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#i hope y'all enjoy this fluff!!
imababblekat · 1 year
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A Rare Sight
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Prompt: A silence has befallen the ninja turtle lair, and three brothers catch an unthinkable sight of their rugged sibling, Raphael!
~xXx~
Not a voice or sound of clanging weapons resounded within the lair, just the soft hum of technology echoing from an unoccupied lab and the whir of the sewers. In such strange quietness, the youngest of the ninja turtles who had just recently returned with a new box of pizza looked around inquisitively. Seeing two of his three brothers, Leo and Donnie, standing over the other behind one of the lair walls, he quickly walked over. “Hey! What are-mumph!” Mikey was quickly silence by two hands slapping over his mouth followed by aggressive shushing. Both brothers slowly lowered their hands, Mikey doing his best to talk in a quieted tone. “I know I’m the life of the party, but why are y’all being so quiet?!” Leo pointed toward his eyes and then out around the corner to where Donnie had returned his own intense gaze. Setting down the box of triple meat and cheese pizza on a nearby rail, Mikey crept forward and shoved himself under Leo who grunted slightly annoyed. It took all of the orange clad ninja turtle to keep himself from squealing at the sight that had his brothers so intrigued. In the common area of the lair, beneath the glow of warm fairy lights, sat Raphael and you huddled close together on the couch. Both were fast asleep, a stark contrast to how Mikey had seen you two before leaving to get pizza, each one in a loud banter about who was the best DC hero and why. The way you two were so close was absolutely adorable, your head rested on Raph’s shoulder, and the fierce turtles head rested atop yours. The boys were used to the serenity of your sleeping state, but to see their brother whose color matched his typical rage of character in such similarity was absolutely baffling. Not to mention the fact that he had even fallen asleep so close to another person! Raphael was not exactly known for outwardly expressing his closeness to others, that including his own brothers. “How long have they been like that?!”, Mikey all but excitedly shrieked, both his brothers shushing him once more. Turning his attention back to the two most likely unintentional snuggle bugs on the sofa, Donnie’s nose scrunched in thought. “Could not be for long. I stepped into the lab only a few minutes after you left, and I could still hear them arguing over the recent DC movies.”, he whispered out, much quieter than his ecstatic brother. Mikey sighed, resting his chin on a propped elbow and seemingly kicking back his feet like a high schooler in the mist of day dreaming. “Dudes, I bet they’re item. Yeah, they’re totally an item~.” Above the swooning turtle, Leo shook his head, the tails of his mask swaying ever so lightly. “I doubt it. Just last week I saw (y,n) adjust his bench seat to get back at him for mocking her height again. Raph couldn’t even squeeze his big head into the space between the seat and bar.” Before any of the trio could make another comment, a noise from the center of the room had them freeze in place. As soon as they realized it was just you yawning in your sleep, they had relaxed. Curious gazes watched as you shuffled in place, snuggling in closer to the outwardly brutish ninja turtle, who turn had adjusted as well for closer proximity. Seeing Raph be so soft with your smaller form as it cuddled closer into his side, was not a sight any of the brothers thought they’d witness. Even in his sleep, Raphael seemed know to be gentle with you beside him, and despite the foreign feeling of having someone so physically close, his subconscious had clearly wanted it. Regardless, the scene of seeing their typically short fused brother so at peace in the arms of someone they all held dear brought a warmth to their hearts. Knowing that someone as strong headed as Raph, someone who often threw up a tough guy front to hide the softness deep within, found and got to experience such a wonderous moment, was all that they could wish for. With a content smile for his the brother he often butted heads with, Leo stepped back from spot against the wall. “Come on. Let’s give them some-“ CLICK! The eyes of Leo and Donnie shot open in pure surprise and horror when they snapped their sharp gaze towards the loud noise, only to find Mikey holding a camera he seemingly pulled out of thin air. Cheeks heating up in embarrassment at not realizing how loud the device would be, Mikey awkwardly chuckled. “What, they’re sleeping! There’s no way they heard right? Right?!” As if to answer the mischievous youngsters question, a groggy and familiarly angry tone reverberated off the lairs wall. “MIKEY!!!” Said turtle yelped and turned to find his two other brothers having fled with haste, leaving him to deal with the furious approaching sounds of a now awakened Raphael, all the while you sat in the background still half asleep and very confused about all the kerfuffle.
~xXx~
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youphoriaot7 · 9 months
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The crows are a well-known attachment to Quesadilla Island. Nobody's exactly sure quite how they got there, nor why there's so many of them—they're just there. They don't seem to intrude, and so everyone simply goes about their day. It's normal, now; just like the bear that checks in on them, just like the eggs they care for.
They seem to especially gravitate towards Philza. He can always be found with at least ten or twelve scattered around—his shoulders, his hat, his cape... They tend to gather most frequently near the Wall, perching on every visible surface. The top edge of the Wall often looks black, every inch of it covered with feathers.
So when the crows are gone, it's noticeable.
Philza's absence hasn't gone unnoticed, of course. Chayanne and Tallulah have mentioned his departure, heading out to explore the outer edges of the island, looking for...something, he didn't mention what. The fact that they've been hanging out with Tubbo and Niki also proves it.
But the crows were the most noticeable.
Slowly, they start to gather...elsewhere. A small group starts a nest in the tower of Cellbit's castle, and he stares at it in confusion for a few days before he shrugs it off. Let them stay; they're not bothering anyone. Another flock takes shelter under the overhang near Forever's presidential office. He grins every time they fly up to the windows. A couple of stragglers find comfort in the quiet of Chume Labs, flying along after the current lone inhabitant and cawing in concern. Pac shrugs them off, trying not to read too much paranoia into it.
Tubbo finds himself swamped with the birds; Niki, too. They guess they're following the children, which seems to be correct, at first glance. (But it's more than that.) Some flock to Bad, others to Foolish—the two groups cawing and chirping whenever their chosen followees' get into spats. Roier catches sight of a couple hanging around Rivers' base, and smiles brightly when he gets back home to see some of his own nearby.
Mouse waves them off for a few hours before sighing—it's certainly not the worst thing in the world, even if they keep accidentally landing where she's trying to work. Jaiden lets them land on her wings, grinning and talking to them as she moves around her day. Etoiles and Antoine aren't quite sure how to react at first—but it's no weirder than anything else they've been dealing with recently, so it's probably not a worry, and therefore, not a concern.
When the children vanish, the crows get anxious. They spend more time away from their makeshift roosts: cawing at the Wall as they fly by, pecking their way across the roads of the main square, shrieking at every passerby in the Favela. They're looking for something—information, the kids; it's not clear what. But either way, their presence is heard.
One day, when the Wall feels taller than ever before, there's a loud rustling of feathers reaching every corner of the main square. The birds' noises are deafening; it's barely possible to hold a conversation unless you move further away. And when the island's inhabitants look up, they see them there—the crows, returning to their original home. There's a figure, as well, standing amongst the potato fields, staring down at the world below him.
Philza Minecraft has returned, and the crows are at home.
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brassknucklespeirs · 8 months
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Sᴄᴀʀʏ Dᴏɢ Pʀɪᴠɪʟᴇɢᴇ [Jᴏᴇ Tᴏʏᴇ x ꜰ!ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ]
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Genre: Speed run enemies to lovers??? But also funny and cute???
Warnings: Swearing, a little bit of sexism, descriptions of warfare, mention of blood and wounds, the general idea is if you couldn't handle band of brothers, don't freaking read this okay?
Disclaimer: No disrespect to the real men of WW2, this is based off the actors portrayal from HBO
HI GUYS! I'M SO EXCITED THIS IS MY FIRST FIC BACK AND I'M SO HAPPY WITH IT SO PLEASE ENJOY! I'VE MISSED YOU GUYS LIKE CRAZY
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To say Y/N was not warmly welcomed as a female replacement in Easy Company was an understatement. She was at the bottom of the food chain at this point; the Toccoa men being at the top, with her fellow replacements being beneath them, and then her at the very bottom thanks to her lack of an extra limb between her legs. In all honesty, she wasn't as bothered as she thought she would be, but perhaps that was because after making it through basic training she was more than use to being leered at; whether it was in distain, lust, or indifference was dependant on the man.
It wasn't all bad she guessed, but even in those men who did show her kindness, she still saw the hint of apprehension in their eyes as the smile they held didn't quite cover the look from their gaze. She was the only female in Easy company, while all of the other women that she had trained with were sent to Dog and Fox company. She held a sliver of envy because of this, for she didn't truly understand why none of the others had joined her in Easy, and yet here she was, the only woman in a company of men who saw her as a silly little girl playing dress up. Any time the monachopsis had crept in she pushed it away, reminding herself of why she was here, why she was persisting through the cold, both that which she was dealt from the men and that which the snowy terrain of Bastogne had brought her freely.
She kept to herself mostly, though it drove her slightly mad as she wished to share the unfamiliar sense of comradeship that she saw flowing between the men around her. Y/N would often find herself staring longingly as she watched them unconsciously huddle closer to each other to keep warm, while her stomach clenched in disappointment as they shared quiet laughter in their foxholes, exchanging jokes and light-hearted taunts to bring their spirits up as much as they could.
Yet here she was, alone in every meaning of the word except physically, holed up in a foxhole with someone who did not care for her existence as he looked down on her as a nuisance. Y/N's gaze would often flicker to the man beside her, taking note of how he pressed himself as close to his side of the dirty dugout in the ground, like she was a plague to be avoided. She could never stop her teeth from sinking into the raw flesh of her chewed bottom lip to keep herself from speaking to him, knowing the last time she had tried, he had ripped into her. The man had thrown insults and harsh words about how she was an army experiment gone wrong, and how the only reason she was allowed to be here is because they were that desperate for running targets to distract the Nazis from shooting at the 'real' soldiers. Every word had hit its mark but she refused to show it, keeping up her façade of indifference and annoyance until he had turned his back on her, at which point of time she had shifted her head in the opposite direction to let the tears that threatened to spill fall down her cheeks.
It was easy to see how Joe Toye was the man everyone painted him out to be, yet where others saw him as strong-willed she saw him as stubborn, and in the place of being a good leader, she had seen a pushy prick who expected those around him to bend and shape to his will. His sense of arrogance truly did stun her when she first arrived to the front, and though she never really got over it, she learnt how to play the ignorant card for the sake of her sanity; or perhaps for the sake of her position in Easy company, for she wasn't quite sure if she would be kept around if she bad-mouthed one of her sergeants. Yet it was in moments like that, when Joe used the consistent excuse of needing to watch the line to keep his glare off of her that she would watch anything but the line. She hated herself for it sometimes, knowing that her lack of normality had caused her to seek out any familiar comfort she could around her. The familiar comfort in question being the picture of a handsome face. He was all sharp angles from side on, with his sculpted jawline and large, curved nose, and she found herself flitting her gaze over his features in moments of quiet. A little too easy on the eyes for someone lacking any means of a soft spoken personality, she had thought to herself once as she forced herself to look away from him.
Y/N's jaw ached from how tightly she was grinding her teeth, her arms wrapped tightly around her torso as she tried to savour in her own warmth. Her gaze held envy as she eyed Malarkey, Muck, Penkala and Luz huddled together, giggling to one another while they talked in hushed voiced. She wished to know what it felt to relish in the cosiness they seemed to hold between one another, wanted to know what it was to laugh over such meaningless jokes to break through the bitter sensation that wrapped its way around her lonely heart. She huffed out a breath of frustration as she downed the rest of the lukewarm coffee that Lipton had previously handed her, the cup having already been half drunk when the first sergeant had taken pity on the clearly shivering woman and offered her the rest. Y/N sent Lip a small but grateful smile when she handed him back the mug as he shuffled past her, a stiff nod of his head and his own small smile being the acknowledgement she received before he walked off.
Y/N rolled her rigid shoulders as she walked back towards her and Joe's foxhole, her rifle tucked tightly between her arms and chest while her hands were squished under her armpits to savour the little warmth her body gave off. Her entire body froze for a moment as a whistling sound rung through her ears, carried through the breeze from the town of Foy below them. Y/N's head snapped behind her to look towards Lip over her shoulder, the first sergeant stared back at her with wide eyes, the both of them letting the realisation fall over them. Lipton's voice of authority resonated over the company members close by as he yelled to take cover over and over again, a mix of alarm and agitation leaking off every sharp syllable. Y/N's feet seemed to move without any further thought when the first shell hit the ground with an almighty bang, digging its nose into the dirt before scattering it across the frozen terrain. She threw herself into the closest cover she could, a shallow foxhole that looked as if it had been given up on halfway through being dug, her arms immediately covering her head while she pressed her cheek against the snow. From the position she was in, she was able to see the chaos that ensued around her as trees exploded and men screamed over the noise at one another. Her teeth sunk into the skin on the inside of her cheek, and the metallic taste of blood told her she had clenched too harshly as the anxiety built up in her chest.
