gone into. “Can I help… T… Red Robin? Marinette?” Roy asked pushing out from behind a motorcycle with its transmission in his hands.

“Hey, I was hoping you could watch Marinette while I take care of something. You’re a friend with the Waynes right?” Red Robin asked pointedly.

Roy stared at him for a few seconds before realization set in. “Yeah. Yeah, we’re like fam…” he looked over to Marinette, “well, not family family. But, uh, yeah.”

Red Robin cocked his head to the side and pursed his lips. “No, I’m pretty sure you are con…” he was cut off by something in his com. He paused for a moment to listen before turning back to Roy with what Marinette was pretty sure was supposed to be a glare. “I’m trusting you,” he growled. “There’s some madness going on.”

Roy’s face turned serious and he gave him a determined nod. “I’ll protect her. Go.”

Red Robin looked between them for a second then nodded and took off. Roy and Marinette watched him leave for a second before turning back to each other. Marinette gave him a shy smile. “Hi,” she waved sheepishly. “Sorry to just drop in on you like this.”

Roy gave her a welcoming smile and motioned to the garage bay. “Not at all. I guess you’re just visiting sooner than we anticipated. Can’t say I’m upset at all.” He moved some parts off of a stool and motioned toward it for her to sit. “I should say sorry that you have to hunker down here. You definitely look like you were going somewhere a bit nicer.”

Marinette looked down at her outfit analytically, a blood red, long-sleeved blouse, black skinny jeans, and black heeled boots. She’d wanted to wear ladybug colors after the previous night in the Riddler’s facility and the Wayne dining room. Ladybug colors always reminded her of the strongest, most resilient parts of herself. She looked back up at him, her eyes catching on the coat rack behind him. “Excuse you. All I need is that jacked over there and I’d fit right in. In fact, I’d match your baby.”

Roy looked to where she was looking, seeing his black leather jacket hanging up. He blushed slightly at the idea of her wearing his jacket. He could picture it on her, the jacket hanging loosely off of her significantly smaller frame, her clinging to him as they rode on his bike… He looked back at her with a soft look. “And you would still be too classy to be here.”

Marinette pouted at him. “You say that like I don’t fit in.” She didn’t want to say the ‘with you’ that was running through her head. Did he think she wouldn’t fit with him? “I can fit. I can even be helpful.”

Roy shook his head. “No, not at all just…” He motioned to his own clothes, an old tee, stained jeans, and a backwards ball cap that was just as stained with grease as his jeans, and then motioned to her.

Marinette looked between the two of them and grinned. “You underestimate my ability to get dirty. Give me a few minutes and I’ll be as dirty as you.”

Roy’s eyes snapped to the wrench in his hand. Based on the complete lack of amusement or sultriness in her eyes, she did not at all realize what she just said. He took a few seconds, it may have been minutes, to calm his heart and mind. “Okay, how about you prove it?”

Marinette raised an eyebrow at him. “Prove what?”

“That you can be helpful. Roll up those sleeves and help me with this engine.” He motioned to the transmission on the workbench next to her. “I can also get you some coveralls so your outfit won’t get dirty if you prefer.” He looked back at her with an amused glint in his eyes. “They’ll be a bit big on you…” Marinette narrowed her eyes at him but his eyes danced with even more amusement at her reaction. “Since you’re so litt…”

“You know what…” she cut him off, standing to get in his personal space. She stared up at him, her eyes meeting his for a moment before her cheeks burst into color. She looked away and cleared her throat. After a second to recover, she motioned to the transmission as she rolled up her sleeves. “Just tell me what you’re doing and how I can help.”

Roy grinned and twirled the wrench in his hand. “Yes, ma’am.”

He leaned over the transmission and started loosening one of the nuts holding the piece together. His hand faltered for a fraction of a second when Marinette leaned next to him, close enough for him to feel her breath as she let out a sigh, close enough to feel her body heat. Close enough he could easily wrap his arms around her and pull her against him. He had to tighten his hands to keep them from reaching over.

He took a breath to focus. Now was not the time. She had just been kidnapped and people could take a bit of time to recover from something like that, especially considering the things she had said about having a breakdown. He flicked his eyes over to her trying to assess how she was doing. Her eyes were intently watching his hands as they moved around the transmission. They were sharp and her body seemed to be relaxing the longer she watched him work. If he didn’t know better, he’d never know she had been kidnapped and threatened the night before.

She looked up at him questioningly when his hands stilled as he analyzed her. He gave her a small smile and motioned toward the tool box. “Um… I need… Can you, um, get me the, um… 5/16th wrench, please?” he stuttered.

Marinette jumped up to search through the wrenches in the box. She frowned, her lip jutting out as she searched. “I don’t see it here. Is there somewhere else it could be?”

Roy’s face scrunched as he tried to remember where else he might have used it. He’d been working on the bike almost all day. He looked back at the motorcycle trying to remember what he had done with it. He was broken from his concentration by Marinette’s light giggle. He looked over to her with a raised brow.

Marinette looked away quickly, another blush on her cheeks. She followed where his line of sight had been and searched around the motorcycle, focusing her energy on her search for the wrench instead of the adorable face he made when he was concentrating and the way his nose wrinkled up in thought and his lips quirked to the side. After a minute of looking she shook her head and held her empty hands out for him to see.

“Any other ideas?” she asked as she came back over to her stool.

Roy sighed deeply and scanned the workbench. He had a backup set of wrenches, but he knew he had used that one recently. It couldn’t have gone too far. His attention was brought back to Marinette when she giggled again, her giggles turning into full blown laughter. He gave her a confused look which made her laugh louder. She reached over the workbench, almost climbing onto it to grab the wrench that was behind the transmission. She held the wrench out to him triumphantly with a smug, teasing smile on her lips.

Roy fought choking on air at the sight of her climbing onto his workbench and all the images that immediately flooded into his mind involving that particular scenario, especially in his jacket… and nothing else. He took the wrench, hoping she believed the blush he knew was on his cheek was from embarrassment rather than where his thoughts had gone. “Thanks,” he managed to mutter out.

“Anytime,” she grinned back. “See?” she motioned to herself. “Helpful.”

Roy chuckled and shook his head fondly. “Guess I’ll have to keep you around then.”

Marinette chuckled and let her focus settle back on the part he was working on. She watched his hands move effortlessly and confidently over the pieces. “Flathead screwdriver,” he asked, holding out his hand for her. She quickly grabbed one and slapped it in his hand like he was a surgeon. He looked up at her with a grin. “Thanks, nurse.”

Marinette shook her head and let her gaze pass over the garage bay. She quirked her head to the side when her eyes settled on a bow leaning up against the wall by the door. “What’s with the bow?”

Roy’s head jerked up. His eyes immediately found his bow and quiver. He looked back at her with an almost natural smile. “Oh, I just… like to shoot.”

“It’s yours?” she asked perking up.

“Yeah… I just pulled it out… recently.” His eyes flicked to the cut on her cheek quickly before returning to the transmission.

Marinette looked back at the bow. “That sounds fun. I always wanted to learn. How did you learn?”

Roy’s eyes took on a far off look and a sentimental smile spread on his lips. “My father, my adopted father.”

“Oliver?” Marinette asked, confusion clear in her voice as she tried to reconcile the sentimental smile with his description in the bar.

“Ah, so you know,” Roy said quietly, eyes suddenly in focus and pointed at the transmission.

Marinette gave him a sympathetic smile. “Sorry. Damian… he um… thought I knew,” she stuttered out. She really didn’t want to get into that conversation right now. She was sure Roy would be upset and it was just something she wanted to leave between her and Damian, not someone else. “He just mentioned it yesterday.”

Roy nodded and flicked his eyes up to her for a second, gauging her reaction, waiting for the questions. There were always questions. Questions about Oliver, questions about their relationship, questions about their money. The exact combination might change but they were always there. “Sorry for bringing it up,” she said quietly.

Roy shook his head, with a small smile. “No. It isn’t your fault. No not Oliver. It was before Oliver. My birth father died saving me from a forest fire and a man named Brave Bow adopted me. He raised me. He was a really good man. He taught me how to be a good person and how to shoot… and just about everything else I know.”

The smile on Roy’s face made Marinette smile too. “He sounds like a good father.”

Roy nodded. “He was,” he said quietly. He looked over at her hesitantly before focusing back on the piece he was working on. “How are you feeling?”

Marinette quirked her head to the side. “Feeling? Not as useful as I could be. A burden on you more than a help, if I’m being honest,” she shrugged.

Roy snorted. “Sorry, I’ll try to get you to do more of my work for me.” He sent her a smirk that got an eye roll out of her. “And I would never call you a burden. In fact, I’d fight to keep you nearby,” he added quietly, no longer meeting her eyes. He tried to focus on the transmission but he could feel her eyes on him, making it impossible to think of anything else.

After a few seconds he cleared his throat. “I mean after,” he motioned toward her face, his hand still grasping the gear he had just removed. “How are you handling it? The Riddler’s no joke.”

Marinette scoffed and picked up a wrench. She spun it in her hand as a distraction while she spoke. “He really isn’t. I didn’t find him funny at all.” Roy gave her a flat look and returned to working on the part, letting her decide to continue discussing it or not. “How did you know?” she asked quietly.

“He broadcast it to all Gotham. Everybody knows. Everybody saw you deliver the verbal smack down of the century,” he grinned at her. “It was inspiring. You were amazing.”

“I was pissed is what I was,” she grumbled. She looked away and sighed, running her hand over her face and grimacing when she accidentally touched her cut. “I forgot everyone would see that.”

She stared at the wrench as she twirled it in her hands. She knew the Waynes probably knew she was taken. She’d called Jason to let him know she was fine, but had pretended she had to go talk to the police and cut the call short. She really didn’t want to talk to them after the scene at dinner. She didn’t want to have the conversations she knew they were going to want to have. She just wanted to move on. It didn’t have anything to do with them, especially the kids. It was her past, one they had no way of knowing about and no way of helping with. There was no reason to hash through it all again.

But she hadn’t realized they would get to see the full video. She frowned at the thought. She’d said so much while she was yelling and she couldn’t remember what all she had said. It was a moment of weakness that now the entire city, possibly the world now knew about. Thankfully she was positive she didn’t mention anything about the miraculous so to anyone watching she would have looked like any other normal, non-miraculous wielding person.

And on top of it all, she wasn’t sure if she was grateful or upset that M. Wayne hadn’t reached out to see if she was alright. All of the kids had even Lucius had, but not him… or Alfred. After the way she left, he might not feel like he’s allowed to. But still… he hadn’t bothered to check on her at all.

She looked up with a weak smile. “Guess I’ve truly experienced Gotham now.”

Roy grimaced. “Sorry about that.” He watched her as she seemed to work through her feelings on the matter, going from annoyed to hurt. He returned his attention to the engine part. “I think I need to start calling you Fire Flower.”

Marinette looked up at him curiously. “Fire Flower?”

“Yeah,” he looked up briefly with a spark in his eyes. “It’s like a fire cracker, but cuter. More impressive to look at.” Marinette blushed and looked down, accidentally dropping the wrench she had been playing with. Roy grinned widely at her before focusing back on his work. “You sure you feel safe?” he asked, still focusing on the engine.

Marinette nodded. “I have Adrien and Max. We might not look like we can protect ourselves, but we’re pretty good at it.” Actually incredibly well. She was possibly the best protected person in the world right now, but he didn’t have any way of knowing that.

“I’m actually pretty surprised Adrien isn’t with you right now or Max.” He looked over at her with a raised eyebrow.

Marinette nodded. “You’re not wrong. They would be but Max just started work and couldn’t really take a day off immediately and Adrien had a job interview in Metropolis today. And this is the one he’s really excited about. I was supposed to go with him and check out Metropolis, but then I wouldn’t have had anyone with me while he was in the interview and that made them a bit too nervous. Here at least they know I have the bats following me at all times so, they were pretty confident I was safe.”

“The bats are keeping an eye on you, huh?” Roy asked with a secretive grin.

Marinette nodded. “I’m not sure if they’re trying to be subtle, but yeah. I don’t know what kind of relationship they have with the Waynes. They mentioned… the bats certainly act like they talk a lot and know each other well.”

Roy froze for a second. Well, they certainly weren’t being as discrete as they normally are, it would seem. Although after last night, he could imagine they were pretty flustered. He had been and she was just an acquaintance to him. He wanted it to be more but… that wasn’t the point. But at this rate, she was going to figure it out before they told her and he didn’t imagine that going well for them. “So you’ve caught them a few times?”

“Caught is a liberal term for it. Is it catching if they aren’t really hiding? I think Red Robin might have been trying… maybe, but Batman was on our balcony, standing vigil all night last night.”

Roy glanced over for a second. “Batman was watching over your apartment last night?”

Marinette nodded. “Markov said he was there until Red Robin took over some time around breakfast.”

Roy paused for a few seconds then tapped the screwdriver against the workbench. “And… Bruce? Did Bruce check in on you?”

Marinette looked away and licked her lips before pursing them. She twisted the wrench around a few more times, focusing entirely on that, not meeting Roy’s eyes. “No,” she finally said in a falsely calm voice. “I… I didn’t… Dinner didn’t go so well.”

Roy moved closer to her until he was close enough to reach her comfortably but still gave her space so he wasn’t crowding her. He ducked his head to try to meet her eyes. She yielded quickly and met his eyes. “He’s worried about you. I guarantee you he is. He’s just… shit at emotions and reading a room.

“If you guys fought, I promise you he isn’t less worried about you, he’s just afraid that seeing him or hearing from him will upset you more. I promise you he’s finding out everything he can about how you are from anyone that will tell him. He cares. Your fight didn’t push him away. He’s just a fucking idiot. And an asshole, so there’s like a 97% chance if you did fight, it was his fault. And he probably knows that, just not how to make it up to you.”

Marinette huffed out a laugh despite her eyes suddenly turning glassy. “I don’t need him to make it up, just… it’s not even his fault. It was mine really.” She fiddled with the wrench in her hands, testing the strength, trying to bend it, focusing on that as if it was the most interesting thing in the room.

“I doubt it.” He sighed and readjusted his cap as he tried to come up with the right words. “I’ve found that when bad things happen at the manor it’s almost always because Bruce was being a controlling little bitch.” Instead of laughing, she frowned at the wrench. Right, calling her father, she’s trying to connect to a ‘controlling little bitch’ probably isn’t really helping. He sighed and looked back up trying to figure out how to remove the frown. It didn’t look right on her face. She should be smiling. Always. “Do you want a hug?”

Marinette finally looked up from the wrench in surprise. After a second she gave him a weak smile and shook her head, returning her focus to the wrench. “I’m fine.”

Roy lightly placed his hand on the wrench to stop its motion. “That’s not what I asked,” he said gently.

She blinked at him a few times before a smirk quirked her lips up. “I mean… I’m not going to object to a handsome man wrapping his arms around me,” she answered slyly, throwing his words from days earlier back at him. Roy grinned and wrapped his arms around her, gently at first but holding her tighter as the hug went on. His arms were strong and reassuring, giving a sense of warmth and safety and Marinette quickly found herself melting into his embrace. She nuzzled into his chest and dear God, she could feel his muscles moving through his shirt with every minute movement.

She tried to hide her frown when he pulled away after a few minutes. But, it turned into a smile when he stopped after a few inches, just enough to look down at her. Roy smiled softly and rubbed her cheek with his thumb a few times. Marinette leaned into his hand, captivated by the feel of his hand on her face. He started to lean down but jumped away with the sound of clattering right next to them. Roy moved in front of her, caging her in behind him as he looked for the source of the sound.

Marinette grimaced and leaned down to pick up the wrench that had slipped through her fingers when she was looking at Roy. He chuckled awkwardly and moved back to his transmission. He started working on it again a lot slower than he had been before. His hands were shaking slightly. He could still feel the traces of her on his fingers and around his chest, trilling through him. “Can you… um… the. Can you hand me the Phillips head, please?” he stuttered, unable to get his mind settled.

Marinette stared at him for a few seconds, her cheeks still bright red, as her mind tried to kick back into gear. She looked at the tools in the toolbox and back to him. “Is… that’s a tool, not like a horror movie thing, right?”

Roy blinked a few times before breaking out in laughter. Marinette smiled at his laughter, beyond grateful for the change of topic. “The one with the cross for a head,” he said motioning toward the screwdrivers.

“Oh,” Marinette nodded in understanding. “Tournevis cruciform,” she muttered to herself as she searched through the tools for the right screwdriver. “Americans and their naming things.”

Roy grinned at her outrage. “And what do you call it? The cross screwdriver.” he teased.

“That is literally what it translates to,” she deadpanned.

Roy puckered his lips in an attempt at keeping a smile off his lips and make his annoyed wrinkled brow more believable. “Oh, well I bow to your superior naming capabilities,” he snarked with a fake bow.

Marinette nodded graciously and passed the screwdriver to him. “Thank you. That’s all I ask.”

Roy laughed and returned to the transmission, pretending like he could focus on that instead of the kiss they almost had. Marinette watched, almost transfixed as he moved the gears synchronously on the transmission, creating intricate and ever changing patterns. She pulled her sketchbook and pencil out to capture a sudden idea.

“The wrench?” Roy called out, not looking up from the transmission. He held out his hand and waited for a few seconds before adding, “Please?” He waited a little longer before repeating it a bit louder. “Wrench, please?” He finally looked up when she still hadn’t handed it to him. “Marinette?” He looked over to her concerned. His face immediately softened when he saw her.

Marinette’s face was frozen in intense concentration on her sketchbook as she drew confidently and without hesitation. She held the sketchbook out and tilted it slightly. She narrowed her eyes at it and tilted it a different way. Her mouth curved into a satisfied smirk before she added in more details and notes. Her eyes lit up with inspiration, bright and clear. She shook her head to get a stray strand of hair out of her eyes, hands too busy committing her inspiration to paper to waste time with such trivialities. Roy shook his head, mentally berating himself for having backed off before. She had been right there and leaning toward him. Maybe Jason and Dick… and Tim and Damian, were right. He was an idiot.

Before Roy realized what he was doing, he had reached out to tuck it behind her ear, being careful to avoid her cut as his fingers brushed her face. Marinette jumped at the unexpected contact. She looked up at him wide eyed but a sheepish look quickly overtook her expression. She looked down in embarrassment, but that only pressed her face further into Roy’s hand, which made her embarrassed blush deepen but not due to embarrassment this time. “Sorry. Did you need a tool?”

Roy shook his head. He smiled and moved his hand slightly so it was cupping her face this time. “It’s fine. I was enjoying watching you get caught up in inspiration.”

Marinette looked down again and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right. It is probably the most embarrassing face.”

Roy smiled softly at her, his eyes shining with sincerity and fondness. “No. It wasn’t. It was cute.” He took a step closer to her and leaned a bit closer, more intimately. “I wouldn’t mind seeing it more.”

“More of my too distracted to pay attention to you face?” she smirked and leaned closer to him.

“Any version of your face you’ll let me see. Although I would prefer to see it with fewer cuts,” he frowned at the cut on her cheek as he rubbed a soothing line just below the bruise that had formed around the cut. He leaned closer to examine the cut until his lips were centimeters from her cheek. He flicked his eyes to her half lidded ones and leaned to close the distance.

“Hey, guys!” Dick boomed as he came into the room. Marinette and Roy jumped apart, or rather Roy jumped away and Marinette straightened up on the stool, grabbing the workbench to keep from falling off. “Sorry I’m late. And sorry I’m here instead of Jason. He got… caught up in the attack. Not personally!” he rushed to assure Marinette when her eyes widened and body stiffened. “I meant he’s dealing with the fallout. Jason is fine. He’d just be really, really late and asked if I could come over here instead. If that’s okay.”

Marinette nodded, but her eyes were still slightly widened. “Of course. But you’re sure Jason’s okay?”

“Absolutely,” Dick shot her a charming smile. “He’s just going to need a bit of time to deal with things,” he lied smoothly. He looked between Marinette and Roy with narrowed eyes and moved between them as he hugged Marinette. “He really, really wanted to be here with you today. I think he’s planning on attaching himself to you tomorrow though.”

Marinette chuckled lightly. “That’s okay. We’ll have fun doing something.” Her face suddenly sobered. “Oh, no, wait. I have lunch with Duke and Cass tomorrow. I mean… I think I have lunch with them. We had planned it, but that was before…” she trailed off, not wanting to go into detail at all, but especially in front of Roy.

“I’m sure you still do,” Dick assured her. “They’re probably just waiting to get confirmation from you in case the last few days were a bit much and you wanted a break.”

“No!” Marinette exclaimed. “No. I’ll text them. Thanks.”

“But I get you for tonight. How do you feel about a movie marathon?” he grinned widely, already planning a full night’s marathon with her, Adrien, and Max. She had to love Disney movies, right? Who didn’t love Disney movies?

“I like movies,” Roy chirped with a teasing grin.

“No,” he answered sharply. He turned back to Marinette with a mock sympathetic smile. “You must have been so bored here.”

Roy narrowed his eyes back at him but Marinette jumped up to defend Roy. “Not at all. It was interesting watching him working on the bike. I got some good inspiration too.”

Roy raised a pointed eyebrow at him with a smug grin. “Motorcycles remind her of her grandmother.”

Dick looked back at Marinette who was looking back at Roy with a surprised expression. “Good memory.”

“I remember important things,” he shrugged.

Dick glared at him. “Uh huh. But not to check if things are loaded.” He looked back at Marinette. “You’ve got something just there,” he motioned to the cheek Roy had stroked earlier. “You might want to get that grease off.”

“Oh!” Marinette exclaimed grabbing her cheek, almost succeeding in covering the blush that flushed on her cheeks. “Do you have a bathroom I can use?”

Roy nodded and motioned toward the bathroom. “Just right over there.”

As soon as the door closed, Dick punched Roy’s shoulder. Roy frowned at him. “What?”

“What the Hell are you doing?” Dick hissed and motioned toward the bathroom.

“What?” Roy answered rubbing his shoulder. At least it was just Dick. If it was Jason, he’d be rubbing his jaw right now. “Tim dropped her off here. What was I supposed to do? Ignore her?”

“You were supposed to not hit on her,” he grumbled.

“That’s just unreasonable,” Roy rolled his eyes and leaned back against the workbench. He motioned to the bathroom. “Have you met her? She’s smart and sassy and really sweet. She's funny and obviously gorgeous. Who doesn’t want to hit on her?”

“Yeah. I’ve met her. Didn’t hit on her.” Dick let out a long suffering sigh. “Jesus, Roy! I’ve had her as a sister for like a week. I don’t want to lose her because I’m in jail for killing you.”

“You’re her brother, you don’t count in the hitting on her count. And please,” Roy scoffed, “you’re too good to go to jail for it.”

“True. Just…” he narrowed his eyes at him and pointed at him threateningly, “if you mess around and hurt her… I’ll choose her over you. And I won’t forget to load the magazines and Jason will be more than happy to use them.”

“That’s hurtful,” Roy groused. “One time. I forgot to load the magazines one time.”

“Yeah, in the middle of a mission!” Dick whisper hissed.

“You survived,” Roy shrugged. “Stop being such a baby. But I get it. I’d choose her over me too. Or you. But if you were going to kill anyone for hurting her, Riddler wouldn’t still be alive… or Bruce.”

Dick pursed his lips at the reminder of how Bruce had treated Marinette, of everything that had come up the night before. His anger quickly deflating. He looked toward the bathroom, his eyes softening. They really needed to work harder to support her, to assure her they weren’t holding her at arm’s length. Maybe talk to Bruce about telling her the truth. That seemed like the only possible way to salvage this. “How does she seem to be doing?”

Roy shrugged and watched the bathroom door to make sure she wouldn’t walk in on the conversation. “Actually doesn’t seem too bothered by the Riddler incident. She’s more anxious about the family knowing.” He pursed his lips and picked up a transmission piece, pretending to examine it. “Bruce hasn’t said anything or made any attempts as far as she knows.”

Dick sighed and massaged his temples. “That should surprise me more than it does.” He let out a heavy sigh. “Last night… dinner didn’t… some things came out that Bruce didn’t know. Things she had to go through. He’s beating himself up over it. Too ashamed to talk to her.”

Roy sighed and shook his head. Bruce was going to lose her before he even had her at this point. “That have anything to do with why she’s so unaffected by having been taken captive by one of the most dangerous rogues in Gotham?” Dick’s resigned sigh was enough confirmation for him. “Fuck,” he grumbled. “She thinks it’s her fault he doesn’t want to bother with her anymore.”

“Damn it,” Dick grumbled, drawing out the words in frustration. He ran his hand over his face and collapsed on the stool she had been on earlier. “Good to know. Thanks.”

Roy nodded and threw the part back on the workbench. “How’s Jay doing?”

“He’ll be okay. Tim got there in time to stop him from going too far, but he’s going to need a few hours, maybe the night to let the Pit Madness recede. And I think he’s really nervous about showing any part of that to Marinette.”

They both snapped their attention to Marinette when she came back. “My cheek look better?” she turned her cheek for them to see. “I mean obviously not the cut.”

“Yeah, you look beautiful.” Roy assured her and handed her purse to her.

Dick glared at Roy. “Could you stop hitting on my sister for five seconds?” he hissed low enough for Marinette not to hear. He turned to Marinette before Roy could respond. “Ready to go? I don’t know about you but I’m hungry.”

Marinette rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, okay.”

Dick walked ahead of her, pretending like he didn’t notice her lag behind. When he was almost out the door, she turned to Roy and gave him a lingering kiss on his cheek. “Thank you for babysitting me today and for the tour the other day. I’ve had a lot of fun.”

Roy nodded and handed her his phone with a spot for Fire Flower already started in his contacts. “If your plans ever get canceled again or you need to hide out or you need to borrow a jacket so you fit in, give me a call, Fire Flower.”

Marinette put her number in and passed it back to him with a grin. “You have extra you can just loan out?”

Roy grinned back and nodded. “A few jackets, suit coats, shirts, ties, clean pants, even a few pairs of coveralls, none of which would fit you, but if you ever need them… Or even if you don’t need anything, just want to talk or hang out, let me know.”

“Marinette! I thought you were ready to go?” Dick yelled.

Marinette shook her head and sighed. She waved to Roy as she rushed out. “Thanks again!”

Roy watched her leave until he couldn’t see her anymore. He let out a deep sigh and collapsed against the workbench. He looked at his phone and quickly sent a text with a smile.

Tags:

@maribat-bdbwm @jayjayspixiepop @redscarlet95 @alice-hazelwood @deathssilentapproach-blog @unoriginalmess @alyssadeliv @emotionalsupportginger @frieddonutsweets @when-no-wings-do-broomsticks @toodaloo-kangaroo @colorfulmongerpsychicranch @iloontjeboontje @wolf-for-life @maribatserver @aespades @prettylittlebutterflie @imarivers8 @ certainmuffinbagelcalzone @ritacrow-blog @unoriginalmess @demonicbusiness @kking13 @lady-bee-fechin @blur-of-colours @kittenmywaythrulife @kashlyn @loysydark

#maribat #bio!dad bruce #bio dad bruce wayne #roynette #Even the Losers #prompt - no miraculous au #this is the last chapter I have written already so updates are going to be more sporadic from here on out #mbdbwm2021

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thebooki3h · 4 years

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Lukadamianette Au Part 2

First Here Next

We begin where we left off, with Luka and Marinette on one of the dates Luka Planned. Just because it makes sense in this, Luka and Mari arrive a week early

Because Mari is emancipated and excused herself for the first week of school before the trip during which the class is still in France bc they just ended summer and all that jazz. also I have decided that the trip has turned into a half semester exchange program even though this doesn’t make the most sense, but the French school thought the class could use a reward and tbh they just wanted to get the Akuma class out for awhile. Also this way they aren’t in Gotham for a whole semester of senior year. The trip is planned for the first half of the first semester of senior year. I know that this doesn't make a whole lot of sense but just stick with me.

They go sight seeing and basically on a week long date bc the following week begins the Wayne sponsored exchange program and when Luka has to work for Jagged. One day they go to museums, the next the go to famous parks around Gotham (which are thriving thanks to Poison Ivy), the next they see all of the famous villain spots (which are surprisingly popular tourist destinations bc for the most part they don’t get hit twice in short periods of time) which is a good cover for studying past bat battles. They take days in between to rest and use the inspiration they gained to make new songs or clothing designs.

They share hotel room bc Mari’s parents stopped being her parents a long time ago and lost their say and bc Jagged says they are grown up enough to be responsible for their actions (which brings a blush to their cheeks every time bc “daaaaaddddd” “uncle jaggeeedddd”)

Mari also makes it her mission to visit all of the non chain coffee shops at least once while they are there bc coffee became her best friend when she was active as ladybug. She meets Tim in almost everyone because Tim also drinks coffee obsessively. Luka is more of a tea drinker because coffee interrupts his musical thought process and tea is less harsh. Marinette drinks tea when she wants to relax but coffee is the fuel of the gods. She expresses this to Tim and that's how they become acquainted bc finally someone understands his love for coffee. They exchange numbers after they run into each other for a fourth time. (Luka silently thinks that he might have to talk to Mari about her obsession of coffee again and if there is a rehab center for coffee drinkers) Tim learns that Mari is from the exchange class very quickly based off of Luka’s French accent as well as her light French accent that is mixed with a couple things he can’t quite place.

The class arrives, Lila ofc tried to pull something to leave Mari behind and she thought she was successful so she was gloating. She ofc took credit for the whole trip claiming that she was super close to the Waynes and that she helped Damian acclimate to his new school (she actually knows that Damian didn’t start living with his father until 10 bc why not). Mrs Bustier tries to check in under both her name and Lila’s name, both of which don’t work because they are A) an hour and a half early and B) all of the reservations are under the contest winners name (they have to ok their chaperones to use their name) C)Mrs Bustier told Mari to make all of the reservations under Mari’s name anyway and she totally forgot that.

So the sit in the lobby for an hour, Lila has the whole class riled up bc Marinette isn't there and it is al her fault that they can’t get in to their rooms. Marinette shows up with Luka 15 mins before the class was supposed to show up (they had just gotten lunch at a cafe that jagged had recommended) and she is laughing and happy, which causes the class to BLOW UP in her face. She ignores them and checks everyone into their rooms. Kagami and Chloe share a suite bc they are rich in their own right and upgraded their shared room bc they are dating and signed up to be roommates. They got this okayed by Buister in writing JIC. Marinette as the contest winner also got a suite (the room she had been staying in with Luka that she just extended the booking for)

Lila and Alya obviously make a big fuss about them getting special treatment but bustier can’t do anything because Mari won’t let her. She secretly thinks Mari is a lost cause now but she tries her best to get her to see that she has to be a role model. Mari actually planned the whole trip and she did a fucking fantastic job bc its Mari and planning something is what she is great at. She has all of the bases covered including iternerary, bookings for food, emergency contact info, health info, info on Gotham, safety procedures and the whole shebang. All of which had to be approved by Bustier and that Bustier has copies of but totally ignored.

The next day they try to pull the let’s leave an hour early to leave behind Marinette stunt. Not only does that fail because the tour can’t start until the contest winner is there, but they arrived before Wayne tower was even open to the public. Because jagged is extra he shipped Luka and Marinette motorcycles to Gotham bc they were going to be there for a couple months, they also got special permission from Wayne enterprises to park their bikes in the employee parking structures from Tim once he heard that they rode bikes as expensive as Jason’s. So she left early from the hotel with Luka(bc she knew that Bustier would leave her behind somehow) to go meet up with Tim at a new coffee place (one of his favorites). They end up riding on their respective bikes to WE together so they can hang out before the tour. Luka goes to a recording studio to meet up with Jagged, but not before a very passionate kiss goodbye, which makes Tim blush. (Tim may not seem like the biker type but he is a bat and he lives with Jason so he not only knows how to ride a motorcycle well has one, so it may not be his favorite mode of transportation but he’ll live)

So he and Marinette walk to WE about a half an hour before the class is supposed to be there in the middle of a debate on how best to brew coffee (Mari insists its French press) and low and behold they are there yelling at the receptionist. Mari gives Tim a look that says I’m so sorry you have to see this and yes I was not exaggerating walks up to the receptionist and apologizes for what she is about to do (not for the classes actions bc fuck them they can apologize for themselves she has learned to not take responsibility for others actions and she won’t let all that work go to waste). She then proceeds to yell, much louder than someone of her stature presumably should “SHUT THE FUCK UP OR I STG I WILL BREAK JOKER OUT OF ARKHAM AND LOCK HIM IN A ROOM WITH ALL OF YOU WITHOUT FLINCHING” this is shocking to everyone, especially mrs bustier who is scandalized that her role model student would do something like this.

Tim had a feeling that something video worthy would happen so as soon as she walked away he started recording, and he was NOT disappointed. The video gos straight to the batfam gc and Luka immediately. He powered off his phone then he proceeds to start laughing and applauding. Upon seeing the CEO’s reaction the rest of the employees start applauding as well bc damn those kids were rude. Tim then walks up to Mari talking at a speed no one but Mari, Chloe and Kagami could understand (bc the class is not fluent in English no matter what they would tell you). Mari proceeds to blush once he informs her that he sent a video to Luka (he does not tell her about the batfam gc)

Chloe and Kagami are immediate intrigued bc this is NOT what they picture when Mari said she met someone who loves coffee as much as she does. they may be hella gay for each other but damn that man is ripped. They join the convo while the class remains befuddled bc who knew Mari even swore. in the back of his mind Nino is reminded of a young blue-eyed girl who lost playground privileges for a week bc someone made fun of his glasses and proceed to punch said someone in the nose. But he shakes it of because Mari hasn’t been like that in years.

Bustier eventually collects herself and gently, so as not to cause an Akuma (apparently she didn't get the memo), reminds Mari that they are here for a tour and she needs to get the class their passes. So Mari leaves her friends to get acquainted and goes up to the receptionist, to whom she apologizes for her actions again, and the receptionist replies with a laugh and a “honey, you just made my week, there's no need to apologize I should be thanking you” (she does thank Mari). Mari gets a special pass bc she’s the contest winner to which Lila and Alya (then the rest of the class for the most part) proceed to throw a hissy fit over. The receptionist is so over them though and doesn’t even blink.

Then their tour guide shows up. (its Dick and his assistant Damian). Damian proceeds to scold the class for a solid ten mins (which coincidentally leads up to their scheduled time to start the tour). Dick slides off to talk to the receptionist and his brother who isn't working and is talking to real people for once. Just for that they are his favorite out of the class. Tim unfortunately has to go to work so they talk to Dick to get acquainted until the tour has to officially start.

Los tres amigos are the only ones who pay attention to Dick at all (he leads the tour bc he’s been there the longest but Damian throws in a comment here or there mostly related to shenanigans his family has gotten into but overall useful facts. for example these windows are reinforced because our CEO (Tim) leaned up against one, fell asleep and fell through the window to the office below.)

The rest of the class is focused on Lila who is talking a whole bunch of nonsense about the Wayne family and how she has helped them with their business. Some things actually sound kinda legit, but Mari and Co. know that it is BS. Dick tries to bet bustier involved but she makes an excuse for Lila and goes on her phone and doesn’t really pay attention.

Eventually the class tour turns into Dick talking to Mari, Chloe and Kagami while the class vaguely follows them. Damian doesn’t really say anything because he generally doesn’t do well talking to strangers and these girls seem ok and he is still insecure (not that he would ever admit it to anyone ) about social interaction now that he has figured out how people who weren’t raised as assassins act. That is until Dick starts talking about shenanigans that his brothers get into, and Damian jumps in correcting him because I did not try to tackle Todd, Grayson I did tackle Todd quite successful and also Alfred won’t let you into the kitchen anymore because you almost burned down the east wing of the manor not because he is territorial over the kitchen. And Mari hadn’t really paid attention to Damian until now but OH MY KAWAMI he is hot, and how did she talk so long to notice that.

She ends up taking a pic of Damian without him noticing (he really doesn’t notice which is a feat in itself but Dick does and he will be teasing Damian about it later bc obviously) and she texts it to Luka bc if she is going to freak out over his hotness she wants Luka to do so too. ( he sees the pic in the middle of recording and he ends up needing a water break bc gay panic and he really is extremely handsome. Recording gets delayed even longer bc jagged cannot pass up the opportunity to tease him son and he does so mercilessly and Mari totally knew what she was doing when she sent that picture) Luka ends up demanding that she gets Damians number or he will because that man is fine.

Mari now knows that the stuttering idolization that she had with Adrien wasn’t really healthy and Luka likes to remind her all the time that she can be smooth when she wants to be (sometimes unintentionally but she practices on Luka because she loves to see him blush). Mari then makes it her mission to compliment Damian as much as possible so that it is crystal clear and very obvious that she is flirting with him. If he even shows a little discomfort in a negative I don’t like this kind of way she will stop because she will not make someone go through what she went through with Chat Noir and unwanted advances.