The lone figure of a man in the distance caught her attention as they seemed to be the only person who had stupidly continued to scramble for cover while those around him had found theirs. Her gaze shifted to the trail of shells hitting the forest floor, and her uneasy grew, noting that the path they travelled was heading straight for the running soldier. She wasn't quite sure what led her to the point of brainlessness but in a split second decision, she was up and out of the half dug foxhole, her feet pushing her full force across the snowy ground towards him, her quads aching with every step. The cold wind blasted across her face while several bursts of heat would hit her cheek as the shells grew closer to her. Her heart felt ready to leap out of her chest as she watched the trail of destruction close in to her position with every step she took closer towards the figure. With seemingly seconds to spare, her body collided harshly with his, throwing his body to the side as they narrowly avoid a shell that blew the trees behind them to splinters. Y/N wasted no time as her hands gripped at the man's uniform and pulled him from the ground though a burning sensation along the side of her hip told her she had been hit. She didn't take the time to analyse her wound, throwing the man into the closest foxhole before diving after him, though another shell from behind them caused her to tumble in after him as it threw her off her feet. She managed to catch herself before she completely crushed the man beneath her, her hands and knees hitting the ground either side of him, holding her above his body. As the blasts continued around them, she took no time to ponder the precarious position she had landed in, the warm heat of the man she had saved pressed against her torso as she sat straddled over his lying body. She felt his chin pressed against the top of her head as she curled tightly into him, her face hidden in the crook of his neck without thought.
As the shelling eased and the forest around them grew silent once more, Y/N raised her head towards the sky as to angle her ears in such a way to hear better, but the ringing that echoed from the remnants of the blast was like an alarm bell. Her suspicions were confirmed when she heard Lipton's voice yell to stay down, and her stomach clenched in anticipation. She tilted her head back down towards the man as she felt him wriggle beneath her and a blush rose to her cheeks as she turned to apologise and move only to meet the dark eyes of Joe Toye. Her face hardened as she stared down at him, his eyes looking up to meet her gaze with surprise evident in his pupils. Y/N breathed harshly through her nose, pulling one leg over his body so she no longer perched in his lap before she tugged them to her chest, shuffling to the other side of the foxhole with a stiff expression. Joe said nothing but his eyes continued to watch her for a few more moments, his gaze causing the hairs on her arms to rise; or perhaps that was the chill the air held, she wasn't certain. Y/N ran her tongue over her top teeth as the silence enveloped them, but her irritation rose the longer it went on, her fingers gripping tighter at her rifle causing her knuckles to turn white.
"You're welcome, by the way." She spoke suddenly, her tone cold but the way she kept her eyes off of him expressed the idea that she didn't care; she certainly did care, and she expected grateful appreciation for saving his sorry ass. She turned her attention to what was going on above the foxhole they sat in as she pushed herself to a crouch to poke her head cautiously over the edge of the dugout, her eyes sweeping over the area as she analysed it carefully. Joe watched her in silence for another moment, his eyes trailing over the side of her face as she remained oblivious. He had previously noted that her face held a gentle beauty, but in this moment with messy hair peaking out from under her helmet, brows furrowed and her jaw visibly clenching, she held more of a wild divinity, like a budding rose that’s stem held many thorns. He drew in a breath as he forced himself to turn away as he thought to himself, A little too beautiful for someone who holds such an icy façade.
"Yeah. Thanks." Joe finally muttered shortly as he gazed down at his hands. Y/N didn't turn to look at him, but rolled her eyes at his stiff reply, not overly convinced he meant it. She opened her mouth to reply, swivelling on her toes to looked down at him only for the burning in her hip to arise again. The woman let out a strangled gasp, her hand immediately flying to the sliced flesh on her hip as the adrenaline running through her body began to dissipate. Joe's eyes widened, watching as she moved quickly to sit on her uninjured hip, all but collapsing beside him. "Shit Y/L/N. This just happen?" The sergeant called while moving closer to her, and if she wasn't focussed on her pain, Y/N would have seen fit to roll her eyes once more. She groaned, biting at the sensitive flesh of her lip as she pulled some of the torn fabric away from the wound, revealing the blood leaking from her body.
"Yeah. Next time remind me not to save your sorry ass." Y/N replied with as much of an taunting sneer as she could muster, completely disregarding their difference in rank as quite honestly in that moment she couldn't have cared less. Someone needed to dish it back to this man everyone once in a while to ensure his head didn't grow too large, and if that person had to be her, then she'd give it her best go. Even now as she squirmed uncomfortably at the burning gash on her hip, she was fully prepared to release the feminine rage that she had held caged in her chest for the last few months if she really had to.
Neither of them were given a moment to continue this exchange of simmering annoyance as a new bout of whistles filled the air causing Y/N to whine in distress, curling into herself to grasp at any comfort she could. She looked up from under her brows towards the sky as the first explosion went off, but immediately flinched in discomfort, turning her body away and pushing herself as close to the side of the foxhole as she could. When the not-so-solid soil wall seemed to wrap its arms around her tightly in a moment of shared unease, Y/N realised she had, in fact, unconsciously turned away from the wall of the foxhole, not towards it, and found herself pressed firmly against the warm body of Joseph Toye. The man's arms remained steadfast around her waist as the chaos outside the foxhole continued, his own fear slipping through with every 'bang' that was heard. The ground shook violently as a shell hit close by and Y/N let out a strangled scream of terror. Her hands unravelling from themselves to grasp at Joe's jacket, tugging herself closer to him while she tried her best to focus on the warmth that radiated from him, or the way his fingers could be felt rubbing back and forth over her spine. Even if he was a particularly cold man towards her, it had not been the first time she had used him as a distraction, though this was much more than just admiring him from afar. There was a certain intimacy in being held as if she was the only thing that could bring reassurance to the soldier beside her, a type of intimacy she had gladly welcomed at that moment as she too tightened her grip on his shirt, even going as far to hide her face in the fabric covering his shoulder.
A heavy silence hung over the air when the shelling stopped, the only noise being the creaking of nearby trees, half destroyed from the blasts and desperately clinging to hold their form. Y/N stayed leaning against Joe, his warmth offering comfort as her body grew tired as the adrenaline had leaked faster from her than it had the last time. Her wound began to burn hotter than last time, and a pained whine left her lips as she lifted her hand, pulling her face from the man's jacket to watch as crimson blood trickled down the palm it had begun to stain.
"Shit. MEDIC!" Joe screamed out as he glanced down at the woman as she lay groaning against his side, her hands coloured with scarlet liquid while her face was screwed up in a look of discomfort. "Uh, how many fingers am I holding up?" He asks, his voice a mixture of worry and uncertainty, his hand showing three fingers. Y/N seemed to pause her groaning for a moment, her head tilting up to look at him, her face showing disbelief at the words. Her gaze flickered between his face and his fingers, too confused to answer immediately as she took in the dead-serious look of concern on his features.
"I'm not dying you fucking moron. It's a shallow gash not a mortal wound." She replies with a quiet snort from her nose in amusement. Sure, the sliced flesh burned but it was certainly nothing to write home about, and she was more than prepared to never think about it again once she had been seen to by a medic. Until that point, she would ensure she'd made it clear to Joe that she deserved a little bit of appreciation for drawing blood for him, even if it was her own. The man rolled his eyes at her answer, pushing his fingers closer to her face while his brows tugged together in silent frustration.
"Just answer the fucking question Y/L/N." He said firmly. With a huff of irritation, Y/N gave her answer before using the hand that wasn't pressed tightly against the wound on her hip to flick his own hand away from her face.
"Thank the lord above they didn't make you a goddamn medic." She muttered under her breath quietly, though the roll of his eyes told her he had heard the words leave her mouth. The corners of her lips quip up in amusement but she pulled her eyes away from him as a heavy set of footfall could be heard coming towards them. Gene appeared beside her before she could blink, his presence causing her to jump in fright  "Jesus Gene, I just told Toye I wasn't dying. Don't you dare make me look a fool by giving me a heart attack." The woman mumbles lightly to the medic as he doesn't waste a second, pulling her hand from the wound and inspecting it closely.
"Sorry Y/L/N." Gene muttered gently, his eyes flickering up to hers for a moment in polite acknowledgement. He looked back down at the gash and noted several splinters still sticking out causing him to screw his face up in concentration, his eyes analysing the best way to get them out. He pulled his tweezers from his pouch and without warning, plucked the first splinter from her hip bringing about a cry made up of surprise and discomfort that rose loudly from her lips. Without thinking, her hand flew out to the side, landing on Joe's thigh, before squeezing tightly to sate her pain.
"AH, come on Gene, a little warning would be nice." She groaned, her fingers digging into the flesh of Joe's leg while she squirmed against his side as if trying to shuffle away from the medic and his tweezers. Joe let out a huff of bemusement as he glanced between her hand on him and her face, though he couldn't help the slight redness that dusted his cheeks.
"So would a homecooked Christmas dinner made by my ma, but we can't always get what we want, can we Y/N?" Joe said almost mockingly. The woman threw a warning glare over her shoulder in response to his words, not appreciative of his snark as she had a pair of tweezers shoved half an inch into a gash she took for him. Y/N watched as Gene finished pulling the splinters from her flesh, and wriggled uncomfortably as he stitched up the wound, yet the bleeding crimson that escaped from her had already painted the snow beneath her.
When the medic had finished up with dressing her wound as well as he could with his limited supplies, he had quickly disappeared off into the snowy terrain surrounding them. The woman kept her gaze on him as he ran off, a small smile of amusement painting her lips when she sees him scurry away so quickly. Movement against her hand reminded her that she was still gripping at Joe's thigh and without a single glance she retracted it as if she had been burnt, and it honestly looked as though she had been from the rose dusted blush on her cheeks. She didn't say a word to Joe, turning her head away from him so he could not see the embarrassment that so clearly showed on her face, yet the man used it to his advantage as he glanced out the corner of his eyes to look at her, his expression that of curiosity and intrigue. With a silent huff of amusement and a subtle shake of his head, Joe realised he had been wrong about Y/N, very wrong indeed.
▄︻デ----══━一
Joseph Toye had held a deep distain of the female replacement since the moment she showed up. Every part of her annoyed him; the way she seemingly refused to interact with most of the men as if she was above them, the way she watched them closely with narrowed eyes, the way she held herself like she was special because she was the only woman assigned to Easy company, the way she was so god damn distracting. He had decided quickly that she was not at all what a normal soldier was supposed to be, and let his thoughts and assumptions cloud his judgement. But after she had saved his ass from being blown sky high, he felt a strange feeling nag at his gut; guilt. His mind was a jumble of thoughts, mostly questions, of why she had taken the risk, why she would have bothered to put herself in the line of fire for anyone. He had a fair idea that she would not have known that it was him she was saving, the snowy haze that lingered in the air making it hard to see anything but silhouettes. Yet even then she had still gone out of her way, and gotten hurt in the process, just to ensure whatever random soldier that had failed to find cover was unharmed. She was braver than he gave her credit for.
His eyes followed her every move after Gene had left the foxhole they had fallen into, though in all honesty, they had been watching her for much longer than that. He remembered the way she interacted with Gene, and he wondered why she seemed to show a softer side for only a few of the men. Perhaps it was all backwards, and it was the other men who had given her a harsher side, one that had pushed her away. The guilt that ate at him came back as he realised his mistake, his mind flashing through the memories of what he had said to her, and how he had watched as others did the same and did nothing to stop them. That feeling didn't stop him from staying silent though, and if anything, it made him more reluctant to speak with her as he had come to know just how much he had screwed up. He felt like an idiot, so busy assuming the worst in her to see that he was a large part of the problem. She wasn't putting herself on a pedestal, she was protecting herself by being closed off to those around her who had taken one look at the woman and decided she wasn't worth their time.
They had lost Skip and Penkala the next day and following that, they had lost Buck, who seemed to feel the weight of the world collapse on him after he saw the explosion that took the two soldiers. Y/N could see where it had all gone wrong with the lieutenant, having watched as the light seemed to leave his eyes day by day until finally something gave way. She felt for him, but she could do nothing as she felt her own pressure on her shoulders, just as everyone else did, pushing her further into silence as she let her thoughts consume her more with every passing moment. The woman had sat quietly in the foxhole beside the ever present sergeant as Buck was led away by Lipton and Luz, tears leaking from his eyes and whimpers leaving his lips. Her mouth had grown dry, her heart clenching almost painfully at the sight of the broken man. Her eyes had meet Joe's for but a second as they shared a look that mirrored the other's, worry and unease swimming in their expression before she pulled her gaze from him, gulping down the feeling of disappointment.
The days following were much the same as each other, and though the two had spoken the odd word to one another when needed, they had generally kept to their own side of the foxhole. The only thing different was that of Y/N's lack of attention on Joe; her eyes no longer strayed to him and remained heavily on the line before them at all times aside from when she was sleeping. It seemed as though her lack of interest in him had increased his interest in her as if he had picked up the slack she had let loose. Her lip was chewed raw as every time she got the urge to look at him, she had countered it by tearing into her flesh with her teeth, like a punishment for having such ideas. The healing gash along her hip held a slight ache, yet it was the itch that drove her crazy, and she had already been growled at by Doc for ripping the scab open. It was the little things such as these that she used to distract herself from him; since she had saved him, he had changed from being the distraction to being distracting, and it sent her mind into a frenzy of thoughts.
It was early evening by the looks of the darkening sky when Joe had wandered off from their shared foxhole to grab some grub, his eyes finally moving from Y/N's form as she continued to watch the line from her spot. He wandered over to where several of the men had gathered to eat, and he made his way to Bill's side as soon as he spotted the man who grinned towards him. They chatted to themselves quietly while eating, mostly about Buck and his departure. Joe held his hands under his arms to warm up as the cold breeze pierced his coat, and his eyes were set on Bill as he spoke until something Cobb said had caught his attention. The sergeant had snapped his head towards the latter man when he mentioned something about Y/N, something lacking respect for the woman.