Chloe, Kagami and Dick immediately notice that she is flirting with Damian. Chloe takes a video for Luka bc she knows that he would want to see this and Dick takes a video for the Batfam gc.

Just to be clear Mari and Luka have talked about seeing other people and maybe adding a third person to their relationship as long as they talk about it. that line of communication was opened when Mari sent a pic of Damian to Luka and when Luka asked for his number that was his “go ahead” for her to flirt with Damian. Lila doesn’t understand how that works and neither do the rest of the class so that is a point of contention between the class and Mari. She would NEVER cheat on Luka, she loves him and he is the most important person to her in the world. Something that Juleka understands (she just doesn’t like Mari bc of Lila she knows how polyamory works this is why her and Luka aren't as close as they used to be)

Moving on... the batfam gc blows up for a second time that day and so when the class goes to the cafeteria Tim just has to see this for himself. Mari tries not to be obnoxious in her flirting so she compliments Damians intelligence by asking him questions that weren't included in the tour, and she asks him about his interests and is like that must have taken a lot of time to perfect you must be very dedicated. Damian isn’t used to genuine compliments especially from strangers so he is very flustered by it but he makes no indication for her to stop.

The day winds down and the class has some free time before they have to go to dinner but the do have to leave the tower. Mari does actually get Damians number (he thinks she must be very well trained to get his number that quick bc he refuses to accept that he gave it to her because he likes her) Mari promises to ft him later bc he promised to let her meet his dog and she doesn’t want to wait until the class has dinner at the manor to see Titus.

First Here Next

Taglist

@dood-space

@toodaloo-kangaroo

Also I’m not very sure about how to go back and edit posts to link new parts so if anyone knows how to do that please comment or message me because I would love to learn!

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alibee-art · 3 years

Text

*from Pongnosis’ ‘The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea’ verse*

“Your team were on an executive protection course.” Yassen told him. “Should they prove to have suitable potential, they will be sent off on further courses.”

For a second, Alex thought Yassen had decided on them as his permanent security team. Hadn’t he already had his sights set on Danube for the job? Then Alex realised just what was going on. Security team, yes. But not for Yassen.

Alex turned around to look at Sagitta. Marcus, Adams, Shale and Jarek all regarded Alex with smirks that they made no effort to hide, whilst Mace alone decided to be more politely smug. “I think you guys are great at your job—but Yassen,” Alex faced his mentor once more, “I’m not a little kid. I don’t need babysitters,” he objected, just a little disgruntled. He liked Sagitta, but he did not need an entire security team reporting back to Yassen on his behaviour.

Yassen looked at Alex long and hard, then started talking, as if reading from a file: “The first time you visited the MI6 bank, you were curious about your uncle’s job. The door to your uncle’s office was locked, so you climbed out of a window, several storeys above the ground, jumped out onto a flagpole and scaled the building to get to the open window of Ian Rider’s office. A man was dealing drugs at your school, so you followed him to a boat which you boarded and discovered was a drug lab. You hijacked a crane, picked up the boat, and dropped it on a conference building hosting a drugs awareness police campaign. It was sheer luck that no one was injured apart from the two drug dealers on said boat.” At this point Alex tried to interrupt, and failed, when Yassen raised his hand for silence. He continued, “On your mission with the CIA, one of the agents you were working with had a meeting on a boat with a businessman they were planning on bringing in. When that agent didn’t return from the meeting and the boat began to leave the docks, you stole a skateboard, rode it up the jetty, and propelled yourself over the water and into the side of the boat. When you boarded the boat and saw that the salesman was planning to kill the agent, you, logically, decided to set the boat on fire. A sniper targeted you at school and your friend was shot in the arm. You followed the sniper on your bike as he drove across London, and spied on the man when he met up with someone. You saw them enter a helicopter, you made your way to the top of a tower building, took a fire extinguisher from the wall, and when they were in the air you used a tv aerial to slingshot the fire extinguisher into the helicopter, causing it to crash in the Thames. Do you need me to continue Alex? Because we both know I could. Perhaps for hours.”

Alex opened his mouth to defend himself, but before he could say anything- “Alex, if you’re about to use the ‘I was fourteen’ excuse then you should remember that you were, in fact, fifteen, when you decided it would be a good idea to throw a fire extinguisher at an airborne helicopter piloted by armed men.” Alex reluctantly closed his mouth again. “And don’t even try the ‘I’m more mature now,’ because we both know that you are now, as you always were, just as reckless as ever.” He paused. “If I’m wrong, then you don’t need Sagitta to babysit you, as you so kindly put it.”

Evidently, Yassen was finished. Sagitta looked like they couldn’t quite believe it; they were also all trying, and failing, to contain their delight at this telling of events.

Alex felt overwhelmingly insulted. But that wasn’t going to stop him. “You are wrong Yassen. That’s not true. At all. Not really. I did not scale the building. His office was right next door, the window was right there. And when I found out the boat was a drug lab I was going to call the police, but I didn’t have my phone. I saw the crane, and … thought the police might appreciate the help. I was going to drop the boat by the station for them. But the construction workers cut the power, apparently it’s illegal to play with someone else’s crane. And the agent’s partner had no idea what to do when he disappeared on that yacht, so I improvised. The agent’s cover was blown. The Salesman was going to shoot him and dump his body in the sea. I did not set the whole boat on fire, just some of it, as a distraction! And it worked! When it exploded a few seconds later that was nothing to do with me. An assassin had planted a bomb, it just happened to detonate after I got the agent off the boat and before they could pick us off in the water. The fire extinguisher at the helicopter thing … is true but anyone would have done the same… or something. Someone shot my friend, they targeted me at school. A kid could have been killed. I know what it sounds like but you don’t understand the situation. There was no time to call the police…”

Sagitta really were having the time of their lives. Alex gave up. He had one question left. “Why- no, how do you know everything?”

Yassen features switched from annoyed to amused quickly. “SCORPIA possesses MI6’s file on you, and they had managed to record almost every dangerous thing you have ever done. Evidently, a long list.”

#alex rider #yassen gregorovich #devil and deep blue sea #scenes #inaccurate quotes #reckless rider

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noladyme · 4 years

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The Crown Princess of Charming - Part 1

Welcome to Charming - its name says it all. Cat needed a fresh start; and though she hadn’t planned on that being in the arms of the crown prince of this little town’s bikerclub - that was what happened. This Charming CA would either be the death of her - or a whole new life.

This story is obviously non-canon. It will include characters from multiple seasons; some of them having never met on the show. In this universe, Tara didn’t come back from Chicago. I’ve done this to get the story I wanted.

I’ve also decided to give the protagonist a name in this story. I hope you’ll enjoy reading it.

“Move, you goddamn piece of shit!”. My car had stalled just a few yards before a sign that read Welcome to Charming – our name says it all. So far it hadn’t been very charming at all. Multiple cars were passing me and blaring their horns. “Do you think I just decided to park here?”, I yelled at a white Honda, with a blonde behind the wheel. She gave me the finger in response. “Shit!”.

I heard a roar of engines behind me; and a leather clad man on a motorbike pulled up next to my window. “You found a hell of a place to break down, luv’”, he said, with a Scottish drawl. “Yeah, thanks. I hadn’t noticed”, I sneered. “Pardon me, I was just stating facts”, he smirked. I frowned. “Sorry. I’ve just had a long ass drive”, I mumbled. “Mind if we take a look at it?”, he asked. I gestured for him to go ahead; and stepped out of the tired, beat up car; that had been my home for the last 4 days – driving from Chicago, to my new home in the town I’d chosen by its name alone. Charming.

I needed something charming at this point in my life – the last few years having been chaos – so I’d thrown everything to the wind; and had basically run away from the city, when I’d applied for, and been offered a job at Charming Middle School.

Behind my car, two more mc’s were parked – one of them a tall bearded man who sent me a friendly smile; and the other a blonde, lean guy, wearing a white t-shirt and white sneakers. Interesting choice for riding a motorcycle, I thought. All three men had the same patch on their backs – a skull-headed reaper. The writing said Sons of Anarchy – California.

The scot had opened my hood, and was looking into the steaming entrails of my car. He let out a long whistle. “When was the last time you checked our oil, luv’?”. I decided to ignore his choice of nickname for me. “I have no idea. I just bought it a week ago; haven’t really done anything but drive it”. He smiled and shook his head. “Jackie!”, he called. The blonde man looked up; and took of his sunglasses – revealing a pair of piercing baby blues. “We’re gonna need the tow-truck”.

The blonde got off his bike, and joined the scot at the front of the car. “Shit”. He drew out the word, ending it with a full-on laugh. “Darlin’, you’ve killed it”. I sighed. “Great…”. “Were you going far?”, he asked. “Charming was my destination; but I didn’t even make it past the sign”. I ran my hand through my hair. “Shit!”.

Blonde guy called out to the bearded biker. “Ope! Call TM. Get Rat out here with the tow”. “We can’t leave her here, on the side of the road”, the third man answered. Blondie chewed his lip. “You up for a ride?”, he asked me. I was caught off guard. “What?”, I asked. “We’ll get your car back to our shop. You can wait there for it; and figure out your next step”. I shrugged. “Yeah, why the hell not”.

Blondie walked up to me and stuck out his hand. “I’m Jackson. Scottie here is Chibs; and the kind man calling a tow-truck for you, is Opie”. I took his hand and shook it. His grab on mine was firm, but gentle. “I’m Cat”, I said cautiously. He smiled brightly at me; a glint to his eyes that made me blush slightly. “Welcome to Charming”, he said. “Now, come on”.

He handed me his own helmet; and got on his bike; patting the seat behind him. I grabbed my purse from the front seat; leaving my keys on the left front wheel. Welcome to Charming, indeed, I thought, and got on Jacksons bike with him, looking for something to grab on to “You’re gonna have to hold on to me, Cat”, Jackson smirked. I put my hands on his waist – noticing his firm and muscular frame – and he started up the bike. The force of the engine between my legs made me jump a little; and I heard Jackson chuckle in front of me. “Don’t worry, I got you”. He revved the engine, and we rode in to town.

—

We drove into a big lot about 10 minutes later. I noticed a large amount of motorcycles; and more bikers clad in leather. They all wore the same patch as the three men I’d just met – though some said Nevada. There were two large buildings; one was an auto shop – Teller Morrow – and the other seemed to be some sort of a clubhouse.

Jackson halted his bike at the end of the line of motorcycles; seemingly a spot reserved for him. I climbed off, almost stumbling; and he grabbed my hand to steady me. “You good?”, he asked. I nodded.

A tall middle-aged woman, with an amazing rack, came out of the office of the auto shop. “Jax; Clays been looking for you”, she said. Jackson smirked, and backed his bike into his spot. “What else is new?”, he said. The woman kissed his cheek. “I’m picking up the kid in a few. You need anything at home?”. “Milk. And coffee”, Jackson answered. He looked towards me. “Ma; this is Cat. Her car stalled just by the edge of town”. The woman looked at me; her eyes enquiring, but mostly friendly. “The one Rat and Juice went out for?”. Jackson nodded.

She shook my hand. “Gemma Teller”, she said. “Cat Rose”, I smiled. “You’re the new teacher down at the middle-school”, she said – more a statement than a question. I nodded. “Yeah, I am. How’d you know?”. “Gem knows everything”, the biker named Chibs said; and kissed Gemma’s cheek. “Hi, mom”.

I chuckled. “You seem a little too young to be his mom”. “Around here, I’m everyone’s mom”, she answered. “Though my only biological kid, is the cheeky blonde you rode bitch with”. I took that as meaning Jax was her son. The cheeky blonde sent me a smile. “Gemma will take care of you from here on”, he said. “See you around, teach’”. I smiled in return; and Jackson walked towards the clubhouse.

I followed Gemma into her office. “What’s the Sons of Anarchy?”, I asked. “Sweetheart, stick around long enough, you’ll find out”, she said. “Coffee?”. “Yeah, thanks”, I smiled.

I didn’t see any of my new biker friends the rest of the day; as my car arrived not long after we did. A mohawked Latino named Juice, of all things; informed me that my cooler was shot; and I needed a completely new starter. None of this made any sense to me; as I didn’t know anything about engines – but looking at the costs of repairs needed to have the vehicle function again; I decided to sell it for scrap.

“Too bad, honey”, Gemma said. “I had one of those as a teenager”. “You wanna buy it?”, I grinned. “I wouldn’t be caught dead in it”, she answered, and lit a cigarette; offering me one. I accepted. “Juice; is Tig still selling his old chevy?”. “Yeah, he hasn’t gotten a buyer yet. I think it’s ‘cuz it smells like wet dog”. I shook my head. “I won’t be able to afford it; with or without the smell”. Gemma winked at me. “I’ll get a you a good deal; and you can make payments”. I smiled. “I’m gonna like this town”. “We all do”, she smiled back.

—

Gemma gave me a ride to the motel I was going to stay at, until I found a new place. I got my four boxes and two suitcases out of her trunk and backseat; thanking her for all her help. “It’s me who should be thanking you. The school had been looking for a good arts teacher for over a year”. “I’m taking over 6’th and 7’th grade English as well”, I said. She laughed. “Mrs. Bloom finally decided to retire, huh?”, she said. “She taught both me and Jackson”. “Wow…”, I grimaced. “I’m not that old”, she said. “That’s not…”, I began. “Just pulling your leg sweetheart”, she smiled. “See you around”. She drove off, and left me to settle in to my new temporary home.

I spent the evening scanning the newspaper for cheap rentals. Money was scarce; but I knew the motel needed to be short term – especially after noticing the thin walls inability to hide the sounds of my neighbors having kinky sex. Some woman kept screaming Yes, Daddy!; making it difficult to concentrate on my apartment-hunting .

In the evening; after ordering a pizza; I decided to take a shower. I let the water run for a bit; before stepping in – trying to ignore the metallic smell of it. Washing 4 days of roadtripping off my body; I finally felt clean enough to face my new situation.

I’d left Chicago in a hurry; leaving my furniture, and only bringing my most cherished belongings. I wanted to get as far away from the city as possible; but a ticket to Hawaii was out of the question on my teachers’ salary – and I wasn’t ready to go back to dancing at clubs. Most of my last cash had been spent on the now dead Ford; that I’d sold for scrap through TM.

Chicago wasn’t my home town; but I’d thought it was the place for me. I’d been proven wrong, when a relationship had gone wrong. Very wrong. I’d needed to get away from the guy in question; as his possessive nature throughout our relationship had ended up scaring me. Trying to get a restraining order hadn’t worked due to his own contacts within the court-system. I wanted a new life. Maybe Charming could be the base for that.

Stepping out of the shower; I wrapped myself in a towel. There was a knock on the door, and I went to open it. Outside stood Jackson; a grin the size of the county on his handsome face. “You’re not pizza…”, I said. “Not the last time I checked”, he chuckled. “You left behind some paperwork at TM”. I looked down at my lack of clothing. “I should get dressed”, I smiled. “Come on in. Sorry about the mess”. He stepped inside. “It’s fine, darlin’. You should see my place”.

I grabbed a pair of pajama bottoms, and a tank top from an open suitcase; and went into the bathroom. “Do you usually order pizza in just a towel?”, he called after me. “Only if the delivery-guy is really cute”, I called back. Shit… now you’re flirting with the biker. Good one, Cat. “I’ll have to change professions”, I heard him mutter.

I stepped back into the room, fully dressed. “What’s the paperwork?”, I asked. He handed me an envelope. “Just a signoff for the scrapping of the car”, he said. “It’s too bad. My mom had one of those back in the day”. “She told me”, I smiled. “Coffee?” He smiled. “Nah, sorry, I gotta run again”. “Too bad”, I said. Dammit! Stop, you idiot.

He chuckled. “It’s good to have some fresh blood in town. I hear you’re starting at the school. You’ll be teaching one of Opie’s kids. Ellie – sweet kid”. I signed the papers he’d handed me, and gave them back. “I’ll remember to give her good grades”, I said. “Yeah…”, he answered sadly. “She’s been through it. Her and Kenny both. Their mom died a year back”. “I’m sorry to hear that”, I answered earnestly. “Donna was a good mom. And a good old lady”, he said. “What’s that?”, I asked. “An old lady? Shit, you are new in town”, he smirked. I shrugged. “Just not used to biker lingo”, I winked. “I’ll have to get you used to it, then…”, he said with a smile. I chewed my lip, a rush of heat going through my body.

He remembered himself. “The car – the one you’re buying”, he said. “Tig will be down at the shop tomorrow night. You can pick up the keys then”. I exhaled; trying to calm down my budding crush on the gorgeous man in front of me. “Thanks. I’ll be there. 7 pm good?”. “We should be done with church by then”, he said. “Tomorrow’s not Sunday”, I answered. He chuckled. “Not that kind of church”. I narrowed my eyes playfully. “Biker lingo…”, I said. “Biker lingo”, he smirked.

We stood there for a while, both unsure what to say; before Jax broke the silence. “Tomorrow; it’s Gemma’s birthday. There’s gonna be a party at the clubhouse”, he said cautiously. “If you wanna stick around for a while…”. “Maybe”, I smiled.

“Yes Daddy! Slap that ass!”, we heard from next door. We both laughed. “If I’m not mistaken; Tig might be right next door. But it’s probably not a good time to disturb him”, Jackson said. “I’ll wait”, I agreed. “See you tomorrow?”. “I’m looking forward to it”, Jackson winked; and walked out the door; giving me a final grin; before closing it behind him.

Cat. You can’t have sex with the biker, I told myself. But the warm sensation streaming though me, told me I’d probably have a problem sticking to that, if I had the opportunity.

—

The next day I slept in; enjoying the feeling of being in an actual bed for the first time in days. I did some light shopping for groceries – the fridge in my motel room not being very big. The people I met seemed friendly enough, though a bit standoffish. I figured it was because I was new in town.

Walking back towards the motel; a group of bikers rode by – one of them being Opie. He lifted a hand in a wave at me. I noticed that the bikes were ridden almost in a procession; with a leader in front; and everyone else keeping to their assigned position in the group. It was led by a grey-haired man with a prominent jaw. He looked at me, and nodded. I nodded back.

Back in my room, I had a light lunch; and decided to figure out what the hell one wore for a birthday party at a biker club. I figured some skinny jeans and an off the shoulder, black t-shirt would have to do. Putting on my favorite necklace – a silvery hand with an eye in the middle; a Hamsa symbol – I let my hair hang lose; and put on a little makeup. Black cat eye; and red lips. It usually did the trick. You’re actually dressing up for the biker now, I smirked at myself.

I was early; so, I tracked down a coffee shop to sit and read a book. My shoulder bag usually had at least one volume in it. This week, it was American Gods, by Neil Gaiman. I was completely concentrated on my book; when suddenly Chibs and a large curly haired man stepped in to the shop. “Well, look who we have here!”, Chibs smiled. “Bobby, this is the young lady who killed her car just outside town”. I grinned. “Thanks”, I said. “I needed a reminder of my bad mechanic skills”. “I aim to serve, madam”, the scot grinned. Bobby stuck out his hand. “Welcome to town, my lady”, he said; and kissed my hand chivalrously. “Careful Bob. VP’s got his eye on this one”, Chibs said. “What’s that supposed to mean?”, I asked. “Don’t worry about it”, Bobby grinned.

I took a sip of my coffee, and shook my head. “What are you doing here?”. “Coffee run for church. It was a long night”, Chibs winked. The man behind the counter handed over some coffees to Bobby; who pulled out his wallet. “Your money’s no good here”, the barista said. Bobby nodded. “How’s your mom?”, he asked. “Much better, thanks”, the man answered and smiled. “I’ll pay you back”. “We know you’re good for it, Gary”, Chibs said. He looked at me. “See you later?”. I nodded.

The bikers left the shop; and drove off towards TM. The barista walked up to me with my check. “Welcome to town”, he said warily. “Look… Samcro; they’re a part of this town; and they do a lot of good. But they’re in to some pretty bad stuff as well. Be careful”. He didn’t wait for an answer; but just went back behind his register. I frowned, and tried to wrap my head around his words. I paid Gary, and left the shop myself.

I decided to do some light sightseeing. It was Saturday; so most of the small shops closed early; but I made my way to the middle-school that would be my new place of work the coming Monday. The trek was a bit longer than I’d anticipated; so I was glad that I had a newish car set up for me. The building wasn’t large, but I figured it was large enough for the amount of kids in the area. The look of it gave me some peace of mind. It would be an easy start, I thought. And I was looking forward to it.

—

Walking back towards TM, I stopped by a florist who was closing up. I got a nice bouquet for Gemma, and walked into the auto-shop lot. The place was bustling with people. At least 20 bikes were parked in the lot; and everywhere people were shaking hands, and grabbing wrapped presents out of their cars. The men were all clad in leather; except for a man in a sheriff’s uniform; and the women were mostly wearing miniskirts and dresses – their boobs on display as much as possible.

I didn’t recognize any faces, and felt a bit anxious, before someone grabbed my shoulder. “Hey, darlin’”, Jax was beaming at me. He leant in and kissed my cheek; his stubble and short beard scratching my chin in a delicious way. “I’m glad you made it!”. “Yeah, me too”, I smiled. He took my hand, holding it confidently. “Come on. I’ll introduce you”.

We walked in to the clubhouse. It smelled like motor oil and whiskey, and the air was heavy with smoke. It should have put me off; but I was enjoying it. It reminded me of my former profession as a dancer, and the kind of trouble I’d gotten in to then. Jackson let go of my hand, and put his own on my lower back, leading me to the bar counter. “You remember Opie”, he said; gesturing at the tall bearded man. With his helmet off, he was now wearing a hoodie, and had a beautiful blonde on his arm. Opie shook my hand and smiled at me friendlily. “This is Lyla”, he said softly, and gestured at the woman. “Nice to meet you”, she smiled. I thought I recognized her face from somewhere, but I couldn’t make the connection. “Cat”, I smiled, and shook her hand.

Jax led me on. “Chibs and Juice, you know as well; and I’m told you already met Bobby”. The men both nodded at me. “Then there’s Happy…”. A tall menacing man sent me a warm smile. “Piney; Opies dad”; Jackson said, gesturing at an elderly man with an oxygen tank hanging from his shoulder. Jackson looked at a scrawny looking guy, and a tall heavy man standing next to him. “Those are the prospects. They don’t matter”. I scrunched my brows at him. “Trust me”, he chuckled.

We walked towards a dark-skinned, kind looking woman, holding a beautiful baby in her arms. “Hey Neeta”, Jax smiled, and took the baby from her; holding it to his chest. His face was glowing with pride. “And this is my boy. Abel”. I let the baby hold my finger, and smiled at his chubby face. “Hi, Abel”. Jacksons eyes met mine; gleaming. “Is… his mom…”, I tried – fearing the answer. “Not around”, Jax answered. “It’s better that way”, he said meaningfully. I nodded. It wasn’t the time.

Abel started fussing. Jax took a baby-blanket from a diaper-bag on a table. “Did you bring…?”, Jax said, before Neeta handed him a bottle. Jax smiled warmly in thank you. He put the bottle to Abel’s mouth. “Here you go, little dude”. He bounced the baby up and down softly. “You’re good at that”, I smiled. “My mom would have my ass, if I wasn’t”, he grinned. “Besides, he’s my little man”. I stroked a finger over the baby’s forehead. “He’s perfect”. Jax looked at me proudly. “Yeah”, he smiled.

I looked around. “Where is your mom, by the way?”. “Shit, yeah”, he said, looking at the watch on his wrist. Jackson kissed the top of Abel’s head, and handed the bottle back to Neeta. “Gemma and Clay will be here in 5”, he called into the room. “She doesn’t know why she’s here. So quiet the hell up!”. There was a rumbling of an engine outside. “Shit, they’re early!”, Bobby said. “Turn off the lights!”.

Someone hit the lights; and about ten seconds later the door opened. “Goddammit, Clay”, Gemma grumbled, as she walked in. “You promised to take me to dinner, you jerk!”.

“Surprise!”, everyone yelled; and the lights turned on again. Gemma stood, mouth agape; flanked by the grey-haired man I’d seen on the road earlier; and a black-haired man with piercing eyes, I figured was Tig. “Oh my God!”, Gemma cried out. “You assholes!”. She laughed, and began hugging the people around her. Jackson walked up to his mom; and embraced her warmly; Abel still in his arms. Gemma kissed first Jackson; and then the baby, taking him from Jax’s arms. “You guys are dicks”, she said; happy tears in her eyes. The grey-haired man – Clay – put his arm around her waist, and kissed her warmly. “Happy birthday, baby”, he said. “At least you remembered it this year”, Gemma pouted playfully at him.

She looked towards me, a sense of wonder in her eyes. I smiled, and mouthed happy birthday. She mouthed me a thank you in response; followed by a warm smile. For a second her eyes shifted from me to Jackson, and she narrowed her eyes at him; whispering something in his ear. He laughed in response, and looked at me, biting his lip. He nodded at his mom, and walked back to me.

“Do you want a drink?”, he asked. “Please”, I said, smiling nervously. “Don’t worry, babe, you’re here with me”. I laughed. “Maybe that’s why I’m worried”. He winked at me. “In that case, you should be worried. Word around the street is, I’m dangerous”. He kissed my cheek again, and put his arm around me. “Rat, get this lady a beer”. The scrawny prospect handed over a cold bottle, and I took a welcome sip of it.

Opie joined us. “You’re teaching my kid this year”, he said. “Yeah, Jackson told me”, I answered. The tall man looked a bit uncomfortable. “She’s been having some issues… It’s been messing with her schoolwork”. I smiled comfortingly. “Don’t worry, I won’t be a hard-ass”, I said. Opie smiled softly. “Thanks”, he muttered.

Jax looked at his friend. “I told Cat about Donna”, he said. Opie nodded and met my eyes. “So you get it”, he said. “I do”, I said. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help”. Opies expression warmed. “Thanks”, he said. “Cheers”, he said, raising his bottle at me. We clinked our beers, and both took a sip.

Opie looked meaningfully at Jax. “We got that thing, brother”, he muttered. Jackson frowned slightly, and looked at me. “I need to do some business”, he said, and put a strand of hair behind my ear. “Be back in a bit”. He walked off with Opie, leaving me to sit on a stool by the bar.

The black-haired man walked up next to me. “I hear you’re in need of a car”, he said, accepting a beer from the larger prospect. “I’m Tig”. “Cat”, I answered. “I know”, he winked at me. “It’s a piece of shit old chevy, but it’s better than the one you came to town in”. “Anything is better than that”, I laughed. He handed me a set of keys. “80 a month for a year work for you?”, he said. “That’s cheap”, I said, frowning slightly. “We take care of our own”, Tig said, and patted my shoulder. “By the way; if you get sick of the VP, let me know”, he smirked. I laughed again. “Sure, Daddy”, I grinned. “So the was you, next door”, he chuckled. I shrugged, and nodded.

Juice stepped up to stand on the other side of me. “Hey”, he said, giving me a crooked smile, and a lifted brow. Tig tapped him over the head. “Hands of, Juicy!”, he said. “Jax territory”. The young biker took a step away from me. “Sorry”, he laughed nervously. I shook my head, laughing. “This place is weird”, I said. “Welcome to town”, Tig said; and clinked his bottle to mine, taking a sip of beer. I joined him in the drink. We took a shot of whiskey together, before Tig’s attention went to a busty brunette in the corner. “Excuse me”, he muttered; and sauntered off, leaving me alone again.

I decided to look for a friendly face in the crowd, being a bit uncomfortable on my own. Jax hadn’t come back for his business yet, and I was worried he’d leave me alone all night. Lyla was standing with another woman, looking like they were gossiping about something. She caught my eye and waved me over. “How are you holding up?”, she asked. The other woman walked off; climbing on to Happy’s lap, where he was sitting on a couch. “Uhm…”, I began. “I just got in to town, and I’m already having drinks with the local biker gang. I’d say I’m a little out of my comfort zone”. She smiled friendlily at me. “You’ve already bagged the vice president. You’re doing just fine”, she said. “I haven’t bagged anyone”, I smiled. “He’s known you for 2 days, and already invited you to his mom’s birthday. I’d say you’re a bit more than some crow-eater”, Lyla responded.

I took another sip of my beer. “What’s a crow-eater?”. Lyla chuckled. “Ok, quick lowdown on the women in the club”, she began. “Most of the women in here, are what we call crow-eaters. They hang around the club, make the men feel good about themselves… you know”. “An easy lay”, I muttered. “Yeah”, Lyla smiled. “Some of us are what you’d call old ladies. We’re the ones who have locked our men down. See this…”. She showed me a tattoo of a flying crow on her shoulder. “This means no one but Opie touches me”. “Doesn’t it feel weird to be… marked, like that?”. I grimaced. “Sorry… I didn’t mean…”. “Don’t worry about it, honey. I get it”, Lyla responded. “This is just my way of showing everyone around me that I belong to Opie; but also, that Opie belongs to me”.

She smiled, and took my hand, squeezing it. “You seem nice, so I’ll let you in on a secret. This life… it’s not easy; but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love Opie – and his kids. He takes care of me and my boy”. She looked at me meaningfully. “But if you’re unsure about whether this is your idea of a good life; you should walk away. I mean that in the nicest way. Please don’t take it as anything else”. I gave her a crooked smile. “I’ll take it a day at a time”. She nodded.

A hand grabbed mine. Jax was standing next to me. “Hey”, he said softly. “Come say hi to my mom”. I followed him over to Gemma. “Hey sweetheart”, she said. “Thanks for the flowers. They’re beautiful”. “You’re welcome”, I smiled. “This is my husband, Clay”, she said, and the man at her side shook my hand. His eyes were deep and menacing; and I was unsure whether to be afraid of him or respect him. “Welcome to town, teach’”, he said. “Thanks. It’s been good so far”. Clay nodded at me, and looked at Jax. “Did you finish that business?”. Jackson clenched his jaw. “It’s done”, he said. “I made the call”. “Good”, Clay said. “Let’s just hope it doesn’t blow back on us”.

Gemma patted his chest. “No club business on my birthday, baby”. Clay smiled at his wife, and kissed her again. “Yes, ma’am”, he muttered. Gemma looked at Jax. “Do you need me to take the baby tonight?”. Jax looked at me, and then back at his mom. “Would you?”. “You know I love taking him”, she smiled. “Make it my birthday present”. Jackson chuckled. “Shit, I’ll take back the diamond necklace then”, he said. He took my hand. “Come on, let’s find somewhere quiet”. My breath hitched, and I followed him out of the clubhouse.

We sat down by a picnic table just outside the door. Jax had brought us a pair of freshly opened beers. “You doing ok?”, he asked earnestly. “Yeah”, I smiled. “Just … a bit out of my element”. He bit his lip and looked at me enquiringly. “What element is that?”, he asked. “I dunno… I usually don’t go to mc-parties”. He chuckled, and took my hand. “I’m glad you’re here”. “You don’t even know me”, I said quietly.

He sighed. “Tell me, then”. “What do you want to know?”, I smiled nervously. “Whatever you want to share”, he shrugged. “Why?”, I asked. He looked at me with a genuine warmth. “Because I’ve been thinking about you ever since you wrapped these hands around my waist, and it sent chills down my spine”. He took my other hand, linking his fingers with mine. “Where did you come from?”.

I didn’t know how much to tell him. I was still mentally sore from my ordeal with the guy in Chicago – but his serious expression made me trust him. “Chicago”, I said. “I was a teacher there as well. It didn’t work out…”. “Why?”. I sighed. “The city can wear a girl down”, I smiled theatrically. “And there was… a guy. He didn’t know how to take no for an answer”. Jacksons jaw clenched. “What’d he do to you?”, he almost growled “At first he was fine. We had a few dates, before he suddenly proclaimed his love for me”. “You didn’t feel the same way?”, Jax asked. “No. I mean; back then, he was friendly, had a steady job… He saw himself as a catch; and I guess he was. But I just didn’t care about him like that. He was… possessive. I tried to call it off, but he acted like I’d never said anything, and continued dropping by at my school; sending me flowers; and showing up at my apartment at all hours of the day”. Jackson bit his lip. “Sorry… I guess you’re off men for a while”, he said, and met my eyes again. I smiled. “No. Just him”. “Good to know”, he muttered. “But why didn’t you get a restraining order?”.

I sighed again. “I tried… he has connections. When he didn’t like my way of handling things, he let the word spread in the school council that I had an issue with drugs”. Jax shook his head angrily. “Asshole”. “Yeah”, I agreed. “I managed to get the drug accusations of my record – but it was too late, and I was fired”. “So you came to Charming”. I nodded. “I looked at names of towns on the west coast; and Charming seemed promising”, I smiled. “There was an opening as a teacher the elementary school; so I applied – and they must have been desperate, ‘cuz they gave me the position with just a phone interview”.

He squeezed my hands again. “I’m glad you’re here”. “Me too”, I muttered.

Jax put his hand on my cheek, and stroked my temple. “So if you’re not off men… mind if I give it a shot?”. I bit my lip, trying to stifle a smile, and shook my head.

He leant in, and stroked his nose against mine. Our lips brushed each other for a second; and he kissed me. I parted my lips slightly, and the tip of his tongue met mine. He put his hand on my lower back, pulling me closer to him. He smelled like leather and some musky cologne; a warm smell that fit him perfectly – and his kiss tasted like the beer he’d been drinking, and mint chewing gum.

He exhaled deeply and pulled back a bit. “Do you want to get out of here?”, he asked softly. My body was screaming yes, but I was desperately trying to control myself. “Jax… I just moved into town. We’ve known each other for 5 minutes… I don’t think…”. “I get it”, he smiled. “I’m not expecting you to jump in to bed with me. But I do want to see you again”. “I’d like that”, I smiled.

Our lips met again. “You taste like… pancakes”, he smiled. “Is that good?”, I smiled. “It’s perfect”, he said against my lips, kissing me deeply one more time.

The door opened, and Juice stepped outside with a ginger girl. “Shit, sorry”, he smiled. “It’s fine, Juice, the table is yours. Just clean it up afterwards”, Jackson smiled. “Come on”, he said to me, pulling me with him.

“I think it’s time for me to go home”, I said softly. He looked at me with a kind smile. “You want a ride?”. I jingled the keys in my pocket. “I got a new car; remember?”. Jax groaned. “Shit; I would have loved to have these legs wrapped around me, in one way or another”. He slid a hand over my thigh; squeezing them gently.

Juice looked impatient; and Jax took my hand – leading me over to a black, classic looking Chevrolet. “Wow…”, I said. “I popped an air freshener in there for you. It had a pretty gnarly smell”, Jax chuckled. “Thanks”, I smiled, and looked at him warmly.

Getting into the car – immediately thanking Jax an extra time for the air freshener; as it was needed – I rolled down the window. “Thanks for inviting me”, I smiled at the blonde man. Jax took the hand I had resting in the window-opening, and squeezed it – winking at me. His face suddenly dropped. “Shit, Cat. I didn’t get your number…”. I grinned, and rattled of my digits, and he punched the number into a flip phone from his pocket. Who uses flip phones anymore?

Jax leant in, and planted a final soft kiss against my lips. “Bye”, he whispered, and bit his lower lip. I smiled and started up the engine. My new car purred, and I had a wide smile on my face, as I left the lot – sending a final look towards the picnic table, where Juice was face deep in the red-haired girls cleavage.

Welcome to Charming, I grinned to myself, and drove off.

—

Tag-list: (let me know if you want on it)

@wolf-lover-bookdragon

@wonderlandfandomkingdom

#soa #jax teller #jax teller fic #jax teller x oc #jackson teller #jackson teller fic #sons of anarchy #sons of anarchy fic

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bbykpoper · 4 years

Photo

𝓗𝓾𝓬𝓴𝓵𝓮𝓫𝓮𝓻𝓻𝔂☀️

Inspired by this post 🌼

Pairing: botanist!Yunho x farmer!reader

Index: Jongho // Hongjoong // Seonghwa // San // Wooyoung // Mingi // Yeosang

･*:༅

“Are you sure it’s okay if we brought our girlfriends along?” Hongjoong asked his friend as they walked up to the small cabin in front of them.

“Yeah, don’t worry about it.” The blue haired man smiled up at him. “It’s more fun with girls around. I don’t have to listen to Mingi’s constant whining or watch Wooyoung destroy the cabin.”

“True that!” Hongjoong laughed. “It’s nice of your aunt to let us stay here.”

“Yeah, for some reason she’s been nagging me to come along here... Sometimes I think she has some girl hiding somewhere for me or something.” Yunho sighed. “She’s more worried about me staying wifeless than my own mother.”

“Damn well I am!” A woman yelled out as she opened the cabin doors and scared Wooyoung to drop his things.

“Aunty!” Yunho yelled out surprised.

The woman walked over to Yunho gushing over his tall stature as the rest just observed the situation happening around them.

“You know, for a police officer, Wooyoung is quite the scaredy cat.” Seonghwa’s girlfriend whispered over to him.

“I heard that.”