"Come off it will yah Cobb, she's just trying to do her job." Toye voice was firm as it cut through the air, his eyes holding a warning glare that only caused the smaller man to smirk as he turned to look at him.
"Oh? Tell me, has she been serving you as her sergeant well in that foxhole, hm?" Cobb snarked causing a couple of groans and noises of disappointment to sound from some of the men around them as the words left the man's mouth. They may not have all warmed up to the idea of a woman in the company, but she had not done anything to give room for such a derogatory accusation. Joe's hands clenched around his rifle as his jaw grew tense in anger, simmering in his blood while it began to boil. He didn't have time to question his own mind as it acted on autopilot, preparing to defend his foxhole partner's name against this soldier who loves to stir the pot a little too much for his liking.
"Show some god damn respect. She's done exactly what the rest of us have, her being a woman doesn't change that." He replied, his knuckles turning white, holding himself back from socking Cobb across the face.
"Except she hasn't. She's been here for what? A couple of months? Yet what good has she been?" Cobb said with a huff, his upper lip twitching in annoyance. Joe's mind flashed with memories of her body colliding with his to stop him from being blown to bits, and of the blood that leaked from her body as Gene patched her up. His jaw grew sharper, if it even could, the curve of it looking as if it had been cut from steel while the muscles connected to it rippled tightly under his skin.
"You seem to have gotten over this problem with the other replacements a while ago. Just say you're being a sexist prick and go Cobb." Joe said sternly, taking a step towards the shorter man with a dark look on his face. He held his head high as his gaze looked down his nose to assert a warning dominance over the other man, expressing the risk of opening his mouth to talk back once more with that action alone. Cobb seemed to gulp, his eyes trailing over Joe's imposing form as he realised his mistake. He said nothing as he stepped backwards, his feet taking him away from the dark haired man, only lowering his head in a show of capitulation before he scurried away. Joe followed him with his dark gaze until Luz placed a hand on his shoulder, pulling his attention away from Cobb in hopes that he would not run after him to smack him across the face. Lipton watched from not too far away, having heard what had gone one, but he did not proceed to move closer as he glanced over his shoulder to Y/N who stood hidden from the scene behind him. The way her eyes remained on her coffee, wide and vacant, he knew she had heard every word that had been shared between the men.
"Don't let it get to you Y/N." Lipton said quietly as he turned to face her causing her to look up at him. She nodded but didn't say anything. In all honesty, none of Cobb's words had bothered her as she was so used to having comments like that thrown around about her. What did confuse her was the way Toye defended her so firmly, unwavering and looking fully prepared to hit the other man for what he said. Her eyes lingered on said man over Lip's shoulder, taking the time she hadn't used in recent days to look at him, especially now as it seemed no one but the first sergeant before her were aware she was there. She took note of the fact that it took Luz several words to calm Joe down, and she wondered whether he had been defending her or if he had simply been defending himself against the accusation that the two of them had been less than professional in their foxhole. The woman pondered the thought all the way back to their foxhole, though she didn't let the thought consume her enough that she couldn't be vigilant about her surroundings, her gaze remaining on the line as she settled back into her position. It wasn't long before Joe returned, his face no longer holding a tense anger, yet his brows were still furrowed in what she could guess to be concentration. That sat in silence for several minutes, both sets of eyes carefully running over the snowy terrain in front of them until the man's voice cut through the quiet.
"I'm sorry." Joe's voice was like a knife cutting through the tension, though his tone held a genuine edge to it, one that made her whip her head towards him in shock.
"What?" Y/N exclaimed before she had a chance to stop herself, completely thrown off by his words. The man took a deep breath before finally turning to return her gaze, his eyes hold sincerity.
"I said I'm sorry." He repeated, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed his nervousness at the feeling of her eyes piercing into him. "I think…I think I assumed several things about you that have turned out to be very wrong, and I apologise."
"I-" She stuttered for a moment as she processed his words. Her mouth opened before shutting quickly, a motion she repeated multiple times, trying to select her next words but choking on them every time. Joe forced himself to hold back an amused smile at her flustered expression, knowing it was not the right time.
"And the things I said and the way I acted because I let my own assumptions cloud my judgement were uncalled for." He continued, his hands wringing around the barrel of his rifle as a means of comfort for the conversation was necessary but it did not stop his stomach from churning.
"You can say that again." She mumbled under her breath, but he heard her and let out a loud exhale from his nose.
"Look, I'm trying to apologise here, can you just give me a second?" The man groaned, feeling a nervous frustration as he wished to express his vulnerable thoughts without the snark she held in her tone. Y/N pursed her lips, her teeth nibbling at the inside of her mouth as she did. She nodded slowly, raising a hand to push a stray hair from her face before she opened her mouth.
"Right, yes. Continue." Her eyes ran over his face as she spoke, taking in every miniscule detail to memory unconsciously.
"Thank you." He said with a grateful nod, "As I was saying, I shouldn't have said what I did. You aren't some failed experiment, and you certainly aren't just a running target. Hell, you've shown more in the last few days than a lot of the men have the entire time they've been here." His cheeks held the slightest tinge of red as he spoke the words to her, his body tense as he waited for her reply.
"Well…thanks Sarg." She says slowly, her expression showing she didn't quite know how to take his apology as she had not at all been expecting it. Y/N's heart bet out of her chest as their eyes met again, his lips turning up into a small smile that she would never admit made her stomach clench in a strange mix of unease and attraction. She knew for the sake of herself, she had to take his apology with a grain of salt, ensuring that he showed he was sorry more than just expressing it in words with little meaning. Her mind flashed with a rerun of his angered face staring at Cobb with a menacing look she'd seen a few time from him.
"Just Joe is fine." Joe's voice broke through her thoughts once more, and it took her a moment to gather herself, realising what he meant after a few seconds. She blinked animatedly as she looked at him, taking in his expression, the small smile mixed with the genuine look in his eyes. The woman chewed the inside of her cheek once more before nodding.
"Alright, just Joe." Y/N replied with a hint of playful grin on her lips, and the man chuckles lightly at her jest. They shared a friendly smile, feeling a strange weight taken off their shoulders; Joe knowing he was able to show he was willing to find a way to redeem himself, while Y/N was simply happy to feel a sense of comradeship from someone she had to spend so much time with.
▄︻デ----══━一
The seat beneath Y/N jostled as the truck hit a stray pothole in the rustic road they drove down, moving towards the town of Haguenau. She felt a sense of warmth as she sat sandwiched between Joe and George, her head titled down with her lower face nestled into the scarf wrapped around her neck. Luz, who had been struggling to not talk her ear off with random gibberish, had finally closed his mouth as he let his tiredness set in, his eyes fluttering closed every now and then. Y/N held a small smile on her face while she watched him, shaking her head in amusement as she turned away from him. A sigh left her lips as she readjusted her sitting position, her tailbone numb from the hard wood of the seat below her while she wished for anything to be able to find a comfortable way to lean her head back to relieve the ache in her shoulders. She shifted her head from side to side, testing each placement of her head she could think of, only to groan quietly in frustration once more. Something soft pressed against the back of her head suddenly, and she fought against herself to not jump in fright, turning her eyes quickly towards Joe. She took note of the way he held his hands raised as he adjusted his own scarf behind her, obviously aware of her discomfort, yet he said nothing and only motioned with a nod of his head for her to lean back. She sent him a small smile, before snuggling her head back, sighing in content at the perfect positioning. Y/N closed her eyes, rolling her shoulders a few times as she settled down for a short nap, ready to shut out the world for as much time as she could. Joe observed her, nodding to himself in silent satisfaction knowing he had been the one to bring her comfort, and he turned away from her with a hint of a smile.
Y/N had woken with a jolt as they came to a halt, her eyes snapping open within a second, gaze already surveying the area around her to ensure she was safe. A gentle hand lay itself on her shoulder and she shifted to stare at Luz as he grinned at her, sending her into a sense of calm, her grip loosening on the rifle she had clutched at tightly. Her lips twitched into a grateful curve at the man, a small nod of her head acknowledging his action before she jumped down from the vehicle behind Joe, her boots hitting the ground with a crunch when she landed.
Y/N had wandered behind the other men, catching sight of Lipton as they made their way towards the houses causing her brows to pull down in concern at the sick man. She jogged quickly to the first sergeant's side, her hair that she had let down to relieve her aching scalp bouncing against her back with every step until she made it to him. Joe had glanced over his shoulder to ensure she was there, but as the spot she had once lingered in lacked her presence, he quickly whirled around to see her walking with Lipton in a different direction. The man groaned under his breath before changing the course of his pathway, manoeuvring through the crowd of men to follow behind her. His eyes scanned the environment around them, flickering to Y/N between completion of every sweep of his gaze.
The trucks had rattled so obnoxiously loud on their drive that Y/N's brain seemed to echo the sound even as she wandered around the house they were setting up as the company CP. The woman nodded her head with a smile as they made their way into what was left of the entertainment room, her expression directed towards Speirs who had acknowledged her greeting with his own tight lipped smile, though if one was to blink they would have missed it as he disappeared into a different room within an instant. She walked behind Lipton as she ushered him towards the couch in the middle of the room with a wave of her hand.
"Sit Lip, take your kit off and I'll make you a warm cup of joe." She said with a motherly smile pulled across her lips, warm and gentle. Lipton nodded with a grateful expression on his face, but it quickly morphed to discomfort as he pulled his webbing off, his muscles aching painfully with every movement. Joe entered not long after, taking his helmet from his head to run a hand through his hair, a sigh of content leaving his lips as he felt the absence of cold wind whipping against his skin. He peered around the place, regarding Y/N tinkering with a small cooker she had pulled from her pouches, a small noise of triumph coming from her lips as it burst to life with a kick start from her lighter. Joe bit the inside of his cheek to stop the smile from tugging at his lips, his eyes lingering on her for a moment before turning to Lipton.
"Nice place you got here Lip." He muttered with a raised brow. Lipton let out the slightest snort of amusement at the man's words, but his lack of energy led him to do nothing more. Lipton lowered himself slowly to the couch with a groan that made her move quickly to him, a blanket she had found in the other room in her hands. Joe had watched her with a small grin as she tended to their first sergeant, a comforting expression evident on her face.
"Managed to snag this for you. Hopefully it'll teach the lad who was using it previously to take more vigilance while napping." Y/N joked as she tucked it over Lip's body while he coughed uncomfortably. She leaned over him, pressing a hand to his head to check his temperature, sending him a reassuring smile. "Joe can you grab that paperwork over by the table please?" She muttered to him, her hand reaching towards it with a point of her finger as she wandered back over to the water she'd left to boil for Lip's coffee. One of her hands rose to pull her helmet from her head, placing it down on the piano beside her before she shook her hair out to let her scalp breath, having been stuffed painfully tight into braids under that metal for too long.
Several minutes later, the woman held the freshly made coffee in her hands, making her way back towards Lip and Joe as they conversed over the paperwork she had previously talked about. Footsteps made Joe shift his gaze to the door, eyes landing on Webster with an unimpressed look as he emerged into the room with a fresh face and lively expression.
"Sergeant Toye. Long time no see." Webster said as his sweep of the room led his eyes to Joe. The latter man snorted, rolling his eyes in bemusement at the newcomer who Y/N did not recognise.
"Long time, huh, you can say that again." Joe all but sneered at him, causing him to almost flinch at the harsh action. Y/N laid a hand on Joe's shoulder as she approached, leaning behind him and Lipton on the couch, as if she was silently telling him to settle down. She handed Lip his coffee, receiving a quiet 'thank you' in reply.
"Sergeant Lipton, feeling alright?" The new man said, eyes flickering between the first sergeant and Y/N, something Joe was more than aware of.
"He's got pneumonia." The woman expressed, while tucking the blanket she had placed on Lipton tighter around his body with her free hand.
"I didn't know we had field nurses this close to the front." The newcomer said in confusion, his words causing Joe to bristle under Y/N's hand. The woman felt her own annoyance flare up, not because she was assumed to be a nurse as she had no issue with that at all for the nurses were admirable women, but because this man had not stopped talking since he'd arrived, and yet they were still no closer to knowing why he was even here.
"Does she look like a fucking nurse to you Webster?" Joe exclaimed grumpily, his hand motioning to her combat uniform, her newly sown chevrons on display along her sleeve, and rifle that still stayed slung over her shoulder protectively. She squeezed her hand once more over his shoulder before letting go and standing, crossing her arms over her chest as Webster stared at her in disbelief.
"My apologies Corporal…" He replied, leaning forward ever so slightly as he waited for her to finish his sentence. She wanted to be sympathetic, but she was very quickly coming to realise how it was to welcome replacements like she had once been, the frustration and envy she felt from his appearance being so clean alone was enough to cause her to lose her sympathy as she became increasingly aware of the grime that marred her skin.
"Y/L/N." The woman concluded, her eyes not leaving Lipton as she moved to whisper to him, asking if he would be okay without her. With a nod of confirmation, Y/N prepared herself to leave the room, and as he realised this, Joe stood, putting his helmet back on and readjusting his rifle sling.
"Corporal Y/L/N. I'm Webster, Private Webster."