The group laughed out loud, finally catching the older woman’s attention. She was wearing a cute little straw hat on her head which made the girls gush because of the small detail of dandelions attached to the rim.

“Oh, you like my hat?” She asked proud of her fashion taste. “It was custom made by one of the girls from the village.” She nodded her head and got the best idea of her life in that second. “Why don’t you three girls come along with me and we can ask her to make you one too?”

“Oh that would be so cool!” Jongho’s girlfriend clapped her hands in excitement.

“I’d like that too.” Hongjoon’s girlfriend blushed a crimson red when the attention turned to her.

“I want to meet her. As a fellow artist who is into crafting I must.” Seonghwa’s girlfriend looked determined.

“Who’s going to help us set up the cabin then?” Wooyoung mumbled out.

“What? Eight boys can’t do it?”

“Aunty, San didn’t come for this trip.” Yunho said. “He’s in Italy with his fiancee. It’s just the seven of us.”

“Pish posh.” Yunho’s aunt grumbled out. “You boys are more than capable of doing this alone, we’ll be back to make dinner.” She huffed out as she grabbed a hold of the young girls. “Knowing you Yunho, you’ll burn the kitchen down if we don’t cook you something.”

Yunho blushed in embarrassement and turned around feeling defeated. With an amused smile the rest of the boys joined Yunho in their quest to setting up the cabin for living purposes, not one mentioning the fact that the blue haired man once almost burned down said cabin while trying to make some toast.

･*:༅

You rode your bike in the hot afternoon with glee in your eyes as the wind caressed your sun kissed skin. You had on a green plaid dress which wildly danced around you as you pushed the pedals of the bike to make it go. You had just finished hanging out with your friends, Lia and Mads, and were on your way home to help your mother make dinner for the kids.

Your family was quite large, you having two older siblings and four younger ones.

“Ah, y/n!”

You halted your bike when you heard your name being called and turned around to see an older woman with three young women behind her.

“Aunty!” You smiled recognizing your neighbor’s straw hat right away. You jumped off your bike and walked up to them. “How are you?”

“Oh I’m wonderful, my nephew came to visit from the big city!” She said waving her hand with excitement. “He brought his friends along as well.” She looked behind her at the girls. “And they finally brought along these nice girls. They saw the hat you had made for me and wanted one themselves.”

“Really?” You looked up at them and they nodded along. “Then how about you girls come to my house, I’ll make you all one and you can decorate it however you want!”

“Yes!” An overly eager girl with a beret yelled out startling you. “Sorry, I tend to get excited about these things.”

“That’s okay.” You laughed it off. “I’m y/n by the way, I live in the house right next to aunty’s farm.”

“The houses around here are divided by farms. Y/N’s family farm cultivates the best fruits around here. They’re quite famous for the large amount of huckleberries growing around their house.”

“Huckleberries?” One of the girls asked. “Gosh they grow here? In Korea?”

“Yup. My great-grandfather somehow managed to grow a bush and then he just let nature take it’s tool and suddenly our house was surrounded by them.” You shrugged laughing. “You understand plants down’t you?”

“Oh, sorry it seems we havent’s introduced ourselves.” She scratched the back of her neck. “My name’s Strawberry.”

“I’m Raspberry.” The girl with the pony tail and shy glances introduced herself.

“And I’m Blueberry.” The enthusiastic one said.

“Nice to meet you all.”

You made it to your home and they looked on in awe at the three story building in front of them. You guided them inside and left aunty with your mother as you moved on to your room. Your older sibling greeted you softly as he wrestled two of the younger four.

“They seem lively.” One of the girls said.

“They always are.” You answered and let them into your room.

Your room was neat and spacious, allowing you to have a full craft station in one corner. The house was built as a cabin, and the girls were amazed at the intricate woodwork and effort put into it. Every single piece of furniture you owned was handmade by either your great-grandfather or eldest brother.

“Are you the only girl in the family?”

“Hm?” You looked up from the ribbons you were preparing for them to choose fro and that’s when you noticed that all four of your younger brothers were now wrestling your eldest brother. “No. The eldest of our family is also a girl. But she’s married and living in Seoul with her husband and kids.” You looked away, sadness coating your little beady eyes. “She rarely comes to visit us.”

The three girls noticed your discomfort and change in mood so they opted to talk about different things while making the straw hats. You enjoyed showing Blueberry how to make them and she even showed you some other crafts you could do out of different materials.

“So wait, you make jams?”

“And all kinds of pastries. I have a really bad sweet tooth so I decided to learn how to make some as to not bother my mother.” You admited.

“Wow. That’s so neat!”

“Girls, it’s time to go! The boys came to pick you up!” Aunty yelled from the first floor.

“I feel like a kid when the parents come to pick them up and they whine because they don’t want to go home.” Blueberry muttered as you all filled down the stairs.

The girls shuffled out the door as the older woman thanked you one last time before leaving. But suddenly she pulled over a tall man with blue hair and smiled.

“This is my nephew Yunho! He is a botanist in the National Greenhouse!” She exclaimed.

“Hi.” You said to him and he just nodded lost for words. “I’m y/n. Your aunty has spoken so much about you.”

“He could help you with that thing which has been messing up the berries.” She said.

“He could?” Suddenly you were surrounded by your siblings, all of them observing the man head to toe.

Yunho gulped at the sudden attention from the boys and stepped back, cautious of the wood carpenter in front of him. You noticed his discomfort and smiled at your brothers pushing them further inside the house and closing the door behing you. You looked at the older woman and tried to convey the message that you wish to speak with her nephew alone and she got it almost immediately. She left with a wink which had you both blushing but you ignored it, trying to focus on the problem at hand.

“Can we agree to ignore my brothers?” You asked as you noticed them watching through the windows.

“Only if we agree to ignore my aunty.” He said turning to see his aunt nodding in encouragement.

“Deal.” You both said at the same time.

“I know that it’s late and you won’t be able to see the problem we have with our plants but if you could help us I’d be really greatful.” You said, looking up at him. It only downed on you now that you were much shorter than him. “My family will of course pay you, so there is no need to worry.”

“Don’t worry about the pay. I’m not even sure I can help you with the problem.” He sighed.

“Well, how about you come over in the morning and see for yourself?” You suggested, the bright smile you sported shinning even in the dark.

“Alright.”

It seemed he couldn’t say no to your smile in that moment.

･*:༅

“It seems you guys have a case of orange rust.” Yunho spoke as you and your father observed him work. “It’s mild, in the beginning stages and can be controlled quite easily. We’ll have to dig up the infected bushes and burn them. I’ll also need to look for wild brambles and root them out too.”

“You’ll help us do that?” You asked surprised.

“Yeah.” He smiled at you.

“Great, then would you mind if we get started right away?” Your father asked. “Gong-Tae will help you with the wild brambles, while y/n will help me with the infected bushes.”

“Sounds like a plan.” You hummed and went to call your older borther over.

“I would have let my daughter go with you but I don’t trust you kid.” Your father spoke, giving Yunho the stank eye. “I’ve already lost one daughter to a big city boy, I’m not about to lose the only other one I have.”

“But... I’m not...” Yunho tried saying but the look your father gave him had him smiling awkwardly and almost grabbing your older brother by the wrist and running away.

The day passed with you helping your father burn the infected bushes and moving around to check up on the rest of the farm to see if any other fruit was having a problem while Yunho was here. On the other hand, Yunho was close to crying by the way Gong-Tae was following his every move from the corner of his eye. He felt like a deer in a wolf’s den.

“You know, you’re different.” He suddenly spoke up.

Yunho looked over at him confused. His hands were covered in dirt and his face had some smudges here and there, but all in all he was quite lost in his work to notice that Gong-Tae was not only watching him but his sister as well.

“I don’t quite understand.” He finally spoke up.

“There are seven of us in this family. Two girls and five boys. As you can see only six of us are here.” He spoke, looking on at your form being surrounded by your younger siblings who were eager to help you. “The eldest is our sister, Hyemi. She got married a few years ago to a man from the big city and we haven’t exactly heard or seen from her since then. That’s why I’m an ass to you. And why my father looks at you with murder in his eyes.” He then finally looked at Yunho. “Do you like my sister?”

“I’ve just met her...” Yunho looked over at your smiling form and blushed furiously when you gave him a tight eyed smile. “Though I do consider her cute.”

“See, you’re different than that man.” Gong-Tae stood up straight. “You have the balls to tell me my sister is cute.” He laughed.

Soon all of you were done with work and your mother invited Yunho for dinner. It went off smother than you expected and even your dad layed off with the murder glares towards him. Your mother seemed to like him a lot while your younger brothers just kept asking annoying questions.

“Thanks for today.” You told him as you walked him up to the small gate of your home. “Sorry about my family.”

“Nah, it was fun.” He laughed. “Even though your older brother and dad are intimidating, I think they’re starting to like me.”

“Possible.” You said looking back at the house. “I mean they’re not even looking through the windows tonight.”

You both laughed.

“So, how long are staying up at your aunt’s cabin?” You asked the man shyly.

“About a week more.” He answered. “We were looking to go to the river for a swim, but we don’t know many good spots which are good for that.”

“Well I do.” You said and looked up at him through your eyelashes with a very prominent blush. “If you want, me and my friends could show you.”

“That’d be awesome.”

Yunho made it back to the cabin and was met with his group of friends playing cards in the center of the living area. He sat down between Wooyoung and Mingi and looked at them all, his eyes not exactly focusing on any of them.

“So, did you ask her out?” Jongho broke the silence.

“I think she asked me out.”

･*:༅

Your friends and you were patiently waiting with your bikes by the small dirt road which led to the cabing where Yunho’s aunty lived. Lia was wearily eyeing the road, not pleased with today’s activities which she got dragged in, while Mads kept on questioning you why in god’s given name were you so willing to show these big city kids around.

“So if I got this straight, you have a small crush on the blue haired dude?” Mads asked to confirm.

You nodded, averting your gaze from him.

“But he doesn’t know.” He added. “And you didn’t know how to ask him out so you proposed we all go down to the river.” He continued. “Like not to be a party pooper, but y/n big city kids don’t exactly like us country pumpkins.”

“Stop with the pumpkin farm references.” Lia rolled her eyes, paddling over to you two. “We get it, you are the legal owner of a pumpkin farm.” She sighed and looked over at you. “They’re coming by the way. They seem to be quite loud and dumb.”

“Hey, don’t be mean.” You said with a pout. “I wasn’t mean to you when you had a crush on the Jeon kid.”

“True.” Lia sighed. “I’m just worried these guys are like the ones who came and snatched your sister away.”

“They’re not.” You said and observed two of them fighting each other and trying to push the other off their bike. “I even talked to the girls of their group. They’re really nice. Most of them are just like us, ordinary.” You smiled noticing Yunho ride along with a red haired boy. “And he isn’t like that man that married my sister.” Yunho noticed you and smiled, hurrying along to reach you faster. “He’s kind.”

Your friends observed the exchange of greeting and noticed how Yunho was very similar to you. As you rode along the road towards the river, they got to know that he also liked plants like you, had this sunshine smile like you, and was generally just a shy baby like you.

“Psst Lia.” Mads nudged Lia as he rode next to her. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“That they’re made for each other?” Both nodded. “Oh boy.”

Yunho’s friends were having a blast in the water as Mads showed them how to catch a fish with their bare hands. The girls were mesmerized by Lia’s personality and were quickly becoming friends, while you and Yunho sat on the side just watching them have fun.

“Wow, I never thought they’d be into this.” Yunho giggled when Seonghwa slipped and fell into the water.

“It seems my friends like yours.” You sighed in content while watching Lia and Mads enjoy themselves. As you watched Lia teach the girls how to make flower crowns you suddenly remembered something and stood up, extending your hand to Yunho. “Hey, I wanna show you something.”

Yunho took hold of your hand without a second thought and stood up to follow you. Yeosang noticed that you two were walking off but decided to not say a word, allowing you two the privacy you needed.

You glanced back at Yunho who was blindly following you, his hand still in yours and you giggled when the stray strands of your hair danced in the summer wind. You led Yunho to a meadow, not far from the river, but with enough distance for nobody to bother you. It was filled with wild flowers and he noticed how you acted as if you were home here, and it filled his heart with warmth.

“Is this your secret meadow?” He asked when you collapsed to the ground.

“Not really. Both Lia and Mads know about it.” You shrugged your shoulders as he laid down next to you. “But I like to come here more than they do. It’s my spot I guess.”

“Well it’s a very calming spot.” He said and looked on to the clouds, glancing at you each ocassion he got. “Hey, not to pry, but what’s the deal with your older sister? Your brother mentioned her the other day.”

“Gong-Tae did?” You were surprised by this information. “Well, nothing much to be honest. We just haven’t heard from her in like four years. Ever since she got married and moved to Seoul. Her husband doesn’t like us very much, or at least his side of the family doesn’t.” You sighed sadly. “We’re farmers, while they are some type of business executives. I don’t really understand why someone like him would go for my sister.” You looked over at Yunho who was now intently watching you. “She was very kind and timid. They say I have the same personality as her, but much more brighter. The man she married was quite dark and mean, he insulted my father at the wedding and demanded an apology because we were of lower status.” Yunho’s heart was breaking at these words. “He kind of bit back those words when he found out that we’re a bit richer than his whole family is. But we don’t brag like the big city kids do.”

“Do you want to find your sister?” He asked.

“Yeah. I’d like to ask her why she abandoned her family.” You looked up to the clouds. “I’d like to ask her why she took his side and not ours.”

“Is that why your father and brother want to murder me?”

“They don’t want to do that. They’re just scared I’ll end up as my sister.”

“Why so?”

“Because I also like a guy from the big city.” You looked him in the eyes.

“Is that guy... me?” He asked his heart beating in his ears.

You shrugged your shoulders and smiled at him, bringing your face closer to his.

“It could be you. That is if you like me back.”

You blinked back the surprise when his mouth met yours into the softest kiss you ever experienced. His hands went to hold your face and his sweet aroma overwhelmed you to the point it was becoming hard to breathe.

“Yeah.” He said equally breathless. “I like you back too.”

･*:༅

Yunho squeezed your hand for support as the both of you stood in front of a large gate, the matching flower patteren of your dress and his shirt standing out among the grey walls of the gate. Tall trees covered the paved path in a heavy shade as you waited for the man whose voice sounded on the intercom to come and pick you up.

“Are you nervous?” Yunho asked you, watching the man in the black suit approach you two.

“No.” You looked up at him with a smile. “I have my boyfriend with me.”

He smiled down at you as the man opened the heavy gate and proceeded to guide you up to the front door. You held your head high, shoulders straight and hand gently holding on to your boyfriends. It’s been a few months since you and Yunho started dating, him visiting your farm and you visiting him in the city. Your father and brother weren’t too thrilled by this idea but they were accepting when Yunho promised not to whisk you away to the concrete jungle. It took you guys exactly two months to agree to move in together, and about five to get the information you needed which has led you to this house.

“Are you ready?” He asked, his gaze never leaving yours.

“Totally.” You answered your gaze fixed on the figure standing in the door.

It was time to face your older sister.

#ateez imagines #ateez #jeong yunho #ateez reactions #huckleberry

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theroyalmile · 3 years

Text

Body by Chemo

Last weekend I went for a 9-mile bike ride to downtown Boston and back. I was admittedly nervous and skeptical about this ride beforehand for a couple of reasons. First, it has been years since I rode a bike, and I know there’s that whole expression “It’s like riding a bike” but I’m not sure that expression is all that accurate. Second, I have never ridden a bike in Boston. Third, I get winded these days going up and down my stairs, so I was not sure I quite “had it in me.” But, my whole household was going, it was a beautiful day, and I had been promising myself I would make an effort to be more active. So off we went. Oh, and there was a promise of breakfast sandwiches and coffee and donuts once we made it downtown- nobody could say no to that.

The beginning of the ride was rocky. The original bike I borrowed was just a little too tall for me, and because of that I felt incredibly unsteady. I traded bikes with one of my roommates and that bike ended up being a better fit for me- a few loops around a parking lot and I thought, “Hey, it really is like riding a bike.” With my confidence reasserted, we hit the bike path.

The bike ride was, overall, beautiful. I did find myself getting winded and had to stop a couple of times. My roommates had been prepared to take it easy with me, and were very supportive. Eventually we made it the 4.5 miles downtown and I felt so incredibly proud for conquering my first time back on a bike and first time biking downtown, all while dealing with the fatigue, shortness of breath and other goodies that come with my chemo treatment. I felt empowered and heartened, which made me feel optimistic about the ride back home.

That optimism was short lived; almost immediately after we took off it became apparent that my body simply could not handle it. I told myself we just had to get out of downtown and back on the bike trail and then I would ask to stop. We made it and I signaled everyone for a quick break. I thought maybe if I caught my breath and had some water it would be okay. One of our bike squad members offered for me to try their bike to see if that made a difference. I hopped on bikes a block or so, and then hopped off almost immediately- it just wasn’t going to work. As I hopped off, right after we had crossed an intersection, I heard two men yelling from a car about some girl having a fat ass, or something to that effect. Regardless of whether they were talking about me or someone else who had crossed the street with us, that was the final kick for me. Any experienced fat girl understands that you will always think those comments are about you, even when they are not. (Disclaimer: I do not mean “fat” as something negative, and I am definitely not looking for people to tell me I’m not fat, I’m simply stating a fact about my body). Anyways, it was at this point I felt the tears of frustration welling up and knew my ride was done. I told the crew I couldn’t go any further and would walk while they biked on.

There is a certain trauma that comes with being fat and exercising. It’s almost like you never want someone to see you fail at any kind of physical activity because it feels like you're reinforcing the stereotype, like, oh of course the fat girl can’t finish the bike ride. My roommate had offered, very kindly, to come back and pick me up in the car. That was an indignancy I couldn’t bear- it was one thing to fail to finish the ride; it was another to have to be driven home. No, I said stubbornly, I would walk my bike home. Caleb of course insisted on walking his bike with me.

As we walked our bikes I became more and more upset. Part of it was the embarrassment of being a fat girl walking a bike home. I almost want to scream at passers by “It’s not because I’m fat- I have cancer!” But another, bigger part of it was the reality of admitting to myself that chemo had changed my body, and it simply wasn’t up to the tasks it might normally have been. Eventually I became upset enough that I had to stop and let myself have a small breakdown. Caleb hugged me while I cried and tried to keep me in perspective. “You’re going through chemo” he reminded me, and tried to help me realize that having made it as far as I had was a feat in itself. He walked across the street to grab me tissues and a gatorade so I could cry, rehydrate, cry, and rehydrate some more.