"Yeah, I gathered that." She replied dismissively as she grabbed her things, placing her helmet on her head before walking from the room without another word. Joe smirked at her words, a weird sense of pride swelling in his chest. The man sauntered after her, his eyes staying on Webster as he passed him, dark and menacing when he noted the rifleman peering at her back curiously. His shoulder bumped the Harvard man's when he passed, a silent warning to watch himself around Y/N, before he too disappeared out the door. Joe found Y/N not far from the front door of the building, conversing with Luz as she seemingly waited for him to join her on her walk back to first platoon.
"That was a good one Y/N." Joe said as he approached the two, both of whom turned to look at him wandered over. The woman blinked at him several time without a words before she reached forward in a sudden surge of movement, a look of faux concern covering her face as she raised her hand to Joe's forehead. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, his eyes flickering between her and Luz who held the same look of confusion as he did.
"What are you doing?" Joe asked while the back of her hand was pressed gently against his head.
"You feeling okay Joe? You just complimented me." She said, a mocking wide eyed look on her face as she played her role of the worried soldier.
"Ha ha. Very funny doll." The man muttered with a roll of his eyes, while Luz chuckled under his breath behind the two, the amusement clear in his gaze that moved between them. The radioman's stare shifted to Malarkey who had wandered up beside him, watching the two with a similar expression as his.
"My goodness, we should get Gene over here, you just gave me a pet name. It's looking bad Joe, I think you may be worse off than Lip." Y/N continued with a gasp, but a small smirk pulled to her lips when Joe gave her shoulder a playful shove. "So easy to rile up, aye tough guy." She mumbled with a grin as she looked at him one last time before turning and walking off towards their platoon housing. Luz turned his gaze upon Joe when she disappeared, watching as the latter man followed her every step with his eyes. Feeling George's own eyes on him, he shifted around to look at him, taking note of the smirk pulled across his lips as he stared at him with raised brows.
"What?" Joe asked in confusion but his brain slowly connected the dots, Luz speaking clearly of the suggestion he was putting forward with his expression alone. "Don't look at me like that." He continued as the shorter man stayed silent. Luz raised his hands in mock surrender after he slung his rifle over his shoulder, but the smirk never left his lips.
"I wouldn't fault you if you did. She's one hell of a dame." The man said before following Y/N down the street, leaving Joe behind for a moment as said man lost himself in his thoughts.
"He's right you know." Malarkey choked out, and though his face held a dull vacancy, he still managed to send Joe an encouraging smile that quipped at the edges of his lips. Joe looked at the other sergeant for a moment, thinking over the two men's words before he huffed a noise of amusement from his nose, but he covered it with a faux frustrated groan before walking off without another word to follow her towards their platoon.
▄︻デ----══━一
It had become increasingly aware to the men in Easy company that Joe seemed to follow Y/N like a shadow, and with the woman's promotion to corporal for the same platoon Joe was the sergeant for, it was even easier to go about this. The female paratrooper was more than aware of how he lingered constantly at her side, and she relished in the feeling of knowing someone always had her six, especially someone such as the slightly intense man known as Joseph Toye.  They moved like magnets; where Y/N went, Joe wasn’t far behind. The two made a good command team, leveling the scale with a contrast in strengths and weaknesses as Y/N made up for Joe's lacking people skills, while the man gave more of a harsh authority where she held a motherly presence. They held an even stronger sense of comradery, having come so far from their icy ways in Bastogne, literally and figuratively.
It seemed everyone held an awareness for this dynamic between the two. Well, everyone but David Webster, even after he had received his first warning the day he returned. It was a funny thought, the man being such a poetic and literary man, and yet he couldn't read into the protective affinity Joe held for the female paratrooper. It was a common theme for the Harvard man to watch Y/N with a look of intrigue since the moment he wandered back into company after his extended stay in that English hospital. Webster was in luck, having gotten away with it for several weeks now, as Joe's attention was kept elsewhere with more important things to protect the woman from. It wasn't until they reached the Eagle's Nest that things changed, and quickly at that; Webster's luck had run dry.
They had found themselves in an interesting juxtaposition, as the further into Germany they went, the further away from harm they seemed to be, with the surrender of a massive number of German troops. It came with the news of victory in Europe that the men had taken the time to revel, indulging themselves in the liquor that flowed plentifully, a gift from Hitler himself as they rounded up bottle after bottle from the dead man's cellar. Y/N sat happily beside Bill and Joe, laughing at a tipsy remark that Luz had made while sipping straight from a bottle of expensive champagne. Her face screwed up at the taste, not particularly fond of champagne but continuing to like the buzz it gave her.
Webster's eyes had strayed to her as they usually did, an action that Liebgott picked up on. A smirk rose to the cab driver's lips, shaking his head at his friend while taking a sip of Cognac from his glass. The Harvard man shifted his gaze when he felt Lieb looking at him, his eyebrows furrowed while glancing between said man and Skinny who sat beside him.
"Can I help you with something Joe?" David asked with a brazen tone. Liebgott's grin grew wider, a cheeky glint in his eye the longer he stared at Webster.
"No, no. Please, continue your shameless staring." The man countered teasingly, his mischievous nature getting the better of him as he felt the desire to let things unfold without his interruption. Webster's face screwed up as an unease settled over him, knowing that nothing good ever came from Lieb's mischief. He rolled his eyes and turned away, shaking the feeling off and setting his sights back on the woman who he had become quite taken with.
Y/N had felt eyes on her for a while now, but she didn't feel the need to seek out who it was, not caring much as she sat leaning her body just the slightest amount towards Toye's side. She glanced out of the corner of her eye, taking note of the precarious position his arm was in, slung over the back of her seat but not close enough to touch her. She sucked her teeth to conceal her smile, but was caught by Bill who held his own teasing smile, his eyes flickering between Joe's hand and her face. The woman squinted her eyes at him playfully before taking another swig of champagne, downing the rest as the men began to cheer for her. She threw her hands up victorious, the empty bottle displayed for them to see. Joe chuckled beside her, looking over the side of her face, admiring her gleaming smile and the way she had her hair down for once. In a moment of coincidence, his eyes flickered passed her and landed on the man sitting at a distance, staring directly at Y/N. Joe took in the way Webster seemed to hold a starry eyed, school boy expression on his face, causing him to narrow his darkening eyes. His lip twitched unconsciously, his arm drawing closer to the woman without her noticing. Joe's gaze moved towards Y/N when she stood suddenly, on a mission to find another bottle of foul tasting but expensive wine. His eyes followed her figure, and he wasn't the only one as his gaze flickered to Webster once again.
Webster took a deep breath as he watched the woman wander across the room to a table in the corner that held multiple bottles of liquor, a bright smile on her face as she glanced over her shoulder to acknowledge a joke that Luz had thrown to her when she passed him. His hand clenched around his glass before he patted his leg as he stood, causing Liebgott and Skinny to look at him.
"I'm gonna do it." Webster proclaimed proudly, squaring his shoulders before heading over to her. Skinny leaned forward quickly to protest against it, his face showing concern.
"No, Web, I don't think that's a good ide-" The man stopped, turning his head towards Liebgott as he laid a hand on his chest, pushing him back to his seat.
"Shut up, I want to enjoy this." He said with a grin, his eyes trained on Joe Toye as he waited for the man to strike.
Y/N stood at the table, moving aside several bottles as she read over each label to decide what she would drink next. She was oblivious to the man that closed in on her position, his mind running with things he would say as he mumbled to himself different greetings. The woman had shifted in her spot, a new bottle pulled to her chest when she twisted around to walk back to her friends. He chose his words before he opened his mouth to say them as he walked up behind her, only several metres between them. Her gaze moved to him just as he went to take one last step closer only for a larger body to step between them and Webster stumbled as to not walk directly into the brick wall that was Joseph Toye. The taller man glowered down at the Harvard man, eyes dark as he squinted them.
"Where you off to in such a rush Webster?" Joe said firmly, his arms crossing over his chest as a small sneering smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. Y/N had stopped walking back to their seats, opting to step up behind Joe, just enough so she could see what was unfolding. Webster's eyes glanced towards her form as she came back into view, and he rolled his shoulders to make himself seem bigger as he looked back to Joe.
"I just…wanted to talk to Y/N." He said, tilting his head up to seem confident in his words even though he was holding back a squirm from how dark Joe's gaze was. The man in question raised his brows, glancing over his shoulder to look at the woman, his grin widening as he saw how she stood closely behind him.
"Bold of you to assume she wants to talk to you." Joe retorted, shifting his eyes back to Webster. The latter man clenched his jaw in annoyance at the interference between him and Y/N.
"And you speak for her why?" Webster shot back, his own arms crossing over his chest. Y/N all but rolled her eyes at the interaction, but let it continue as her curiosity got the better of her, though she was ready to jump in if she must.
"I don't, I just know what she likes, and what she doesn't." Joe said with his smirk reaching ear to ear, his head tilting mockingly as if his words suggested more than what the conversation involved. Webster looked taken aback at the man's words, gaze flickering between the two before him, noting the way Joe had shuffled closer to her, and how she leaned towards him ever so slightly.
"Oh. Oh." Webster raised his eyebrows as if piecing a puzzle together, but at the realisation, his shoulders slumped slightly, and his gaze moved to the floor for a moment. "I..um..I'm just going to…" The man stuttered, his cheeks going red as he realised his mistake, reaching towards the table to swipe the first bottle he could reach before turning around and scampering off with his tail between his legs. As Webster sat back down, head lowered in shame and disappointment, he was aware of the amused giggle that left Liebgott's mouth, greatly entertained by the scene he had watched intently. He only laughed harder when Webster leaned over to smack him across the head in retaliation, dodging the hand before throwing his own back, all while giggling profoundly.
Joe watched Webster go, the smirk never leaving his smirk until he felt a hand grab at his bicep and tugging him towards their friends.
"Come on tough guy." Y/N said, her eyes rolling once more. He couldn't see her face as she had turned away from him, walking in front of him without taking her hand off his arm. He allowed himself to be dragged back to the table and sat back down beside the woman as she too took her seat. All of the men around them held looks of amusement as they looked at the two, before going back to their conversation and drinks when the pair said nothing.
"You're such a pain in the ass." The woman muttered to him beside her, her eyes not looking away from the men in front of her to gaze at him.
"You love it though." He whispered back while leaning closer to her ear, and he watched as the corners of her lips twitched upwards, her eyes glancing at him for a moment before she gave him a gentle shove to the chest.
"Shut up." She threw towards him dismissively causing him to laugh quietly, Meanwhile, her hands fiddled to open the bottle but she failed miserably, letting out a low huff of frustration. He took it from her suddenly, using his hand behind her to hold it and his other to pop the cork before handing it back to her. She muttered a quiet 'thank you', taking a sip of it while throwing her head back. Joe looked at her with a small grin, lowering his hand from where it had previously hovered to open her bottle, letting it lay over her shoulder, his hand hanging over her collarbone. Y/N inhaled quickly, almost choking on her drink while glancing out of the corner of her eyes at him again only for him to look away, gazing up at the ceiling as if pretending he didn’t do anything. She let out an amused huff from her nose before she allowed herself to settle against him, shuffling discreetly closer to him, her shoulder pressed carefully against his side. His smile grew, noting that she did not reject his advance, and he grew more bold as he tugged her closer so her neck rested against the inside of his elbow. Another breath left her nose, almost a sigh of content as she soaked in the feeling, the atmosphere of the room mixed with the man beside her setting her at ease.
Some of the men left early that night, deciding they would take the extra time they had to sleep, while other continued to party late into the night. Y/N felt herself growing more tired by the minute as she snuggled unconsciously into Joe's side. Her eyes seemed to flutter closed every now and then, before one of the men's loud laughs or boisterous words would make her open them once more. She yawned, using her hand to cover her mouth before she turned her face to hide in the collar of Joe's shirt, letting herself slip into a comfortable sleep. She didn't know how long she had been asleep when she felt Joe move underneath her, and she went to groan in annoyance until she felt an arm slip under her knees with another across the back of her shoulders, cradling her to a chest that smelt all too familiar.
"I've got her. I'll see you boys tomorrow." Joe said with a smile as he held the woman close to him, carrying her off towards the room she was staying in.
The man settled her down gently on the bed before tugging her boots off, and throwing the covers over her carefully. He took a moment to admire how peacefully she looked as her hair splayed out behind her on the pillow, low breaths leaving her lips. He smiled once before turning on his feet and making his way to the door, but he paused when he heard her voice call out to him.
"Where are you going?" She mumbled sleepily, one of her eyes squinting open as she looked at him standing a few metres away by the door.
"To bed, baby doll." He replied, his hand resting on the door handle.
"Then get in." Her hand reached towards the edge of the blanket as she held it up for him. His brows shot up and he froze for a moment but quickly made his way over, hopping as he tugged his boots off hastily. He lowered himself onto the bed beside her and he didn't waste any time before tugging her towards him, allowing her to snuggle up against him. She let out a sigh of content as she found her place under his arm, her cheek resting on his chest. She felt a calm feeling rush over her, the tranquillity and warmth he brought her could be compared to nothing she'd ever felt before; all she knew was that with him around, she could never imagine feeling more safe.