****

Here’s the thing about chemo- it has made me feel incredibly betrayed by my body. I have always been overweight, since my teenage years or even earlier. Different versions of overweight, but overweight. That was just the way it was, and I had reached a certain level of acceptance of that. But I had always prided myself on how active I could be. Pre-pandemic I could run 4-5 miles no problem. I would hit the gym three times a week, I would get the steps in. I was still fat, I was active, and I felt good about myself.

Because of chemo, I am now fat, inactive, and feel terrible all the time. I get winded walking up stairs, I am exhausted by my five minute walk from the T to my office downtown, and I find a short walk will tire me out for an afternoon. And it’s not just my stamina. It is absolutely everything.

The skin around my mouth had begun peeling and reddening. My cuticles are dry and peeling and hurt. My hands and feet are dry and cracked. My arms are bruised up and down from frequent IVs. I oftentimes cannot open my medicine bottles or jars without help. My hair, of course, is completely gone, not just on my head, but my nostrils too, leaving me with an almost constant runny nose. My eyebrows are thinning, along with my eyelashes, and I pray to whoever is listening to please not take those away from me too. My hands shake, and have turned dark brown from the cytoxan (which thankfully I am done with). My memory is terrible. I am breaking out like I’m back and middle school. My joints hurt, my muscles ache, despite me doing nothing all day. AND I get hot flashes now! Oh and I am hungry all the time. Honestly ALL THE TIME.

Here’s the thing- my body and I have been in a constant battle since I was 12 years old. It took me 10-15 years to learn to love my body for what it was, with the understanding I was never going to have the same body as my friends, was never going to fit their clothes, and was never going to be the traditional idea of “in shape.” But we had come to truce, my body and I. I had found acceptance, and even joy in my body. I had even got to a point where I wore a bikini for the first time since I was a child the summer before the pandemic and it felt amazing, liberating. I followed plus size models like Ashley Graham and Tess Holiday on Instagram and thought heck yeah, if they can do it so can I.

My cancer treatment has taken the pride I had in my body and the control I had over my activity levels and appearance and destroyed every last piece of it. When I was having my worst struggles with my body in college, therapists used to ask me to list my favorite things about my appearance. My top two on that list were always the same: 1) My hair and 2) My boobs. Well, cancer has taken one of those things from me already and will have taken the other by the end of this summer. Like I said, my body has betrayed me now in more ways that I can count. And that betrayal is likely not going to end for a long time. Honestly not until there is no cancer in my body any more. Because let’s be real- that’s the biggest betrayal of all.

Whenever I catch myself in the mirror these days it has the potential to ruin my whole day. There are few outfits that make me feel comfortable and attractive. My face feels round, rounder without hair to frame it. I try not to look too long, lest I find more things to hate. I am terrified of upcoming social gatherings, and wonder how on earth will I be able to feel remotely happy about my appearance for them.

Chemo has reshaped my body in so many ways, some that I am only starting to realize. It is hard, fitting into this new body and becoming accustomed to it. It is even harder learning to love it. Indescribably hard. I think I can get there but sometimes it’s difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Moments like the complete few minutes of despair I felt during our bike ride sometimes make that light seem even further. But it’s important to remember those moments are often fleeting, and can change with a little perspective.

****

After I cried it out on the bike path, I checked the time and realized we really needed to start heading home. Caleb had a vaccine appointment to make and I was an hour away from committing murder of some poor bystander out of sheer frustration. I looked on Google maps and found the walk home would be 48 minutes, probably more pushing a bike and with my sad little chemo lungs. The bike ride home? 12 minutes. So back on the bike I went, and it took every muscle in my body to pedal that 12 minutes home. Fueled by my anger and embarrassment, and the residual tears, we eventually made it all the way home.

I originally found little pride and satisfaction in our trip. All I could think about was how I couldn’t bike the whole thing, and about how those guys in the car had yelled, and how much I hated my biking outfit, and how defeated and mortified I was feeling.

Sometimes perspective takes time, but eventually I found some. I owe a lot of the perspective to Caleb’s support and encouragement both during and after the bike ride, and to my parents pride and excitement as I was telling them about my biking adventure. I also owe a lot of it to a nap, a much needed shower, and a new day. With perspective I rediscovered some of that pride I had lost. Nine miles there and back? I did that shit. And yeah, maybe I didn’t bike the whole thing, but I sure as hell did the whole thing, and did the whole thing while in the midst of chemotherapy treatment. While in the midst of poisoning my body beyond recognition. I am a freaking badass.

And what did I do that evening? Ate my body weight in sushi because I wanted to.

I know there are going to be a lot more ups and downs like this. That bike ride was filled with some very high highs and some very low lows. This is going to happen. And while I don’t know exactly what to expect from my body in the months to come, I do know that whatever happens I’ll see y’all at the beach in July- I’ll be the fat girl with the bald head in a bikini eating an ice cream cone.

#chemo #chemotherapy #chemosucks #breast cancer #body image

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abandonedlefteye · 4 years

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Derry 1988- Part One (Losers club x reader)

Summary: This is inspired by the book ‘11/22/63’. The reader is an average girl from the year 2020 but accidentally travels into a parallel universe and finds herself in Derry 1988 where she meets the losers club, and tries to change their fate.

Warnings: Spoilers (IT, and IT: Chapter 2), Swearing, Violence (Bowers gang)

“DON’T LISTEN TO HIM GEORGIE!”

“STAN DON’T DO IT!”

“MOVE OUT OF THE WAY EDDIE!”

“......this can’t be the end”

**********

Summer boredom was just about killing 17 year old Y/n Y/l/n. She spent most of her days either on her phone or watching her favourite movies. Her most favourite movie however had to be ‘IT’, she didn’t know why exactly but it was something about the characters, how she wished she could be a part of that world, even if it was a horror movie, a tragic one after all.

She had just finished watching IT: CH2 for what felt like the 5th time since it came out. Her eyes red from crying at the death of not one, but two characters that she for some reason felt so close to.

Y/n closed her laptop as she got out of her bed and walked into the hallway. She had just moved into a new house with her aunt a few days prior. Her current room was just a bed and...well that was it. Her aunt had been raising her for as long as she could remember since her parents passed away in a car accident when she was just a baby.

Deciding it was time she explored the area, Y/n texted her aunt saying she’d be back by sunset and started to put her shoes on. She was wearing tight jeans matched with a cropped t-shirt as she made her way out the door.

Y/n then rode her bike around the small town of Windsville (made up), soon stopping at an ice cream store that was located in a plaza that consisted of no other stores; but instead a dentists office...how ironic. She got her favourite which was one scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough in a cup, because she hated the cone. As she sat down and looked out the window she noticed how old the buildings were and how much the area lacked of greenery. The last thing she wanted was to go from living in sunny California with all her friends to being in a dark sketchy town where she had yet to see anyone that looked under the age of 50; That was until she noticed she was quite obviously being watched by a boy around her age.

Y/n slightly turned her head to face the boy. He had curly dark brown hair that was almost black. It looked completely disheveled as if he had never brushed it in his life, and bright blue eyes. He was dressed in black jeans and a grey cardigan, underneath was a graphic t shirt that read ‘windsville library club’. As she caught him staring he gave her a warm smile, which she returned back although she still felt a bit creeped out.

He noticed her getting uncomfortable and decided to speak up “Hey I’m Cosmo. Sorry I didn’t mean to look weird it’s just that you seem new” He told her as he went to sit next her. She didn’t mind though as she was dying to meet someone interesting.

“New?” she asked.

“Yeah. Well I mean, this is a small town and I’ve lived her my whole life so I think I’d remember seeing someone my age. We are rare you know” He chuckled trying to break the ice.

“I noticed” She smiled. “I’m Y/n, I just moved here a couple of a days ago”.

“Really? I didn’t even know there were any houses for sale here” He stated in slight confusion.

“Oh, well I live on the corner house on Castlelane” She replied while finishing the last spoonful of her ice cream.

She then looked up to notice his eyes go wide as he suddenly froze up.

She knew this Cosmo kid sounded weird, but it was something about the way that he looked as if in fear from just the name of her street that gave her a feeling so eerie she couldn’t even seem to describe it.

“Is something wrong?” She asked enthralled by his reaction.

“I, I don’t think I should say anything” He stutterered as he suddenly got up and walked out of the store.

Okay. This is way too weird now Y/n thought to herself. She was definitely not the kind of person that would let someone leave her with all that confusion, so she decided to grab her bike and run after him.

“Wait! Cosmo!” she shouted as she caught up with him. “Okay now you HAVE to tell me what’s going on, please?” she begged.

“I don’t know I really shouldn-“

“PLEASEEE” she started to scream, catching the attention of an elderly couple walking down he sidewalk, they both gave the two teens dirty glares.

“Agh okay okay fine...just promise you won’t tell anyone I told you this?” he stopped in his tracks as he stuck out his pinky finger.

She chuckled a bit until she realized that he was completely serious, and then slowly wrapped her finger around his. “I promise”.

“Alright, now believe what you want but for as long as I’ve lived in this town it’s been a known fact that everyone in the house you’re living in right now...goes missing.”

Oh wow. Classic. As cool as it sounds Y/n knew there was no way her life could be interesting enough to sound like the plot of just about hundreds, if not thousands of horror and thriller movies. But at the same time they all did end the same way: owners of the house don’t take the rumours seriously, and then they go missing too. Y/n decided she rather bruise her ego than be a missing person.

“Let’s Say I believe this conspiracy-

“Not a conspiracy, it’s a fact” he interrupted.

“Okay..So let’s say I believe your fact. Why do you think that is? Ghosts? Demons?” She questioned him.

“Well, I don’t exactly know but nobody’s lived in that house for like 10 years, it’s gotta be cursed or something i’m telling you.” he tried to explain “it’s like..someone would move in, and by like a week they’d just be gone into thin air, but all their stuff would be the exact same”

“Hm..I mean if they all just coincidentally decided to move, why would they all leave their stuff behind?” She thought out loud.

“Exactly right? I’m telling you there’s some weird shit going on in that house, you better be careful” He told her.

She then felt a buzz in her pocket. She picked up her phone to see she had 2 missed calls from her aunt. It had been past sunset but Y/n didn’t seem to notice.

“Shit. I have to go...I’ll talk to you later?” She told him as she hopped onto her bike.

“I’ll be there” he called out as he pointed to the town library. Y/n gave him a thumbs up as she rode down the street.

***********

It was now about 3am as Y/n was tossing and turning around in her bed. After her conversation with Cosmo she couldn’t bring herself to sleep. She wasn’t one to get scared over things, especially not ghosts or demons. But it was something about the situation. People going missing, how it was completely unknown what happened to them that made her feel uneasy.

After about an hour of trying to sleep but failing miserably, Y/n decided to get out of bed again and get a glass of warm milk, something that helped her when she was younger and would get nightmares. She made her way down the stairs slowly as she noticed herself checking behind her and in every room, as if something was going to come and attack her any second. The fear had definitely gotten to her.

As she waited for her glass of milk to heat up in the microwave she jumped when she heard a huge crash in her basement, as if someone had fallen. Panicked, Y/n rushed down the basement stairs calling after what she assumed to be her injured aunt, but instead she found nobody at all. She then walked down the dark and empty room as she realized she was alone. Feeling goosebumps rush throughout her neck and arms Y/n quickly decided to walk back up the stairs.

As she went up the first step she suddenly heard a voice call her name from the end of the dark room, groaning in pain, the voice sounded like someone was injured very badly.

“Y/n.....y/n help me please hurry!”

“Aunt Jane?....A,Are you there?” she called as she walked down the room trying to see as much as she could in the pitch black. Suddenly she reached the end of the room and noticed a wooden door that was opened slightly. She opened the door and walked in to see a figure in crouched in the corner crying.

“Aunt Jane what happened are you okay?!” Y/n called out approaching the figure, however she was walking very slowly because in the back of her head Cosmo’s words kept repeating. She knew this could be a trap, but what if it really just was her aunt? It sounded like her. She couldn’t leave her alone if she was hurt, that’s just the kind of person Y/n was.

She slowly crouched down to the figure that had it’s back away from her as it was crying into the corner.

“Aunt-“ she spoke as she reached her arm out to the figure but was interrupted as it quickly turned around revealing the face of not her aunt, but rather a terrifying clown, one that seemed all too familiar.

Before she could say the name of who/what she knew was in front of her, everything went black.

**********

After the darkness came a shining bright light under the eyelids of Y/n. She was almost sure she had to be dead, that this must be heaven and she was brutally murdered and left to die in a room she didn’t even know existed. That was until she opened her eyes.

She was no longer on the cold black ground of the mystery room, but instead she found herself laying on a field, a beautiful one as a matter of fact. Y/n looked around and noticed the bright blue sky and shining sun. Confusion had hit her as she knew that there was know way Windsville could have an area so full of life, but she was still trying to put two and two together on how she ended up there until she looked down. Instead of her pyjama shorts and tank top she now had on overall shorts, and a lilac tshirt underneath, an outfit she would never think to wear considering how out of date it is.

Y/n decided this had to be a dream. There was no way she went from her basement floor being attacked by what she thought to be Pennywise, to going through a wardrobe change and ending up in the middle of a bright green field of grass. But it all felt too real. She pinched the skin on top of her hand over and over again.

“Wake up wake up wake up” She whispered to herself repeatedly expecting to be back in her own bed.

“Hey! who is that?”

“Where? I don’t see anyone”

“Over there dumbass, it’s a girl!”

...Turns out Y/n wasn’t dreaming after all.

**********

A/n: Part 2?

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peterthepark · 5 years

Text

crush culture - [prologue]

the double accident

pairing: steve harrington x reader (university au & modern au)

summary: He delivered newspapers, while you were one of smartest kids in school. It’s a weird combination, but the fact that he’s crushing on you is even weirder. And the weirdest? You’re falling in love with him - just a little bit.

warnings: strong language

series masterlist

You never knew who he was until his paper delivery route had changed almost a year ago, where he first stumbled upon your campus apartment during the peak of the morning. He would pedal quickly on a blue bike and would never wear a helmet in fear of ruining his hair. Sometimes, you’d see him from your balcony, or when you’d get into your car, he’d speed by and give you a polite nod before tossing the community newspaper onto the driveway.

Later in your life, you did find out that his name was Steve Harrington: the boy who delivered newspapers at five in the morning during weekdays and ten during weekends.

He was the guy who dated Ashley Cutler during his freshman year then broke up with her because he thought he was in love with Olivia Kim, but really, he wasn’t - rumor had it that he was actually in love with some sorority girl called Melissa.

He was the guy who would pass by you between seminars, accidentally making eye contact with you when you’d stride past him.

He was the guy who rode his blue bike to campus on Monday through Friday, and his red one on Saturday and Sunday.

But yeah, you didn’t know him at all.

You were backing out of the driveway, busy adjusting the rear-view mirror before you heard a loud thud and a string of questionable curses. Speak of the fucking devil. You open your door, poking your head out. Steve sat on the pavement, hissing as he examined the bloody mess of his scraped knee.

You are literally a dumbass. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

“Holy shit. Oh, my god, I am so sorry. I wasn’t paying attention-“ You ramble as you approach him, crouching down to his level with worry.

Steve glances at you, then gives you a second look when he recognizes your face. “No, no. You’re - you’re fine.” He gulps, cheeks tinted with a rosy hue. “I wasn’t looking, um, either. Yeah, sorry, I wasn’t looking either.” His tongue darts out to wet his lips. You help him to his feet, simultaneously blushing with him as he dusts off his dirty hands on his clothing. “Y/N, right?”

You nod with a smile. “I have a first aid kit in my car. Would you mind if I...?” You start, pointing to the trunk of your van. He shakes his head, urging you to go ahead. Standing patiently with his arms crossed against his chest, his eyes follow your panicked movements.

You sigh shakily as Steve takes the red box from you, thanking you before he picks up his fallen bike. You swipe your thumb over your bottom lip, hesitantly speaking, “Look, I’m really sorry. Uh, surely it’s appropriate for me to give you a ride? To school? If that’s where you’re headed.”

Steve flexes his hands against the handles of his bike, glancing around as if he didn’t want to be seen with you. He shrugs with a shy and hesitant grin, “Sure. Yeah, thanks.” He drives his bike over and helps you load it into the trunk of your van, his hair tickling your cheek as he reaches over your shoulder. He apologizes, before he makes a beeline towards the passenger seat.

Bouncing his leg, Steve gazes out the window. The car ride has been awkwardly silent for the past ten minutes - well, you wouldn’t be able to hide the awkwardness in the first place considering the fact you almost ran him over.

“So, what’s your major?” You pipe up with a squeaky voice, keeping a straight face towards the road in fear of eye contact. You clear your throat, shocked at how many octaves your voice had jumped.

What’s your major? Really? Such a stupid, boring question.

Steve chuckles, glad that you‘ve broken the tension in the car. “Criminal justice. Woo! So fun.” He pumps his fist in the air enthusiastically, smiling shyly when he looks over to you.

“Oh, that’s so cool!” You chuckle genuinely, “So are you trying to be like a police officer or something?”

“Yeah, something like that. Maybe a crime scene investigator, too.”

You nod understandably, and Steve continues to discuss his major as well as his plans after university. Then, he realizes that he’s been talking about himself the whole time, and instantly shifts the topic of the conversation to you. “What about you? What are you doing?”

You tell him about your major and all about your experiences on campus, and he listens, occasionally adding a witty remark to your delight.

“I haven’t had a break since the semester started, but you know, it’s almost Christmas so that means vacation, which then means no exams and no assignments. Thankfully.” You laugh, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. You take a turn into the parking lot, and part of you feels disappointed that the car ride has ended so quickly.

You open the trunk, moving to get his bike but Steve insists politely that he can do it. And before you know it, the bike slips out of his grasp and he accidentally elbows you in the face.

Steve cries out as your body plummets to the parking lot floor. You clutch your eyebrow, pulling your hand away from your face to be met with a small drop of blood.

“I am such an idiot. Y/N. God, I’m sorry. I should have been more careful and - and I didn’t want you to get the bike because I was trying to be a gentleman and I mean,” He chuckles, catching his breath, “Look where that got me.”

You manage to let out a breathy giggle. “Well, now we’re even.” Your eyes take a glimpse at his patched-up knee. “Happen to spare me a band-aid?”

He nods rapidly, before he takes your small hands into his own, lifting you up effortlessly from the ground. You nearly collide with his chest, but you’re able to grab onto his shoulders, steadying your weight.

If you had known this would be the start of your day, you probably would’ve stayed home.

Steve leans patiently against the side of your van as you clean up the wound on your face, catching his eye in the sun-visor mirror from time to time.