"Goodnight Y/N." He whispered into her hair as he planted an affectionate kiss to her head. She let out a hum before turning to look up at him, her gaze staying on him unmoving for a moment. He returned her stare, both of their eyes holding the same look of endearment as the other. Y/N seemed like she wanted to say something as her lips parted but no words left her as she became distracted by him, something she had been many times before. He leaned forward slowly, and she knew in a second what was happening as she met him in the middle, their lips meeting softly. Y/N had moved to lean closer to him, propped up on her elbow as she shifted onto her side, her hand resting on his chest. Joe's hand moved to cup her jaw as their lips moved slowly, tentatively, even though the both of them knew full well that this would happen eventually and neither were shy to think it. Y/N was the first to pull away, keeping her face close to his as she let her eyes trail over his face once more, a fond smile tugging to her lips.
"Goodnight Joe." She muttered back quietly, before pecking him one last time on the lips and then lowering herself back down, her face tucked into his neck. He could feel her smile against his skin, one that mirrored his as he stared into the darkness of the room at the ceiling. Her heart raced in her chest, much like his, and she couldn’t stop grinning until sleep took her and she fell asleep in the arms of her tough guy.
Taglist: @peggyvan (if you want to be added to the taglist for all my fics then flick me a message x)
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yyawnjun · 10 months
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5.33am SUNGHOON [ 성훈 ]
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a.n: it was supposed to be a short one-shot for my jealous!enha boys series…I don't know how a 1.6k wc one came out…and I don't think it's right for the series but it was so cool to write it😭
anyway...please let me know your opinions and hcs !! comments, like and reblogs are always greatly appreciated. I hope y'all will like it ♡
fluff!! ; hoon being hoon ; a creepy man appears but nothing serious happens ; sign a petition for yn and hoon to say OUT LOUD what they think
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Since you had to catch the bus at 5.30 am to visit your family, you did get up at 4.55 am as planned. Your mother's birthday fell on the day you moved away from your hometown two months ago, so you decided to surprise her.
You were lucky to discover a low bus ticket that would have taken you there in just five hours. Everything was unplanned; you bought it the day before and quickly packed your things into a small but comfortable rucksack. 
It was 5.10 am, and you were leaving the house. Your apartment was only 10 mins by foot to the bus station, so you did not rush. There was none around except for an old lady walking on the opposite side of the road and a few cars. Some birds were already awake, and the sun was rising, it was when almost everyone was still asleep or slowly people were getting up to start their day. A new day was about to start for everyone, your heart was light, and you were happy.
You were lost in your thoughts that you did not realize that you stopped yourself while looking at the clouds in the sky. You come back to the world only when a boy runner next to you screaming: "HE'S GONNA KILL ME IF I MISS THIS BUS TOOOO"
You did not even check the time; you started to run too. Because actually, your "natural clock" understood that you were late.
Indeed, when you arrived at the station, you looked at your phone which showed 5.33 am.
You missed your bus...and you could not even say it to anyone, because it was a surprise. Discouraged, you went to the ticket office to see if to buy a ticket for the next bus that would be passing in just an hour.
It was summer, so the natural light was already there, but still a bit of fear there was because you were alone, but it was replaced by laughter when you saw the boy, who had run earlier near to you, on his knees in front of the man in the ticket office begging him to find him a bus that would arrive there before an hour.
He was so funny while literally kneeling for a bus ticket at 5.35am. The man looked so annoyed, but after a good five minutes, his prayers worked. 
Indeed there was a special bus - the number 5 - that only for that day was active, and that would arrive in 33 minutes.
You never thought you could see someone's mood change so quickly; he would have hugged the man if there was no glass separating them. Happier than ever, the boy buys his ticket and turns to go to wait for the bus. That's when he notices you and guesses - from your amused expression - that you had seen the scene.
After a quick nod and a thinly veiled smile, he walks past you and goes to wait for the bus.
It was thanks to him that you found out about bus number 5, which was also perfect for you. So you immediately bought your ticket and went to wait patiently for the bus.
As you expected, you met the boy there again. He was seated on the only bench there, where you would soon be joining him. 
You greeted each other with a simple smile and head nod; by this point, you were companion victims of misfortune on that summer morning.
So you sat, put your earphones on, and waited while looking around and letting your thoughts run free. 
You could tell that he kinda did the same because after 15 mins you felt something - or better, someone - graving on your shoulder.
Yes, the bus would arrive in 33 minutes at 6:08 a.m., but the funny boy only after 15 mins of waiting falls on your shoulder.
You were a bit hesitant to wake him up because he looked so peaceful while sleeping.
He had closed eyes and a steady breathing pattern, and his lips and his cheeks were flushed pink. His dark black hair and eyebrows created a contrast with his pale skin and total-white outfit.
A mole on his note distinguished him, and knowing the legend of moles - it says they are said to be the place where, in another life, your soulmate loved to kiss you - you smiled.  When you had to gently touch him to wake him awake because the bus had arrived, you blushed a little more.
Oh yes, 18 minutes passed after he had dozed off on your shoulder...
You quickly got on the bus after waking him up, and he immediately boarded behind you after mumbling an awkward thank you.
The bus was so full of men at that hour, and most of them seemed to be surprised by your arrival.
You did not feel comfortable at all, but you decided to ignore everyone turning up the volume of your music and sitting in the only empty place. Luckily none was sitting next to you, you were safe you thought. 
However, you started to feel truly scared when you noticed a man, who must have been in his 50s, standing up and walking toward you.
As fate would have it, the clumsy boy, your company of misfortune also saw, and he immediately sat down in the seat next to yours. At that moment your music stopped, and you heart lost a few beats.
"Not gonna lie, that man creeped me out too. Hope it is okay if I sat next to you; I would never leave a pretty girl alone with someone like him" he whispered while still looking at that man with dead eyes.
Your eyes brightened in response to his words, and you thanked him. 
"Young boy leave that seat and let me sit next to the beautiful girl." Just hearing those words was enough to send shivers down your spine.
Instinctively, you reached for the boy's shirt hoping he would not leave you with that old man.
He wasn't going to let go, on the contrary, he said:
"She's my girlfriend, you'd better stop bothering her."
Your heart began to beat faster and faster, adrenaline and anxiety were invading your heart, and you felt helpless.
"Oh sure. I bet you just met her. Why such a beautiful girl should be with someone like you. Hmm? What do you say?" the man asked, turning to you.
He was about to answer back but you anticipated him by saying.
"You better shut up before I call the police. Leave me and my boyfriend alone.. and I don't need me to explain to you idiot why I am dating this handsome boy."
Now is the boy's heart that was beating fast. 
"The bus is moving. A message to the man who is bothering the girl. You had better sit down before you falls and the police have to meet you at the hospital instead of the next stop" 
The driver's voice was heard everywhere, and the timing almost scared you. 
Someone had also called the police, and the man would have been reported soon.
Even though you were safe at this point, your heart continued to race since so much had happened so quickly.
You eventually turned to look at the boy who helped you after the grumbling man had moved away from you.
"Thank you so so much. You saved me," you said, but he was not looking at you-
He was glancing down at the bottoms of his shoes while his hands were covering his face.
"Is everything alright? Are you okay?" you asked worried.
And he finally turned to you almost screaming
"SO WAIT DO YOU REALLY THINK I AM HANDSOME?"
But he quickly tried to ignore your confused expression as he attempted to regain his calm and added, "It's nothing; I acted on instinct. I couldn't bear that creepy man would sit next to you. Hope you are okay now"
He wanted to finish his sentence with "pretty girl" because he truly meant it. Although it could have worried you, he chose not to.
Even though you too really meant what you had said - that he was a beautiful guy - you preferred to ignore his question too.
"I'm fine thanks, and nice to meet my name is Y/n."
"Park Sunghoon. My name is Park Sunghoon, nice to meet you" 
"Well Park Sunghoon if you also have to get off at the last stop, I guess we have a long journey ahead of us," 
"Yes y/n, but I think that by staying right next to you, the time will pass more quickly," he replied without thinking.
You nodded in agreement as you internally chuckled at the sound of your name coming out of his mouth. 
He was very kind and easy to talk to since you discovered that you had a lot of things in common - for example he too was going to the surprise party of a friend of his in the same city as you.
While talking you find out that you enjoy the same singers and songs, and that is how you ended up sharing your earphones while your playlist was playing.
Sunghoon however, fell asleep off again and let his head fall forward when the softer section of your songs began to play.
Oh, and the reason you gently shifted his head to your shoulder was for no other reason than to make him more comfortable…right?
serie> hee ; hoon ; jay ; jake ; sunoo ; jgwon ; niki
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bubbledtee · 6 months
Text
ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴀʀᴍᴇʀ'ꜱ ᴅᴀᴜɢʜᴛᴇʀ
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Warnings: smoking, drinking, social anxiety, sexual references
Word count: 4.8k
beta-read by @30-3am
contents
playlist
✧.* "In a small corner bar he sits there a-drinkin'. Lost as a ball in a field full of corn. Further away than he ever imagined that he'd ever end up from the place he was born." ~ "Creeker", Tyler Childers ✧.*
a/n: this shit took so long to get out i'm giggling
»»——⍟——««
🇳​​🇪​​🇼​ ​🇨​​🇴​​🇼​​🇧​​🇴​​🇾​ ​🇮​​🇳​ ​🇹​​🇴​​🇼​​🇳​ (Ch. 1)
January 22nd, 1994 - La Veta, CO
Bea held herself in the passenger seat of Zoe’s red Buick LeSabre, the well-below-freezing Colorado weather penetrating the vehicle despite shut windows and cranked heat. She cursed herself for letting Abigail convince her to wear the black, form-fitting turtle-neck dress from her closet, wishing she had opted for a nice pair of blue jeans and a warm sweater instead. She just hoped the heating at the old dive bar would suffice not to freeze her to death tonight.
“Don’t look so sad, B! You’re seein’ the outside world for once,” Abigail’s Kentucky accent was thicker than usual as she pushed Bea’s shoulder slightly from the backseat. “You’re too wrapped up with those damn horses, you need a night off!”
Bea looked behind her into the backseat. The tall, southern blonde held a cigarette between her long, thin fingers, her hand hanging lazily as she balanced her elbow on her knee. Someone walking down the street would know the girl was a Southern beauty just from a glance. She wore too much makeup and an excessive amount of pink that was an eyesore to anybody in their right mind, but most men she was after didn’t so much care about her style as they did about what the dress hid from their perverted gaze.
Bea giggled. “I’m not sad, Abby. I’m just fucking freezing,” she told her, snatching the cigarette from Abigail’s fingers. She brought the lipstick-stained stick up to her mouth and took a long drag, the burn that began to fill her chest, warming her from the inside out. She held the smoke in as she handed the cigarette to Audrey, the girl brushing her ginger curls from her freckled face.
“I shouldn’t have let you convince me to wear this god-awful dress. I’m freezing and I look ridiculous,” Bea grumbled.
There was a collective chorus of ‘no’s’ as soon as she uttered the self-deprecating words, “Shut your mouth, you look gorgeous. You’re just not used to seeing yourself cleaned up!” Zoe insisted, momentarily averting her gaze from the barren and beat-up road to look at Bea. The brunette wore a dubious expression with an eye roll, and Zoe gently hit her arm in retaliation. “I’m serious!”
“And even if you didn’t look good, you’ve gotta be confident. It makes anything look good,” Audrey chimed from the back seat, “I mean, it even makes Abby’s dresses look good on her.”
The already-tipsy blonde gasped beside her, “Fuck you!” she playfully exclaimed, shoving Audrey slightly. “They look good either way,”
The other girls laughed, “Yeah, maybe at some hick beauty pageant in Kentucky.” Audrey rebutted, her face twisted into a wicked grin as she poked fun at her friend.
Bea just shook her head and laughed, watching from the car’s front window. She watched as the sign that read ‘LA VETA’ grew closer and closer until the vehicle eventually passed it - her eyes shifting to the tiny rows of buildings that now enclosed the road on either side.
The minuscule town was one she knew well, memories of walking along the sidewalks with her parents and brothers immediately flooding her mind every time she crossed the threshold. It was the closest town to Lone Wolf Ranch with any civilization, meaning it was the only place the family could shop, eat out, or anything in between. The only times Bea went into town was to buy herself new tack and blankets for horses, or when her friends dragged her into a night out–just like tonight. 
The car slowly pulled into the Magpie Inn’s tiny parking lot, Zoe leaning forward slightly to search for an open parking space. Bea looked around, too, searching for any cars she knew. The number of old F-250s and Silverado 3500s that crowded the parking lot made it evident enough that the place would be full of cowboys who had been enjoying their day off at the bar since before noon. And just as she had expected, she recognized almost every vehicle there.
After a minute, Zoe pulled the car into one of the last open parking spots in the lot and shut the vehicle off. The group hopped out before swiftly shuffling toward the bar's front doors, attempting to preserve their warmth as much as possible.
Bea could hear the buzz of the neon sign that hung beside the door as they approached it, its bright lights flashing ‘OPEN’. The warmth of the light almost seemed to radiate off the sign and reach her, and she could feel her face warm slightly as they approached the door.
However, warmth enveloped her significantly stronger when Audrey opened the building’s doors. Not only that, but the pungent stench of liquor and beer that doused everyone’s breath inside found her too, all of it topped off by the booming sound of a country band that sat at the other side of the establishment–playing an upbeat tune.
As they entered the room, Bea practically hid behind her friends like a small child. She felt so stupid for being shy around people she had mainly known for years, but she couldn’t help the embarrassment that flooded her as she imagined what everybody thought about the girl being dressed up like she was. All she could imagine was negativity and internalized insults of all types.
Zoe suddenly pulled Bea from her negative thoughts as she spoke, “Come on, let’s get you a drink. You need something to help you loosen up,” She softly grabbed Bea’s hand and led her toward the bar, carefully weaving through the crowd of drunk cowboys and tradesmen alike. She thought a few blurs of faces seemed familiar, but she was thankful she didn’t have the time to do a double take as she and Zoe reached the bar. 
Bea leaned over the bar as her counterpart ordered their drinks, her voice bubbly as she did so. She looked down the bar to her left and observed the folks who sat on the old, cracked leather seat stools along the wooden barrier. Most were older men her father knew well–ones that had long been left by their wives and now drink themselves to death by their lonesome. Some of them make their way from those ruts and redeem themselves as her father and her brother, Johnny, had, but others have no desire to fix themselves. Such as her brother Tommy. She shook the thought from her head as Zoe handed her a Heineken, the cold condensation freezing her fingertips.
She sipped the beer lightly, letting the cold bubbles spread across her tongue and sting slightly down her throat. She never was much of a fan of beer, the scent of the hops often ruining her enjoyment of the otherwise refreshing drink, but right then, she really didn’t seem to mind. Anything that would slightly calm her nerves was worth whatever it might take.
The two walked back toward the other girls, Zoe carrying their beers with her own. Bea followed close behind her as though she were a lost puppy looking for her mother; if she were quite honest, she felt like she was.
They reached Audrey and Abby, and Zoe handed them their drinks. Joking words were shared between the three as Bea’s gaze turned longingly toward the door. She felt pathetic for how much she wanted to leave, like such a nuisance to her poor friends who simply wanted to take her from the nights they deemed lonely. But she didn’t quite enjoy seeing so many longtime family friends (or foes) in one place simultaneously.
As her mind drifted off and her gaze lingered on the door, a tall, blonde cowboy walked through the ingress. He looked almost anxious as he tucked his hands into his Storm Rider’s pockets and glanced around the room, his eyes catching Bea’s. Even from a distance, she could admire the icy blue irises beneath his beaten and dirty cowboy hat. She’d never seen him before.
Before she could longer study his handsome and rugged features, a tap on her shoulder made her head whip in the opposite direction.
“You okay, babe?” Zoe asked her with a tilt of her head, her eyes soft.
Bea nodded quickly with a flushed face. “Yeah… Yeah, I’m good.” She sent a forced smile her friend's way and watched as Zoe’s gaze shifted beyond her and toward the bar. A grin slowly crept onto her face before looking back at Bea.
“He’s cute,” she muttered, causing the pink flush of Bea’s face to turn bright red. Bea rolled her eyes and looked away from Zoe and down at her shoes, almost ashamed. Ever since her last long-term boyfriend left her high and dry two years ago, she hadn’t much tried to find a new lover. Sure, she’d had a rebound or two when she was slumped after the breakup, and she’d tried to have them fill the emptiness that lingered within her heart, but it was either too soon or not enough. So she’d simply given up after a year and decided she’d focus on her father’s ranch rather than a lover. It would be more simple that way, she thought.
However, her desire for a lover had been growing within the prior months, and maybe that’s what gave her the final push to go out with the other girls that night. But she wasn’t sure.
Zoe’s face scrunched in slight disgust as she looked back at the blonde man, “Ugh, but that haircut…” she grimaced, making Bea turn her head to look at him. He had removed his cowboy hat, and his hair was long, with the sides and top cut to make a long mullet. It was reminiscent of a haircut that her sophomore-year boyfriend, Donovan, had had. But she didn’t mind. She supposed the poor choice of haircut was brave in its own kind of way.
“It’s not horrible,” she murmured, not even realizing she was defending the mysterious man. Her gaze lingered a bit longer as he removed his coat, revealing a black long-sleeve shirt with a bleach stain imprinted upon the left sleeve. She only looked away when he glanced back at her after ordering a drink. Bea’s face turned a deep red.
Zoe laughed, “Oh, my god, he’s blushing!”
Bea shook her head, “Shut up. How can you even tell? He looked the other way,” she muttered anxiously, “Stop looking at him, you’re being weird.”
Abby and Audrey turned away from their conversation to inch closer to the two, “What are we looking at?” Audrey asked before taking a sip of her beer.
“The guy with the mullet at the bar,” Zoe told her, pointing at him. Bea wanted to shrink down to the size of an ant and be stepped on right then and there. The situation was beyond embarrassing. “He and Bea were ogling each other,”
Audrey and Abby turned to look at him, “I’ve never seen him around before,” Abby said as she stared at the back of his head. Bea could only imagine how the girls' eyes were burning through the poor man’s skull. She was half expecting his brains to explode under their gaze.
Audrey shook her head, “Me neither,” she agreed. The trio looked back at Bea with wide grins spread across their faces. They seemed oddly excited at the prospect of her simply making eye contact with someone of the opposite sex. Was she really that much of a loser?
“You’ve gotta go talk to him, B!” Abby cheered, the other two girls agreeing in unison.
Bea just looked between the three of them, thoughts racing her mind. He was handsome, but she wasn’t sure if she was fit to simply approach him and attempt conversation. She was more than out of practice regarding anything of that nature.
She began to stutter out an excuse, “I-I don’t wanna bother him-”
Zoe interrupted her with a soft nudge to the shoulder, “There’s not a single man – especially not a cowboy – that would mind being bothered by a pretty girl like you. You know that, baby.” She brought her beer bottle up to her lips and took a quick swig; Bea just gave her a look and silently pleaded with her. Zoe gave a short nod and an understanding smile, “But it’s up to you.”
Bea exhaled a sigh of relief as the other two silently agreed, but not before Abby gave her two cents. “But you’d look adorable with him, B. Even more adorable than you look on your own.”
Bea smiled appreciatively, and with that, the mysterious cowboy was seemingly forgotten. The group carried on with conversation, occasionally running into familiar faces and catching up with each other’s lives over drinks. It slowly became nice for Bea. She wasn’t even entirely sure why she had been nervous to be there in the first place.
However, between drinks and increasingly easier conversation, Bea couldn’t help but sneak looks at the man from before. She’d occasionally catch him gazing softly in her direction already, but when she wouldn’t, she’d admire his features from afar—or at least the ones she could see from where she was standing.
His back was toned–she could tell through his shirt that hugged his broad shoulders–and wide arms. At one point, she had caught him standing to make his way to the bathroom, and she just couldn’t pry her eyes away from his ass. She figured it was better than her own.
With such a physique, she could tell he’d been working for most of his life, and as more alcohol coursed throughout her system, she wondered what that physique was like without such a pesky shirt. She wondered what his muscular thighs were beneath that nettlesome blue denim. Most of all, she wondered how a man she’d never spoken to before could have her practically drooling for doing nothing but minding his own business.
By the bottom of her third beer, Bea was beyond relaxed. She remembered how nice seeing old friends and catching up on small-town drama could be, and she spoke more than she had in the last month. With the growth of her confidence, her consideration of talking to the blonde cowboy grew, too. How horribly could it go? He was lonely, that much was obvious, and she figured he wouldn’t mind the company.
Bea looked back at the man as she took a drag of her cigarette. There was a perfectly free barstool right next to him, and she could hear it calling her name over the booming of the dive bar’s live band. She turned to Zoe and yelled over the thumping bass, “I’m gonna go get another beer,” her voice came out raspy, her throat tired from needing to speak over all their surrounding sounds.
“Okay,” Zoe shouted back. Bea didn’t quite understand how her friend was dealing with the surrounding crowd essentially sober, but she supposed she respected it.
“Do you mind grabbing me one, too?” Audrey asked–a significant slur to her voice.
Bea nodded her head, secretly regretting announcing where she was headed. She looked over at Abby, considering asking if she wanted one too, but she could tell from her company of wasted cowboys that she was more than well off.
Bea flicked her cigarette anxiously and turned toward the bar, beginning to weave through the maze of drunkards. She was smaller than just about everyone in the room, and pushing through the crowd was a task that seemed nearly impossible to her. It was almost like she was invisible as she brushed past drunk cowboys and their equally inebriated female counterparts, people only moving if she pushed them with some force. She truly wondered how difficult it was to be spacially aware as she wedged between the last few layers of people.
Finally, Bea pushed through the thick herd of drunkards and to the line that sat in front of the bar. 
Immediately, her eyes were on him.
He had his arm propped up on the bar, his chin gently rested in his hand. His eyes were lazily focused on the hockey game that played on the boxy television hung from the ceiling behind the bar. The Boston Bruins were playing the Philadelphia Flyers, two teams that the mid-westerners who occupied the rest of the bar couldn’t have cared less about, and neither did he, it seemed. But it was something to occupy him, Bea was sure.
She continued to watch as he grabbed his beer bottle and brought it to his lips, taking a thick swig of the bubbly beverage. He huffed a sigh as he set the bottle down.
Bea took a drag of her cigarette and allowed the nicotine to cool her rising nerves. She looked back at the girls she had left, immediately locking eyes with a grinning Zoe. Bea looked away and down at her feet, a blush painting her face. Now she really couldn’t back out, unless she wanted to be chastised endlessly by her best friend for not committing to the chance she was about to take.
With a final drag of her cigarette, Bea looked into the smudged mirror behind the liquor shelves of the bar. She cursed that stupid dress she wore, telling herself how ridiculous it looked. Why couldn’t she have just worn jeans and a blouse? She’d look cuter and be comfier.
Silently, she shook the thoughts from her head as she remembered what Audrey said in the car earlier. 
Whatever, Bea thought, Confidence, B, that’s all you need.
She stood straight, adjusting her body language to display confidence, hoping it looked even somewhat natural. She looked back at where Zoe had been staring from, only to find the back of her head. No more eyes on her, good.
With her sleight confidence, Bea walked up to the barstool beside the blonde and sat, setting her forearms upon the bar. She was there. It was a step in the right direction. All she had to do now was start a conversation. Somehow.
In an attempt to stall for time, she waved down the bartender and asked for another beer, hoping it would convince the man beside her that he wasn’t the entire reason she had sat down. Though, he seemed to have not noticed her presence as he lit a cigarette and kept his focus on the hockey game in front of him.
Bea watched from the corner of her eye as he took a long drag and flicked the ash into the tray that sat to the left of him. As he did so, his eyes followed the cigarette, stopping only when they seemed to catch something on the bar. Right then, she noticed just how blue his eyes were; they were only a shade or two darker than the noon sky.
“There you are, darlin’.” The bartender smiled at Bea as he set a cold Heineken in front of her.
She looked up, her eyes wide in something akin to confusion before awkwardly smiling back. “Oh! Thanks,” she spoke. The bartender nodded and turned away, making his way to a drunkard waving him down elsewhere.
Bea’s attention slyly turned back towards the blonde beside her. His eyebrows were furrowed in what seemed to be curiosity, and Bea tried to follow where exactly he was looking. She looked at the ashtray and slowly tracked further left until her gaze met her hand.
“What’s that say?” the man asked, his voice enough to melt Bea into a puddle.
She looked at him, her head tilting. “What?” she nearly squeaked.
“The tattoo,” he pointed to the ink inscribed on top of her hand, “What’s it say?”
His voice was thick and gruff but had a deep smoothness to it that made Bea’s head spin. She looked back at her hand, almost as if she was unaware of the emblem written into her skin. “Oh,” she looked at him, her cheeks flushed a bright red. “Blondie,” she finally told him as she rolled her sleeve up just a bit to reveal the entire tattoo. The name had been inscribed in calligraphy below the print date of “9/26/1988”, a small heart attached to the tail of the ‘e’ on the calligraphy with it all encircled by the depiction of a horseshoe.
“What’s the date for?” the cowboy asked, twisting his upper body towards the woman beside him and bringing his cigarette back to his lips.
Bea sat up straight, “It’s the day he died,” she told him before stumbling to cover her vagueness, “Blondie, a horse of mine. First horse I ever broke on my own,”
The man’s eyebrows shot up, obviously expecting a different, much happier answer. Whatever that may have been. “Oh, m’sorry.” he muttered, clearing his throat and taking a swig of his beer.
“That’s alright,” Bea smiled softly, her heart thumping hard against her ribcage as she spoke with him. Even over the sound of the dive bar’s band, she was sure he could hear it too.
He took another quick drag of his cigarette before stubbing it in the glass ashtray. His hands were big and rough, obviously made from years of work. Bea’s stomach coiled slightly at the sight as her mind wandered. She thought about how they’d feel on her back, her hips, her thighs…
“I like it, though,” he told her, snapping her from her sinful thoughts. He looked up at her, “Not many folks have tattoos. It’s different,”
She was sure her face was beet red as she smiled at him, “Thank you,” she said. “Usually, people ask me if I was drunk when I decided to get it. Or if I worship Satan.”
The cowboy squinted and scoffed before saying, “For a tattoo commemorating a dead horse?”
She shrugged, “They say it’s a Pagan practice.” The cowboy just shook his head and rolled his eyes as he took a final swig of his beer. Bea spoke, “Pretty sure Pagans don’t worship Satan, either.”