The two of you can’t help but snicker at each other when you finally get out of your car, looking absolutely ridiculous with a rainbow band-aid that matched the pony design on Steve’s knee.

Suddenly, the moment is stolen when a cloud of nervousness re-appears over your heads. Steve shifts from one foot to the other, scratching the back of his neck as he glances away from you. You don’t know what to do with your hands, resorting to tucking them away in your sweatshirt.

“I should go.” Steve says, shutting one eye as he throws his thumb over his shoulder.

Shit, that was cute. That was kinda, really cute. Okay, now say something.

“Oh, yeah, yeah, of course. Uh, thanks!”

“Um, for what?”

You truly are a mess. Why the hell are you thanking him? Get it together.

“Just - just for the company.” Smooth, real smooth. “Sorry about your knee... again.” You gesture to his leg, biting down on your lip. He chuckles with a scoff, nodding likewise towards your face.

“Oh! Wow, completely rude of me.” He shifts his bike to his left hand, holding out his right. “I’m Steve Harrington, by the way. I never introduced myself.”

“I know who you are.” You grin, shaking hands. Your eyes widen at how suddenly creepy that had sounded, and you stumble over your words in an effort to save yourself from embarrassment. “Jesus, that sounded really weird. Yeah, I-I know your name. In like a total, not stalker-ish way.” This is so bad. “I share an apartment with Robin and Kate, which you do bike by a lot, so...”

He must be really, really disturbed.

Steve flashes you a sweet, boyish smile, slowly retracting his hand from you after realizing that he had been holding onto it for the longest time. His palms are clammy, and he’s praying that you hadn’t felt it.

“Yeah. It was cool meeting you, finally. I pass by your apartment like you said so - so yeah, definitely, I...” He breathes out deeply, shaking his head with a scrunched up nose. “I’m gonna go now.”

Blushing visibly, Steve adjusts the drawstrings of his jacket before he takes a seat on his bike.

“I’ll see you around, Harrington.” You nibble on the inside of your cheek, taking a couple steps backwards. He waves awkwardly, then he’s off in the opposite direction, careful not to crash into any other cars.

You let out a strangled groan when he’s out of sight, bringing your hands up to your face in sheer frustration. Could you be any more awkward?

“I’m telling you, K. I’ll show you the data later. I don’t have my laptop, but trust me, it’ll make sense then.” You sigh at your friend, who seemed terribly confused with today’s lecture. You’re sitting in one of the cafés on campus, sipping away at your latte while Robin and Kate munched on a couple cookies.

“Okay, fine, later. Also what happened to your face?” She snorts, tilting her head at the not-so-subtle bandaid with teasing eyes. “Did you have that much fun with Henry last night?”

“Oh, my god. I did not screw Henry. He left right after we finished the project.” You huff, swirling your drink around. “I just... hit my head. On the trunk. Again.”

“Must’ve been painful.” Robin raises a brow at you, obviously suspicious of your reason.

“Anyways, you guys, there’s this thing next Friday. Levi is inviting us to this party at his friend’s, friends’s place. I was wondering...” She draws out the word, shimmying her shoulders. “Can you both come with? Please? It’s gonna be fun. Also, I wanna hook Y/N up with this guy I know.”

“Y/N might finally get some good dick.” Robin laughs, punching your shoulder lightly. You roll your eyes at her, flipping her off before you retreat to your phone.

Pulling up your instagram, your fingers hover over the search bar, and before you know it you’re searching for a special someone.

steveharrington98

Bingo.

But to your dismay, his account seemed to be private. You blow air from your puffed out cheeks, successfully moving the stray strand of hair from your face.

“Who is that?”

Levi comes up behind you, and he smashes his thumb onto the terrifying white button without care.

Requested.

No. No. No.

“You absolute dickhead!” You gasp at him, slapping his arm before you look back at your phone. “Fuck!” You throw your phone down onto the table, tugging on your hair as you swear under your breath.

“Is that Steve? That’s Steve, right?” Robin takes your phone, but honestly you don’t even care anymore.

Damage has been done, and all you could do at this point was wait.

“Y/N?” Kate calls out to you, snapping you out of your crazed state. “So, party? Friday? Yes?”

You whine, slipping your phone into your backpack. “Yeah, I guess.”

“Great!” She squeals, “I’ll send the address to you later. After you help me with that dumb data shit.”

Your phone buzzes loudly. With buttery fingers, you take it out again with trembling thumbs.

steveharrington98 accepted your follow request.

steveharrington98 has requested to follow you.

Cool.

So much for accidents.

514 notes · View notes

envision-fandom · 4 years

Text

More than meets the eye

Otis Milburn fanfiction

Couple: Reader x Otis

Moordale was a seemingly average school, with average students, most likely achieving average grades. The only thing which stood out to you when you transferred was the fact that the sixth form seemed to have it’s own sex clinic, run by one of the students.

On your first day, you had instantly assessed the students at the school and distinguished each of the groups, hoping to find one which you could fit into.

At the top of the food chain there was the popular ‘lads’ group, which filled the halls with testosterone and was lead by the overly cocky head boy. Next was the stereotypical girls group, who covered themselves in makeup and followed the latest trends, as well as of course having a gay best friend by their side.

Then there was the classic group of nerds, drug users and of course several loners and people who didn’t really fit into any of the above categories.

You thought life out in the country would be different compared to the city where you had grown up, but so far it had seemed almost identical, apart from the excessive talk and actual practice of sex.

You guessed being surrounded by hills and fields lead to people being so utterly bored that they all just relied on sex for fun.

You attended your first class and continued your assessment of the students, desperately wanting to find your own place within the mixture of people, but so far you had no luck.

You had liked the way the girl sitting on the desk beside you looked, with her pink dip dyed hair and edgy outfit, but as soon as you made eye contact and smiled in her general direction she put her middle finger up to you and from there it was a no go.

You sighed in defeat and began to eavesdrop on the conversation in front of you. Clearly the guy scratching the desk with a knife was a psycho and you should avoid him like the plague, but the awkward boy next to him seemed innocent enough.

You couldn’t help but giggle at the way he stuttered when he was talking, clearly feeling intimidated by the boy beside him.

He looked over at you at the sound of your giggle and blushed when he realised you had been watching him.

You were taken back slightly by his bright blue eyes and dark hair, if he wore glasses he would definitely remind you of Clark Kent and who doesn’t have a crush on Superman?

From then on you had tried to get close to the boy, whose name turned out to be Otis, but it had turned out seemingly more difficult than you thought.

You had managed to talk to his best friend Eric a few times and he had even invited you to sit with them, but for some reason Otis just wouldn’t talk to you and would barely even look in your general direction.

So when you had heard about this sex clinic, you decided to try it out and see if this so called ‘sex wizard’ would give you advice on how to approach your crush.

You had never really been interested in guys before, and had reserved yourself from them even more after a rumor at your old school spread that you were a slut who had banged one of your teachers.

Little did anyone else know, that you were in fact still a virgin and your teacher had tried to hit on you during a detention after school, which you very aggressively turned down by punching him in the face and breaking his nose. But of course no one would believe the word of a 17 year old girl over a teacher, so you were ultimately expelled and forced to exchange to a new school.

You booked in an appointment for the sex clinic through Maeve, who thankfully didn’t swear at you this time, but why would she? You did just pay her £20.

You were to meet this unknown sex wizard in the abandoned toilets at the back of the school during lunch.

You headed straight out there once your lesson had ended and nervously entered the cubicle beside the one which was already locked, and you assumed that was the ‘sex therapists office’.

“Err... hi.” You stuttered, feeling incredibly awkward and beginning to question why you were even doing this.

“Hi, Y/N isn’t it? What seems to be the problem?” A boys voice answered you and you paused in shock. For some reason you had been expecting the therapist to be a girl, as you couldn’t imagine any of the boys being mature enough to talk about sex problems. “Is everything alright?” He asks, clearly confused why you hadn’t answered his question yet.

“Oh right, sorry I just wasn’t expecting you to be a boy.” You admit.

“Does that make you feel uncomfortable?” He asks and you laugh slightly.

“Not really, the whole thing is just a bit embarrassing and I’m not too sure where to begin.”

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, everyone has issues in the bedroom department. I’m simply here to make sure you reach your up to your full sexual potential.”

You sat in silence for a moment, before breaking out into a fit of laughs into what he had just said and soon enough he was laughing along with you.

“S-Sorry.” You apologise through your laughter.

“No, I’m sorry too. What I just said was super cringy.” He replied.

“It’s okay, you’ve made me feel more at ease now. And anyway I don’t have an issue in the bedroom, well I might do, but I wouldn’t know considering I haven’t ever done anything sexual.” You admit.

“Oh... right... well then what is it that I can help you with?” He says, sounding slightly relieved.

“Well the thing is, since the first day I started here I’ve been crushing on this guy. And considering I’ve never dated before, or even liked anyone, I’m not too sure how to handle it? Plus, I don’t even think he recognises my existent or is even slightly interested in me.” You admit and sigh in defeat.

You had spent the remainder of your lunch break talking to the therapist about your crush, but you never revealed who he was, scared that the therapist may pass the message on. You were relived you had spoken to him though, as you had enjoyed talking to him and he had given you some good advice.

The next day you decided you would try to approach Otis head on, rather than through his friend Eric. All you needed was a perfect opportunity to speak to him alone.

You rode in to school early on your bike and waited by the bike rack to greet Otis when he arrived. But of course he was with Eric.

You decided to shrug of this mild inconvenience and smiled towards them, greeting them both in a cheerful manor “Hi Otis, hi Eric!”

They both smiled back at you, and you were about to initiate a conversation with Otis, when Eric suddenly pulled you in and began walking next to you, linking his arm with yours and putting a barrier between you and Otis.

“So Y/N, I heard a couple of the boys in swing band talking about you and I was wondering if there was anyone here who had caught your eye?” Eric asks and you internally cringe, not knowing whether to admit you liked someone, considering he was standing only three feet away.

“I mean there are a few alright looking people here.” You try to play it cool.

“Well yeah, but is there someone who you desperately want to get in your pants?”

“Err- I don’t really...” Thankfully, you were cut off by a commotion outside the entrance to the school.

You, Otis and Eric gathered around to try and see what was going on, when suddenly everyone turned and began to stare at you.

“What is it?” You ask Eric, as you were unable to see what was written on the bunch of fliers stuck on the wall.

“Erm, it sort of says that you slept with a teacher in your old school and that’s why you had to transfer.”

You stood, paralyzed in shock.

You had no idea how anyone could’ve found out and you couldn’t believe that the rumours were still able to haunt you. So much for a fresh start.

You were unsure what to do, but as soon as you heard the whispers in the crowd of people calling you a slut and a whore, you could no longer stand their scrutinizing glares.

You fled the scene, ignoring the calls from Eric and rushed to the only safe place you knew- the abandoned toilets at the back of the school.

You needed to be alone and gather your thoughts. You flung the door open and headed straight into one of the cubicles and began to throw up.

Your mind was spinning out of control, remembering the awful hate comments you had to endure at your previous school and the haunting touch of your teachers hand on your thigh.

“Are you alright?”

You jump at the sound of the voice and look up to see Maeve staring anxiously down at you, pulling you out of your panic attack.

You began to breathe slowly and she sat down beside you, clearly offering you her support “Is this about the ridiculous rumors spreading around about you and that teacher?”

You roll your eyes “So you’ve heard?”

She shrugs awkwardly “Yeah, a lot of rumors get passed around this school. Apparently I bit a guys foreskin whilst giving him head, but in reality he tried to kiss me and I turned him down. People can be right dick heads, you just have to deal with it.”

You were surprised at how open she was being with you, but now you understood why she was so abrupt with you on your first day. “It’s easier to get hurt when you get close to people.”

You didn’t mean to say the last bit out loud, but she nods at you in agreement.

“But I’m guessing there was some truth to the rumor for it to affect you so much?” She states plainly and you end up telling her about your creep of a teacher trying to hit on you in an empty classroom.

She listened to your story and ended up comforting you, before you decided it would be best to head back to class.

You ignored the stares of the students as you passed through the hallway to your locker beside Eric’s, who happened to be there waiting for you.

“Hey Y/N, you okay?” He asks, genuinely concerned.

You smile at him reassuringly “Yeah I’m alright thanks. It’s just a ridiculous rumour. I don’t really care what people think about me, as long as I and the people I care about know the truth, that’s enough for me.”

He smiled at you “Yeah, I knew it couldn’t be true and don’t worry, after you bolted Otis stuck up for you and tore down the posters.”

“He did?” You questioned, surprised and also extremely happy that your crush supported you.

“Yeah, well he already knew you were a virgin, so there was no way it could be true.”

“Wait. What do you mean he knows I’m a virgin?” You ask uncertainly.

“Oh shoot, I didn’t mean to say that.”

“Eric.” You glare up at him “Tell me now.”

“Oh god, okay. Well Otis sort of runs the sex clinic everyone has been talking about and I promise he keeps everyone’s issues confidential. He only tells me so that I can offer him occasional advice.”

Your heart sank.

You couldn’t believe you had been talking about having a crush on a guy in school, to the guy you had a crush on.

“I’m sorry Y/N! And that’s why I asked you who you fancied this morning, because we were hoping you would tell us and it would make it easier to help you, along with other reasons.”

You were in too much shock to ask him what the other reason was and closed your locker. No longer wanting to deal with school, and the embarrassment that was your life, you decided to skip.

You were walking along the river, enjoying the feeling of the sun on your face and the warm breeze passing through your hair. The sense of freedom you felt from the surrounding area was the only thing you liked about moving to the country, along with crushing on a certain someone.

Your mind turned to Otis, you couldn’t believe he was offering sex advice. You for sure thought he was a virgin who hadn’t even kissed a girl, but I guess your judgment of him had been wrong. Similar to how people’s judgment of you had been wrong in regards to the rumour.

You let out a sigh. You were so conflicted with your feelings. On the one hand you were so glad that Otis had stood up for you, but you couldn’t believe you had been going into detail about how much you liked him to HIM! And now he would definitely think you fancied someone else, making it even more difficult for you to approach him and hint that the one you had feelings towards was him!

You backtracked along the river, your thoughts preoccupied with obsessing over Otis and how you would deal with everyone at school the next day, that you hadn’t even noticed the two boys cycling across the bridge just above you.

“Hey Y/N!” You jumped at the sound of your name and let out a small squeal in surprise. You looked up towards the bridge and had to cover your eyes with your hand to see through the glare of the sun.

Otis and Eric were looking down at you. Eric waving manically, whilst Otis nodded towards you and let out a small smile. “Hi guys.” You replied, “Heading home?”

“We are going to Otis’s to play some smash bros, what about you?” Eric replied.

“I’ll probs head home soon too. Smash sounds good, but I think I’ll be playing some Zelda tonight, hopefully this time I’ll remember to save and won’t lose three hours of gameplay.” You sighed, thinking about how annoyed you had been earlier in the week when it had happened and how that was the most dramatic thing in your life. However, after today that was the least of your concerns but it still somehow managed to bug you.

Eric gave Otis a look and Otis turned away in embarrassment, which you failed to notice due to your internal rambling.

“Otis likes Zelda too, you should join us for a games night sometime!” He smiled at you, which you returned. You were about to accept until you noticed Otis shift uncomfortably at the mention of you joining them.

“Ermm... yeah, maybe at some point.” You smiled towards them both “Anyway, I don’t want to keep you guys and I best be heading home. See you tomorrow.” You were about to turn away when Otis suddenly called out to you.

“Will you be in school tomorrow?” He questioned.

You looked back towards him and smiled, glad he was finally speaking to you “Of course! I can’t keep running away from the rumors forever and how fun will school be without the current centre of attention being there? I’ve got to keep the lesser beings entertained somehow!” You shrugged your shoulders and they both laughed at your response.

“Sounds good, I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Otis replied, looking you dead in the eye.

“Yep, see you tomorrow.”

#otis #otis fanfiction #otis milburn #otis milburn fanfiction #fanfitcion #sex education #sex education fanfiction #asa #asa butterfield #asa fanfiction #asa butterfield fanfiction

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caspers-chibs-imagines · 4 years

Text

Redemption

Summary

Riley Teller and her son move back to Charming. When Riley returns however, she is faced with the fact that she had to take on her responsibilities as a mom better than before when they are apart of The Sons. Allies are made and maybe a little something more with a certain Scotsman.

____

Chapter Thirteen

I sat in the garage trying to fix the left brake on my bike the next day. I had woken up pretty early this morning and decided to get up and get out of Chibs' room before anyone turned up at the clubhouse. I opened up the garage for mom too.

Now I was sat here finishing my bike so that I could try her out today. I wasn't paying much attention to everyone around me. But I did see the looks that Chibs was giving me as he leant over the engine of a car that got brought in. We hadn't spoken to one another since last night – mostly due to my own doing but I wasn't ready to talk about what we did last night. Hell, I had been the one that said we would take things slow but ended up in bed with him the first chance I had.

Feeling frustrated with myself I tossed the wire cutter in my hand across the garage at the wall. A couple of the others in the garage froze at my sudden outburst, even Chibs as he watched me with a careful eye.

I caught mom looking through the blinds at me as I walked out of the garage to get some fresh air. I went over to the benches by the clubhouse and sat on top of it as I lit myself a cigarette.

"You okay, baby?" I look up a moment later to see my mom had came over to me. She gave the look that said, 'don't lie to me' and I almost caved in and told her about my previous night events but withheld myself from doing so.

"Yeah. Just getting annoyed with the bike." I lie and take another drag. Mom turns back to look at the garage and when I see that she was looking at Chibs. Who had decided to step out of the garage for a smoke too and leant against the building. He looked over at me and I took notice how his jaw clenched and unclenched before he looked away again. Mom then turns her attention back to me and I quickly look away from Chibs.

"You haven't got to feel bad." She takes my cigarette out of my hand and takes a drag of it. I raise an eyebrow at her, and she rolls her eyes at me. "I'm old, not blind sweetie."

"It shouldn't have happened. I can't do that to the club." I sigh as mom passes me the cigarette back. She gives me a look, the kind that she would give me when I was a kid and brought a boy over to meet her and Clay. The kind made me want to just curl up and disappear.

"You wanted to be part of it. Now you have to own it." She tells me and walks back off to her office in the garage. I finished my smoke and flicked it away from me. Shaking my head, I stood up and went back to the garage.

***

"Mommy!" Tommy cheered as he ran over to me from Mary's car. I dropped everything I was doing and ran to meet him halfway. I picked him up in my arms and span around as I held him close to my chest.