“People just like hearing themselves talk,” he grumbled, placing the empty beer bottle on the bar. “Always have something to say about how you live your life. It’s dumb.”
“Agreed,” Bea nodded, reaching for her untouched beer bottle. She took a swig as the cowboy returned to watching the TV, the game at the tail end of the third period. Now she had to start more conversation. She reached into her dress’s pocket and pulled out her pack of Marlboro Reds alongside a lighter. As she plucked a cigarette from the pack, she spoke. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before.”
The man looked at her, “Definitely not,” he smiled softly. “I’m originally from a bit further west, little town called Durango.”
Bea nodded, her eyes lighting up. “Oh, yeah! My daddy won a big barrel racing title out that way in ‘68 at the uh…”
“Fiesta Days Rodeo?”
“Yeah! That’s it!”
The cowboy nodded, his entire body turned on the barstool towards Bea. He had a prideful smirk on his face, “That’s the first rodeo I ever rode in. Junior bull riding in ‘77 when I was 14. Fell off in three seconds,”
Bea tilted her head and smiled, “You’re a bull rider?”
“Was, for about two years. Then I started doing some of the calf roping in the rodeo. I did a whole lot better with that, nowhere near as many head injuries.” he told her, picking up his hat from the bar and placing it on his knee to dust it off. “I tried barrel racing, but I never really got the hang of it. Cutting was the most fun, though. It feels like working a herd, except you’re in a ring,”
Bea nodded, “I did lots of cutting before Blondie died. He knew how to work cattle better than any old ranch horse we had,” she told him, “I still breed and train cutters and barrel racers, competing’s just harder nowadays.”
“You sell ‘em, too?” he asked, an eyebrow quirked.
She nodded, a grin plastered across her face. “Yeah. Why? You interested?”
The man snorted and put his hat on, “You’re funny,”
Bea giggled, “Come on, any self-respecting man wants a good working horse!” she took a tender sip of her beer.
The cowboy gave her a sardonic look, “Do I look like I have any self-respect, Miss…”
“Dalton,” she answered, “Lorelei Dalton, just call me Bea.”
“Where does ‘Bea’ come from out of ‘Lorelei Dalton’?” he teased.
She rolled her eyes, only then realizing just how loose her once-tensed muscles had become. “My middle name is Bernadette if you really have to know.”
The blonde nodded before sticking out his hand for her to shake, “James Hetfield,” he said as she grabbed it and they shook.
Bea’s hand was warm in his grip, his hand almost twice the size of hers and calloused from his years of work. “What brings you out here, then, Mr. Hetfield?”
“James,” he corrected with a smirk, “And just work. I was in Wyoming working a ranch this past year, but the guy who owned the place was a shady fuck. Didn’t ever pay any of his cowpunchers quite what he owed, so I just sort of up and left.”
Bea nodded, “I’d have done the same,” she said, “Why didn’t you go back to Durango?”
He shrugged. “It’s in my past,”
She took it as an ‘I don’t wanna talk about it,’.
“Well, there’s plenty of cattle to work out this way.” she told him, “I hope you find someone who’ll pay you what they owe,”
“Yeah, me too.” James chuckled. His laugh sent Bea’s insides fluttering. It was adorable. “I dunno, I’ve got a ‘trial’ for a job, I guess. Over in Cuchara. I start tomorrow,”
Bea leaned on the bar top, “Maybe I’ll be seeing you around often, then.” she told him. His head tilted in curiosity at her words. “My family’s ranch is out in Cuchara, ‘Lone Wolf’. My daddy and my brother work the cattle.
“Just them?” he asked.
Bea nodded, “Our herd isn’t huge right now, we had a bad calving yield this past spring.” she told him, taking a swig of her beer before continuing. “What’s the name of the ranch you’re gonna be working?”
James shrugged, “I forgot,” he simply said.
Bea gave him an unimpressed look, “Really?”
“Really.” he affirmed, “I’ve got the address, though.” he began fishing through his jeans’ pockets, but before he could pull anything from them, Bea felt a tap on her shoulder. She whipped her head around.
“Hey, babe. We’ve gotta go,” Zoe told her, her hand now grabbing for the meaty part of Bea’s arm.
“Wh-” Bea began, but her eyes soon fell upon Audrey, who was attempting to hold the attention of a tall, dark-haired cowboy across the room. However, his dark eyes were narrowed and focused overtop of the woman’s head. Straight at Bea. “Oh,” was all she could muster as her stomach dropped to her feet.
“Yeah,” Zoe said before looking over at James, who now sat dumbfounded and almost upset that this random woman had interrupted their conversation. He held a small piece of paper in his hand. “Sorry.” Zoe told him sincerely, “Just look her up in the Yellow Pages, or something.”
With that, Zoe and Bea began out the door. Bea turned to wave at the blonde cowboy, finding his now-longing and sad eyes following her out the door. He waved back at her with a sigh before standing and grabbing his jacket from the back of his chair. She felt horrible. But she also needed to get out of there.
“What’s he doing here?” she asked Zoe, wide-eyed as they burst through the entrance. The bitter wind stung their cheeks.
Zoe shrugged, “He just came up to Audrey and asked if you were with us,” she unlocked her car’s door, and the two got into the vehicle. She stuck the key in the ignition, and the engine struggled to a start.
“I thought he’d left town!” Bea exclaimed as she shivered, trying to warm up as the car pushed hot air through its vents. “When is he going to fucking leave me alone?! We fucked twice. Twice! A year ago! That’s it!”
Zoe nodded, “I know. He’s a creep.”
Right then, the doors to the bar burst open, Audrey and Abigail drunkenly stumbling out with something akin to haste. Abigail was leaning against Audrey, her drunkenness reducing her to the balance of a toddler. They raced across the parking lot and burst the car doors open as soon as they reached them.
“We’ve got to go,” Audrey practically shouted as she slammed the door beside her. “Fucker tried grabbing me,”
Zoe whipped around, “What?!”
The man in question emerged from the entrance.
“Zoe, go,” Bea told her friend firmly. The car was then quickly put into gear, and they whipped out of the parking lot, leaving the old dive bar in the dust.
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kithtaehyung · 2 years
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flutter (teaser) (3tan) | myg
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title: flutter (m) pairing: 3tan!yoongi x reader(f) series: masterlist | three tangerines | fireworks | house party | basketball | stay | sidewalk talk | friends | dalo | like that | anytime | sundress season | yoongi’s interlude | forfeit rating/genre: m (18+) ; fluff , smut ; brother’s best friend au, implied age gap au summary: the aftermath of a night of confessions and relief. note: teaser for the next drabble of three tangerines. this takes place in a timeskip in forfeit :D note 2: apparently 300 for a goal post is way too easy now🥴 good luck if we end up with another one🧍‍♀️but anyway, happy birthday to the people celebrating today! today was supposed to be the actual drop day (since the one-year 3tan anniversary is tomorrow) but alas, life! i didn’t get to write as much on vacay, then traveling and a big ass headache took me out lol. hope it’s ok and i hope this is still a decent gift<3 the final drop is 100x more menacing ahaha🙃 warnings: nothing for teaser other than yoongi being yoongi lol, and maybe some kisses.., and soft moments.., possibly a shower scene you never know👀 (there is), final list of warnings included on drop day!  est. drop date: november 19th, 2022, 2:17pm est teaser word count: 1.5k🦋  est. word count: 7k🦋
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“Come shower with me.” 
Oh.
What. 
Did he really just say that? 
You blink more than once before checking, “You sure?” 
“Mm.” 
Despite being exhausted down to every fibre of your being, you nod. Because you don’t think this kind of opportunity will present itself until the next blue moon. 
Silent, Yoongi leads you out of bed, huffing when you wince at the beautiful soreness between your legs. And in your legs. And everywhere, actually. 
“Rude.” You thump back sideways on the bed and sigh. “This is your fault.” 
Expecting another laugh, you don’t get one. Instead, he simply lies next to you again, soft but firm stomach pressing into yours. “You wanna just wait for me?” 
“No,” you whisper, snuggling into his chest and feeling the clinks of his jewelry. “I wanna go. I just… You got me good.” 
He laughs down at your cheek, bringing your chin up and pulling you in for a kiss. “I did, huh.” 
Ass. “I’m hearing a severe lack of apology here.”
And you wordlessly repeat your insult when he chuckles even deeper. But he nudges his forehead against yours, and you find yourself suddenly, incredibly shy. 
Maybe it’s the fact that, while you don’t see his smirk, you certainly hear it in his question, 
“You want me to?” 
Immediately, your lips curve upward. 
Of course not. Despite your observation, you know that he’d right any wrongs if you were truly hurt. It’s quite considerate of him to still ask in the first place. 
“No,” you finally respond, breathy and right before a giggle. “That was hot as fuck.” 
He hums, kissing your forehead and making you one with his sheets. “I was going easy on you, doll.” 
“Be for real.” 
“No lie.” 
“…Well, damn.” 
A soft snort wisps out, and you feel his muscles stretch as he reaches behind him. When you tilt your head, you realize he’s checking his phone, so you snuggle back against his chest to give him privacy. 
You aren’t quite sure how to navigate that part yet.
After a handful of seconds, he sets it back down with a clunk. “When are you gonna leave?” 
“Early. I work.” 
“K.” 
Your fingers come up to play with one of his necklaces, and you tenderly rub each link, one after the next. As your knuckles brush against his skin, you find yourself the utmost content. The most at home. 
Yoongi has taught you many things, but one of them has nothing to do with sex. But about people. About how houses can be built with words instead of tools, and take residence in a person instead of anywhere else. 
It’s fascinating—and frightening—how someone can become that for you. Especially if that person isn’t quite yours. 
Yes, you’re in his place, and yes, he wants you to stay. But there’s still something missing, and you want to keep running until you find it. 
If there is a universe out there where you already have, you hope that version of you realizes how lucky they are every day they live. 
Your question leaves in a whisper, “Can you help me wake up?” 
“Yeah, I can.” 
“Thank you.” 
Worries aside, you may have lucked out in this universe, too. 
Shifting your legs, you breathe and curl into his chest again, realizing only later that he let you sit with your thoughts this whole time. “I think I can get up now.” 
He still doesn’t say anything in return, simply vacating the bed and helping you stand. 
When you stumble to the bathroom, you weakly pout while he lets out a few hisses of amusement, plotting revenge every tiny step of the way. 
“I’ll fight you.” 
“You can’t even use those legs.” 
“There are other ways.” 
“Show me later then.” 
After you make the journey, he leads you to lean against his cabinets while he gets the shower ready, opening the glass and turning on the spray.
No other words are spoken, but they don’t need to be. You’re purely content to admire his body in the bright light. Because while you have seen more of this man than you ever thought possible, you haven’t truly taken him in. 
As he tests the temperature, you watch the flex of his muscles, noticing how tone he is and how broad his back has become. When he flicks water off his hand and turns to walk back over, a few scars catch your eye. 
So many stories of his you still don’t know. 
You move to the side when he opens the cabinet behind you, but his stray kiss on your cheek before he gathers towels sets all the butterflies in your belly into a frenzy. 
He’s gonna be the end of you.
Watching him leave again, your head tilts. 
Yoongi’s being a lot more touchy than you ever suspected. To think this is the same person that almost let you walk out without a word makes your chest squeeze. 
And squeeze some more. 
This tightness is what makes you push off the counter and follow him to his shower rack, stopping him before planting a light peck of your own on his lips. 
When he blinks, you softly beam, taking one of the towels and setting it where you think he was planning on hanging it. Turning, you motion for him to give you his, and you set it next to yours, knowing that you’re both still very naked, not fucking, and not giving a single shit about it. 
Yoongi’s voice is almost drowned out by the running water when he asks,
“Does this still hurt?”
Your answer appears in the flinch you make at his touch, but you manage to hum anyway.
“It’s swelling, but I got ice. We can use that after this.” 
How has he ever thought of himself as not enough? 
You turn to face him, but he’s already opened the door, signaling for you to step inside. 
So you do.
Steam and hot water envelop you instantly, and when Yoongi closes the door, you take in the large area and the backsplash that goes nicely with the floor tiles. 
While the size of the shower surprises you, the contents of it do not. Yoongi has everything organized here, too, and you can’t help but smile at his consisten— 
Wait. 
Pause.
You’ve been in here before. 
Damn, you didn’t even notice until now. 
Makes sense, though. Given your harrowed as fuck state, you didn’t think to observe a single thing the first time. 
While you’re casted back to that dreaded night, wet hands lightly grip your sides and pull you back. Your skin feels slick on his, and you find comfort in how his head lightly rests against your shoulder blade. 
“I wanted to be in here,” he admits. And after a pause, his clarification has you choked up,
“Last time.” 
You squeak out his name, eyes closed under the spray. 
“But I didn’t know if you wanted that.” 
The twist you make to face him is awkward, but it’s okay—normal. “You did everything right,” you confirm. “If it weren’t for you, I’d still be having nightmares.” 
Yoongi doesn’t respond. 
“Besides,” you add, observing bangs that are not entirely wet but sticking to his forehead regardless. “I like this being the first time instead.” 
Yeah. 
He’s so fucking beautiful when he smiles. 
When he looks away, he states the most matter-of-factly, “I’m still charging you for all the water we use.”