"Oh baby, mommy has missed you so much!" I cheer before pressing all over his face as he squealed with delight. I look over to Mary as she gets out the car. "How was the little troublemaker?"

"Good as gold. Didn't want to leave the kids." She smiles and I thank her again for taking care of him and then she leaves the lot. I turn my attention back to Tommy as he held onto his teddy bear.

"Wanna come see mommy's new bike?" I ask him and he beams with glee as he nods his head. I let him down and hold onto his hand as I lead him over to the almost fully restored Harley.

"Whoa!" Tommy cheered as he ran up to the bike. "Can I sit on it?!" He cheered again as he pointed to the seat. I smiled as I helped him onto the seat and he tried to reach for the handles, but his little arms were just a little too short to reach.

"Once it's done, shall me and you take it for a ride?" I ask him and he nods his head. I ruffle up his hair before helping him off the bike and he saw Chibs at the other side of the garage and ran over to him.

I noticed how Chibs had been keeping an eye on us since he got here and was prepared for Tommy to jump up into his arms. Tommy went straight into telling him about his sleepover and Chibs was all smiles with him. I exhaled a breath before I made my way over to them. Tommy turns to me and then beams as he talks again.

"Mommy is going to take me to ride her new bike!" He pointed over to my bike and Chibs raised an eyebrow at me.

"Is she now?" He asks my son, looking at me with an amused face.

"Yeah, mommy is really good at driving." Tommy boasts with a smile on his face.

"Are we sure mommy can even reach the handlebars?" Chibs chuckles and I hit him in the shoulder for his little dig at me.

"I'll have you know I can ride circles around you." I cross my arms over my chest and smirk. "What do you think I would get grounded for as a kid."

Chibs puts his spare hand up in defence and Tommy high fives him and giggles. I ruffle my son's hair and Chibs puts him down.

"Alrigh', ya willing to beat ya top rocker on that, prospect?" He challenges me. Calling me prospect made me laugh at him.

"You're on, old man."

***

After making sure that the engine would run and finishing the paintjob on the body of my beauty, she was ready to be taken out on the road. Jax had came into the garage and congratulated me on fixing her up and I told him about the challenge that Chibs and I had thrown at one another. Word went around the club and when it got to Clay, he decided to use it as a test on me once again.

"Put your helmet on." I tell Tommy as I put the small helmet on his head, and he clicked the strap under his neck, and I tapped the top of it. "Safe?" I ask and he nods his head before I put my own helmet on.

"You even know how to ride that thing, doll?" Tig asks as I get onto my bike. I flip him off and earn a few chuckles off the others as they all mounted their own bikes. I turned to Tommy and lifted him up to sit in front of me so that he could be safe with me on the ride.

"While we ride, you hold onto mommy's arms okay." I tell him and he nods his head before holding onto my arms as tight as he can. Mom was on the back of Clay's bike, Tara on the back of Jax's and once everyone was mounted and ready, we rode out to a deserted highway. I rode alongside Half-Sack behind everyone else.

Tommy cheered loudly as we rode to the location and I couldn't help but laugh at his joy of being on the bike. I would have to take him out on rides more often if he loved them this much.

When we came to a stop, mom came over to get Tommy from me to keep him with her. Before he left, he leaned up and kissed me on the cheek.

"Good luck mommy!" He smiled and then walked off with mom. I pulled up alongside Chibs as Jax came to stand in front of us and in between the bikes.

"Rules are first one to make it up the highway and back first wins." He says and then he reaches behind him to get his gun from his waistband. "You both ready?!" I looked over to Chibs and held out my fist, to which he hit with his own and we both revved our bikes up.

Jax fired a shot into the air and we were off. I released the clutch and shot off down the highway. The air whipped past me as the speed picked up and my bike roared. I looked to my left to see Chibs side by side with me and I laughed and revved the engine more and started to accelerate. I kept going until I reached the end of the highway and slowed down to turn around and head back down the highway to where we began.

Chibs had caught up with me and was right by my side again. I looked over to him as he did to me and blew him a kiss before revving her up once more and speeding ahead of him and crossing the point Jax stood.

Once I had come back to everyone, they cheered and congratulated me on my victory as I got off my bike. Tommy ran up to me as I took my helmet off and I picked him up as he cheered for me.

"Mommy won!" His gleeful cheers made everyone else cheer and then Clay came over to me.

"I'll hand to you, sweetheart. You know how to ride." He patted me on the shoulder and then pulled me into a hug after I put Tommy down. When I pulled away Jax and I clashed together as he laughed with me and ruffled my hair.

"You did good, sis." He told me and I shoved his shoulder and then all the members were clapping me on the back as they cheered. I laughed in the middle of them all before they all stopped, and we all got mounted onto our bikes again and rode back to the clubhouse.

***

It was dark when we got there, and everyone was enjoying a drink in the clubhouse. Tommy was watching as Jax and I played pool. He sat on the couch with Tara as he showed her his teddy bear and told her stories of his made-up adventures with him.

"Mind if I steal ya sister for moment, Jackie boy?" Chibs asks as he comes over to us and leans on the pool table. I look at Jax and he gestures for me to go with Chibs and I put my cue down on the table and tell Tommy to stay with Tara before following Chibs outside.

When I close the clubhouse door behind me, I follow Chibs as he walks over to the boxing ring and leans against it. I stand in front of him and put my hands on my hips.

"This the part where you tell me that you went easy on me?" I ask him, hoping to get a laugh out of him but he just stands there looking at me.

"You left this mornin'." He says and I feel a lump form in my throat. I move my hands from my hips into my pockets and look away from him down to my boots.

"Had to open up shop." I try to convince him.

"Ya a shite liar." He snaps and I look sheepishly up at him and he was frowning as he looked back at me. I sigh and run my tongue along my teeth.

"What do you expect me to say, Filip?" I ask him and take my hands out of my pockets. "Thanks for the sex. I'll come back when I want more?" I wave my hands around as I talk. "Sorry I let this happen even though I said let's take things slow?"

"Ya didn' have to say anything." He snaps at me as he stands up straight. He takes a few steps to close the distance I had put between us. His breath brushed against my face as I looked up at him.

"Then what?" I ask him. My hands clenched and unclenched by sides as I tried to stay calm with him being so close to me. Looking up into his brown eyes, I began to lose myself in them.

"Stop pretendin' like there ain' something here." He says. His hand comes up touch my face as he brushes his thumb against my cheek. I shivered a little at just his small touch and he noticed it too as he smirked.

"The others would kick both our asses." I tried to reason, mostly with myself. I knew I couldn't keep going after Chibs, I was part of the club now – even if it was just as prospect. They wouldn't take kindly to the new member sleeping with one of their brothers. Especially with Jax and how I was meant to be here to help him get the club back in order.

"I couldn' give a shite about what they think." Chibs frowns before putting his hands on either side of my face. I looked up at him after taking a deep breath and biting at my lip.

Like mom had said, I chose to join this club. If I was going to start this shit, then I would have to own it while it lasted.

"Fuck it." I say and pull Chibs down to me and press my lips to his. My hands ran through his hair and his ran down my sides to cup my ass. If I had already crossed the line, then I was going to fucking dance along it.

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tsunadetsunami · 4 years

Text

Number One Fan (Date Tech new manager flick)

I daydreamed an OC manager for Date Tech that’s cute, fiesty, and small. She’s in love with Aone (as I believe we all should be) and honestly as of right now that’s all l got...

I can’t sleep and can’t stop thinking about haikyuu so I revamped my old tumblr and bringing back my old fanfiction ways to sort out my feelings ya know... maybe i’ll continue this though.

~insert obnoxious coming of age movie alarm clock noise here~

I roll over to turn off my alarm clock and I groan, swiftly plopping back into my pillow face first and letting my wrist go limp of the side of the bed. I then feel my cell phone buzz from under my pillow and groan again. This time I prop myself up on my elbows and open my eyes for the first time this morning. I look at my phone to see that I have gotten an email from the coach of things to tell the players this morning as well as a speech for the end of practice about a new practice game. He also wants me to finish coordinating details for said practice game... against Karasuno. I haven’t been the manager of this team for very long, but from what I’ve heard from the boys, this is going to be one hell of a game, practice or not.

As soon as enter the group text that I have with the team I see the typing bubbles of most of my players pop in and out of the chat. Glad to know I’m not the only one up this early on a Saturday. I send my informative text about this afternoon’s practice and enticed them that I would have a surprise for them there. I lazily smiled, sitting up in my bed, reading their responses.

Kogane SSS: surprise??? I GOTTA KNOW

Captain Futa: why would you be shouting this early in the morning?

Kogane SSS: sorry captain but it is a chat i guess i-

Saku: can’t wait to hear the surprise after having a great practice, right guys?

I laughed and stretched, setting my phone back down and finally actually getting out of bed. After using the bathroom I brushed my teeth and splashed my face in cold water to help wake myself up more. I grabbed my hair brush and went back to my bed as I heard it vibrate more and more. I continued to brush out my hair as I read more of their messages....

Captain Futa: we will have a good long practice yes saku, thank you. WE WILL ALSO BE GOING ON A RUN IN TWENTY MINUTES AND WE’RE MEETING AT THE GYM. love you all can’t wait to see you there.

I think Futakuchi’s mean side is the funniest considering how much of a diva he is in real life. I like the message and then get back to getting ready; I quickly put my shortish red hair up into two small buns on either side of my head, and then change into my own Date Tech sports uniform. Just before I leave I grab my knee brace and put it on, slipping into my running shoes and grabbing my bag as I walk out the door. I text my mom to remind her of my morning run with the team so she isn’t worried to see my gone and then I hop onto my bike and head down the street towards my school.

At the next intersection I come to I see someone in a similar uniform on a bike stopped on the intersecting street.

“Good morning Aone-chan!” I feel myself blurt and I lift up on arm in an over the top wave. He barely gives me a nod back but still joins me as I cruise down the hill towards school. He’s so stoic and handsome, such a sweet soul, oh god, I’m so glad he lives so close so we can have this cherished alone time. I gawk at him as he passes me and leads the way for our unplanned, but totally planned by me as soon as I realized he rode his bike to school (but I’m not creepy I promise), morning bike rides.

“A nice time for a run don’t you think? I like when it’s still kind of dewy outside, it only feels like the air is biting back.” I feel him looking at me in his peripheral vision with those pointed eyes. I turn over and send him a smile,

“I’m sorry Aone-chan, if I’m talking your ear off just tell me.” I zoom past him on my bike and cross an intersection before him. I can now see the school so I decide to keep going instead of wait for him and embarrass myself anymore. I sigh to myself thinking about how beautiful he is and if I’m going to try to get close to him on the run.

Now that I’m at the school gym I lean my bike against the outside and gently toss my bag into the gym. the rest of the team, and soon Aone too, all stretch briefly outside of the gym. I like morning runs because they’re all too tired to talk and Kogane hasn’t quite started yelling yet. I say that with love, as I would probably consider Kogane to be my bestfriend. Or at least, he is the one that convinced me to take the position as club manager.

When we got put in the same class as first years we bonded over both playing volleyball. But, when I couldn’t play anymore, he begged me to come and take Mai’s place as manager. I’m thankful for him and our bond over this game, but man he is a pain in my ass most of the time.

“Think you can get up there faster than me today, Big Red?” Kogane looks down at me as I finish my stretches. I adjust my knee brace quickly before coming back at him, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He laughs and pats me on the head. I swat his hand away in frustration and thankfully the captain interrupts me with instructions for the boys. On his mark we all head out as a group, like green and white ducklings around town. I like doing some of the physical conditioning with these guys because not only does it keep me in shape, but it builds their trust with me. I think most of the people on the team already think of me as a friend, and that’s definitely a help in the transition to a new club manager. Except for Aone-chan. I can never seem to read that stone cold fox, what a shame. We make brief eye contact on the run as he passes by Kogane and I goofing off near the back of the pack. I blush intensely and Kogane notices, nudging me in the arm and laughing as we continue to jog.

Honestly I think the worst thing about being the volleyball club manager is being short. Having all these goofballs look down at me all the time is so annoying.

We begin to loop back around towards the gym and close off I can see the girls volleyball team, beginning their run. I stop in my tracks,

“Hi ladies!” I yell over and wave. A few of them turn around and yell back a hi before all of them stop to wave back at me.

“Bye Red!” one of them shouts before they turn back around and head back their own direction. I look forward again to see the clump of boys all running ahead of me now. I haven’t even been away from it a season yet, but I already miss playing volleyball. I swallow hard and bend over to adjust my knee brace, glad I stopped as I was starting to feel some discomfort.

“Kaida are you okay?” I look up and see Kogane and the others stopped ahead of me, all looking behind. I blush out of embarrassment for the second time this morning and quickly hold up a thumbs up. I get smiles in return and quickly catch back up to them so we can finish out the run. The captain has us sprint back the rest of the way to the gym and I slow back and watch the younger guys all race back. The third years give a devilish look and rush to beat the rest, have to prove their still on top I guess.

I peek back into the gym to see that most of the team had stayed back in the gym once we got back, having the janitor that was their unlock the closet for them so they could get out the volleyballs. I grab my bag and wave at them, “See you boys later!” some of them wave back in response. Aone doesn’t seem to notice, but Kogane shouts out across the gym, “Yeah for the surprise!”

“Don’t get your hopes up. It’s not like it’s big or anything.” I talk loud enough to be heard over the sound of volleyballs being served and hit across the gym. Kogane just shrugs and I shake my head.

I use my key that I got from coach to open up the club office and set my bag down next to the desk. I pull out my planner and look at my emails from coach again on my phone.

“Right, before I go home I need to secure this practice game with Karasuno.” I speak softly to myself as I write the phone number down on the contact page of my planner. To be fair I never thought I would like this side of managing as much as I do. The organizing, the phone calls, the paperwork for matches; it’s all kind of soothing to me oddly enough.

“Good morning, I’m Kaida Hagiwara and I’m the manager for Date Te-”

“Oh yes miss Hagiwara I have heard about you from your coach. In fact he said you would probably call me this morning to talk about some details for a practice game?” I hear Karasuno’s faculty advisor, Takeda,interrupt me in a sweet and civil way which is surprising enough.

“Uhm yes that would be me...” I nervously laugh over the phone but choke it back so that i can get down to business so to speak.

I scribble down whatever info I need in my planner as we volley, I reflect on this thought and laugh at myself now, back and forth to make sure this is smooth and quick for both teams as we prepare for the season to start. I can’t wait to tell the team at practice; I wonder if I can get a reaction out of Aone-chan when I say it.

“Well, thank you very much, we look forward to seeing you all here.” I finish up and hang up the phone after I hear their advisor say his goodbyes. I let out a heavy sigh and almost shake the formalness back off of me. Deciding to send a response email back to coach before I leave, I slowly pack up and lock the office before heading back to my bike so that I could ride home. The sun is now fully out, and civilization has awoken as I pass by cars and people opening their small shops for the day on my way home.

As I get ready to shower this run off my body so that i can go back to sleep for multiple hours I hear and see the group text of the volleyball boys blow up as they all talk about the game that’s happening on TV currently. I roll my eyes and silence my phone, deciding to separate myself from them until practice later (probably for the best).

The steam builds around me and I can feel any stress lifting from my body, but at the same time my brain keeps flashing to seeing the girls on their run. To think if I hadn’t gotten injured I would have been there with them, preparing myself for the start of a new season.

I came in as a first year and quickly became the libero for the girls volleyball club at Date Tech High. I’m only 5′1″ and was always a very tenacious, loud mouth character on the court. It made me perfect for the libero postion. I was loud enough to control what was going on from the back of it all. I enjoyed playing so much.

“ugh shut up you’re fine” I huff to myself and let the water hit my face for a moment. I turn off the water and reach out into the fading steam and grab my towel. Now that I’m dried off I scroll through the messages and other notifications on my phone. I reply to a few messages and then head back into my room flopping onto my bed. I lay there in that position for what seems like forever, my phone hovering above me as I mindlessly scroll.

The rest of my free time for the day is filled with homework and social media as I wait for my next volleyball club duty.

As I’m eating with my mother before practice, she updates me on her life at work and I update her about how my second year of high school is starting but mostly the volleyball team, of course.

“I’m glad you are able to still be so connected to the sport. You absolutely light up when you talk about it, Kaida,” he smiles over to me from the kitchen as I sit across from her at our dining table. Through the window I can see a figure pop up across the street and I immediately perk up. I look over at the clock before rushing to get my bag and shoes. “Mom, I have to go to practice now!” I can hear her say something back but I don’t quite know what she said. I burst out the door and shout across the street.

“Aone-chan!” I wave and he turns, only looking at me and stopping as if that was enough of a response. His silence is so hot though, I gotta say. i jog to catch up with him and we start the walk back to the gym. He staggers above me; honestly, I look like an annoying little squirrel that’s just chattering up a tree every time I talk to him. Ugh, but then I get stuck thinking about how cute we could be as a couple and I melt,

“Do you wanna know the secret?” I look up at him and he gives me a small glance. He nods quickly before looking at the ground and I giggle.

“Coach and I have secured a little practice game training camp with some people from the prefecture...”

“Who?” I quickly add it to the mental tally of words that you have spoken to me. This puts us at seven since I came on as manager.

“Well... Aobajohsai, Ohgiminami, and.. Karasuno” I feel his eyes go wide and he catches his breath in a small shock. “You’re not upset are you Aone-chan.”

He stops walking and it catches me off guard. I turn to face him and he looks down at me, “It’s great that we can play such great teams so early. Thank you for putting that together for us.” I feel my heart fall out of my chest. I think I’ve had my mouth open for thirty seconds... I can’t believe I got all the way to 26 words in one day. His voice is so magical it makes me dizzy whenever I finally hear it.

I snap back to reality after a moment, “Of course, it’s my responsibility to do that kind of stuff. Especially for you Aone-chan.” I bite my lip and he quickly looks away again. I sigh and roll my eyes and slink back behind him as we walk into the gym. I’m glad he’s excited, and that he talked to me. I hope the other boys are just as excited. These practice games are going to be a good way for us to size up how the competition has evolved this season. Aone is right, it’s going to hopefully be an advantage for us later.

And as another practice starts I find my self already hyping up for what I can tell is going to be a very successful season of volleyball for Date Tech, and their Iron Wall.

________________________________________________________________

Literally if you read all of this thank you omg I have just babbled on forever I’m sorry. I don’t have much planned for this idea in my head, but I have a few cute ideas.

#haikyuu #date tech #haikyuu!!#haikyuu fanfiction #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu oneshot #haikyuu aone #haikyuu!! fanfiction #haikyuu koganegawa #number one fan

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