You laugh through a grin. Looks like he’s consistent in many other ways. “You’re in here, too!” 
“So?” 
“Fifty-fifty, at least.” 
“You’re the reason I have to take one.” 
Your eyes roll heavenward before you find the body wash, but Yoongi stops your moments with a touch to your arm. When you swivel your head, his tone drops to a rumble,
“I got you.” 
He what? “Huh?”
Yoongi holds his stare on your lips before flicking up to your eyes. “Let me.”
Oh.
This is very new. 
Speechless, you shuffle, carefully switching positions as he stands under the water. When he lathers a scrub with body wash that smells entirely him, you let steam shroud your tiny smile.
You’re aware that Yoongi is nothing if not meticulous. But it’s the way he makes sure every inch of you is cleaned that you’re glad the running water covers your face. 
Someone tending to you this way?
This is so, very new. 
His movements are gentle, yet thorough; soft, yet determined. Whenever you think you’re clean, he keeps going, as if this is something he needs to get absolutely perfect. 
Is he scrubbing more than just today off your skin?
Just the thought makes your tears bigger in size. 
When he shifts you both so that you’re back under the water, he’s still silent. Almost reverent. If he knows you’re adding salt to the drain, he doesn’t show it. If he hears your little sniffles rebounding off damp walls, he says nothing. 
Instead, he straightens, grabbing his shampoo before regarding your head. 
He stares, and you know he’s going to ask—because of course he is. But it remains: you’re still going to appreciate his consideration, no matter what. 
“Can I.” 
You nod, and he slathers the shampoo in his hands before stepping close. When he stills, you search his eyes, noticing that the bags underneath them are almost gone. 
“Tell me if I’m doing this shit wrong, okay.” 
And butterfly wings tickle your bones all the way up to your heart.
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tbc. :) 
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how is it so far! feel free to let me know 🥺🦋
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A/N: AHHHH i hope this was a good enough snippet to hold us over until drop day! gonna try to make it saturday the 19th but, you know, life can happen lol. how did we like it! is it what you expected? is it boring? dkfdkj anyway, can’t wait to show y’all the rest bc there is so much more left to this part :’))  A/N 2: 3tanversary is tomorrow, november 16th! if you haven’t seen the little survey, here is the link for it :D  ++ ⇥ three tangerines masterlist  ⇥ masterlist 
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Moonlit Confessions
(ao3 link in title)
Blitzø visits Stolas in the hospital, but only when he thinks Stolas doesn't know.
The room was warm despite the evident starlight coming through the draped windows that usually signaled that Stolas should be chilly. He’d been in and out of sleep for the past several days, waking only long enough to eat if prompted or make a few observations about his surroundings. He had been able to relatively consistently remember that daylight=warm. Moonlight=cold, but if asked what day it was or even where he was, Stolas would likely be unable to answer without help. He wasn’t even sure he could answer if asked, he hadn’t spoken aloud in ages.
The magic he had used during the full moon had exhausted him of all his energy. He didn’t fight the sleep when it came, he knew his role right now was to rest: it was the only way he would heal. He also hadn’t tried to fight himself into wakefulness too often. Usually he awoke only to reposition himself or fix the arrangement of his blankets. This time as he awoke, however, Stolas found that he had a much more difficult time moving. There was something in his arms.
With just one eye squinting itself open, only able to see a blur of red with black and white stripes, Stolas reasoned that he was clutching to Impy, his unfortunately named beloved childhood stuffed doll. He still had the doll tucked away with his other possessions. He came out of storage on rare occasions when Stolas needed extra comfort, such as periods of illness. Curious, he thought. Nobody had come to bring him anything, he hadn’t remembered Impy being among his possessions while in hospital. It was with a movement of his good hand up to the imp’s head that he realized he was touching flesh and not fabric. Two more of the prince’s eyes blink open. With increased cognizance, Stolas realized that he could feel the rise and fall of the other’s chest as he breathed. When his eyes adjusted, he recognized the brand mark from the imp circus, tucked carefully under the Goetia’s chin. Blitzy was here.
It almost felt like a dream and Stolas was happy to convince himself of that, but the smell of booze that became apparent as Stolas became more awake settled him into reality. A disorienting reality, one he didn’t entirely know how to make sense of, but one that Stolas couldn’t help but take comfort from in this moment. Blitzy was here, all of the other details were negligible.
Stolas was warm, he realized, because Blitz had pulled the blanket up over them when he’d snuck into bed. He was having trouble moving because Blitz’s tail was wrapped around the two of them twice over. His face was buried in Stolas’s chest feathers and his arms were wrapped under Stolas’s, clutching to his back. While Stolas woke thinking he was holding onto something, he now realized that he was the object that was being held onto. Stolas tried to move, only slightly, but was stopped when he heard Blitz shift protectively and grumble in his sleep.
“No” It wasn’t an angry or upset no. It was quiet, a bit playful, concerned. “Shh, no jus’….no. Don’ move.”
Blitz was still very much asleep. Stolas found the concern that Blitz showed in his unconscious state endearing. He could feel his heart swell, there was no doubt he was blushing. Blitzy cared for him, even if it was just a quiet shushing in his sleep. How could Stolas do anything but oblige?
“Alright.” Stolas’s voice was no more than a whisper. His good hand rested atop Blitz’s head, scratching gently between his horns. He pressed his lips to the other’s forehead and kept them there in a prolonged, tender kiss. Stolas found it quite easy to drift back into sleep with Blitz tangled up in his arms.
Stolas awoke again hours later when the sun was starting to rise. Blitz was trying to sneak out of bed, and doing so rather successfully until he fell out of it. Stolas was still rather disoriented, he decided to stay laying still. He could hear Bliz standing up, he could hear him grumble and brush himself off, then silence for several moments.
“You’re still fucking sleeping” Blitzø’s voice was quiet, and just slightly fuzzy around the edges. Stolas wondered how much Blitz drank before breaking in here to still be inebriated in the morning. He wondered how much time had actually passed.
Blitz stumbled, he sighed. “You should’ve woken up to that. Or this. You should be awake right now going ~Oh Blitzy~ with your big stupid fucking eyes. You’re not supposed to….You shouldn’t...You’re not…” His voice almost cracked, but he stopped and swallowed before allowing that to happen. It was a few moments before he spoke again. “I didn’t know you could get hurt.”
Blitzø didn’t outright apologize, but Stolas understood what he was trying to say. The air hung heavy in the room, the silence clinging to both of them uncomfortably. Blitz’s breath hitched and Stolas could feel all of the air from his lungs leave as his chest crushed in on itself. Blitzy was crying. This was exactly the moment that Stolas wanted to reach out and pull Blitzø back into his arms and hold him, but he knew this was exactly the sort of moment Blitz would never let anyone else see. He knew Blitz would run the moment Stolas showed him affection. Stolas stayed as still as he could, he remembered his breathing, he remained “sleeping” while Blitz regained his composure.
“You look like shit, Birdie.” Blitz sniffed, Stolas imagined he was wiping away tears before they fell. Blitzy never let anyone see him show such vulnerability. Stolas wanted to believe that these emotions were fueled by more than whatever Blitz had taken before coming here. Stolas felt the blanket over him move. Careful hands pulled the blanket back up around him and tucked him in. “You can’t fucking die, okay? That’s an order.” Stolas could feel something hover over his face. He couldn’t tell if it was Blitzø’s hand or his lips. He never learned, nothing ever made contact.
Blitz’s boots click towards the exit. “If you do I’ll….I’ll kill you again.” Three more clicks. “Fuck!” His voice is a whisper, the boots clicked on down the hall. Stolas didn’t hear any more from Blitz.
Stolas didn’t sleep very well the rest of the day. His chest ached in a way he didn’t know how to categorize. He stayed tearful, he couldn’t decide if his tears were happy or sad. Both, he supposed. More of one than the other at times. Stolas had never been more conflicted in his life. How had he gotten here? He knew the answer, it was a reality of his own making, but that didn’t make it any less confusing.
He may not know how things would play out between him and Blitzø, but knew one thing: he was going to stay alive. He had to, Blitz had asked him to.
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hihopelessromantics · 2 months
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Fantasy Tails
Messing around with magical biology with some rough sketches and lore :) Tagging some who might be interested :3
@librathefangirl @zorria @7-ratsinatrenchcoat @theprinceofliones @stvrlightthearts
Demon
Another take on the traditional (?) demon tail! The heart on the end protects the demon's retractable, venomous (or just very pointy) barb.
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Tails, venomous and nonvenomous, are used for balance, especially while the demon is maneuvering in mid-air. whether they are jumping or flying. flight. They're deceptively strong even though their mechanisms seem delicate and the fluff covering them doesn't appear as tough as the rest of the demon's skin. A younger demon’s tail reaches full size before they reach their adult height. Coloration depends on the demon’s primary colors, including features like hair, eyes, teeth, skin, and tongue.
Tail venom develops during late adolescence- an evolutionary process that serves two purposes. One, that the baby and toddler cannot injure its parents, itself, or its other potential packmates with a potent and uncontrolled poison. Second, that the toxin may adapt to whatever might suit the demon best as it grows. Environmental conditions are thought to play a direct role. High-level demon venom has no ‘antidote’ because it, structurally, is one-of-a-kind; antivenom would require an (albeit slightly) different formula even between identical twins. There are three official categories this venom can fall into: defensive, offensive, and constructive. Some demons will inject their venom into themselves or other demons on a circumstantial basis to help, not harm! A few toxins specifically adapt to treat a temporary condition their demon frequently suffers from- for instance, to treat extreme insomnia or muscle cramps, to dissolve abscesses from the inside, or to reset one of the body’s natural cycles. Level of toxicity can fluctuate throughout the demon’s lifetime.
Goddess
Goddesses’ legs are built for flight - not just for landing - they are very strong! 
Feathers all along the tail can fan out and adjust individually, though, of course, the tail end has the most maneuverability. For potion recipies requiring the physical essence of a goddess feather, it is not usually specified whether it need be a tail or wing feather. Instead, the recipe will reference a specific altitude or bloodline. The wings and tails of goddesses contain special adaptations per their homeland and family line. A feather separated from the body of some goddess species becomes serrated and sharp like a blade, for instance, and these contain a potent defensive energy. Coloration also depends on place of origin and closely resembles that of the wings. 
While aiming for the wings is considered a legitimate battle tactic, aiming for the tail is considered an extreme insult and foul play, a sentiment largely reciprocated and respected by the Demon Clan. 
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Fairy
The creatures known as fairies / fae / faerie display immense biological and magical diversity and that's fascinating to work with, so I added them to the list for funsies.
A fairy’s tail begins as a simple prehensile limb and grows into a symbol of the fairy’s power as they mature. In their base form, tails are most often used in dancing and in daily nonverbal communication. Fully awakened fairies’ tails transform in the likeness of their wings, sprouting insect-like appendages which greatly increase the speed and maneuverability of the fairy’s flight. For those of the highest ability, it becomes near-impossible to disorient them or to knock them from the air.
Some examples I thought up!
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savventeen · 1 year
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to build a home
pairing: jihoon x gn!reader rating: T (for swearing) wc: 3.7k summary: on the train ride back to meet jihoon's parents in person for the first time, you realize you don't really know what it's like to have a childhood home — at least, not in the sense that most people seem to have. but it's okay, because you've found a home in jihoon instead. warnings: talks about divorce (reader's parents) tags: fluff, this is so sappy guys, kind of emotional hurt/comfort, soonhoon best frienemies (they’re ride or die dw their friendship is just based on mutual teasing lol), vaguely implied asexual reader, a truly excessive amount of handholding, i really made jihoon into a hand-holding fiend and i'm Not Sorry a/n: this might be one of the most self-indulgent things i've ever written since reader's experiences are 100% based off of my own lmao. also i can't believe i wrote almost 4k of them just talking on a train, like??? wow. also also, i listened to sleeping at last's cover of i'm gonna be (500 miles) on repeat while writing so i recommend giving it a listen for the Vibes haha
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Jihoon was nervous.
Not in a bad way, of course. But he was taking you back home to stay with his parents for the next four days and they would be meeting you in person for the first time and he was nervous.
Soonyoung, the bastard, could definitely tell and had made it his mission to embarrass the hell out of him until the last possible second.
It was only supposed to be Seungcheol and Minghao dropping the two of you off at the train station, but Soonyoung had physically crammed himself into the backseat between you and Jihoon and refused to let go of either of you until you’d reached the train station. Even then, you had to physically pry him off of Jihoon and promise to tell Jihoon’s parents that Soonyoung loved them and missed them and—
“—make sure to take lots of pictures of all his cringey old anime posters!”
Soonyoung’s insistence is only diminished by the effort he’s exerting not to be forcefully dragged back into the car by a disgruntled Minghao. Jihoon knows Soonyoung’s being even more of a handful for his sake, and Jihoon is both filled with love and also the desire to strangle his best friend with his bare hands.
Minghao is able to get him mostly back in the car, Seungcheol watching on with a slightly fond but mostly concerned smile, but before they can get the door closed, Soonyoung claws his way back to the doorframe to tell you, “Also, his mom keeps all of his baby pictures in a bunch of photo books by the—”
“And that’s enough from you,” Jihoon interrupts, forcefully shoving Soonyoung back into the car by the face, Soonyoung screeching with poorly disguised glee, and slams the car door shut.
Jihoon waves at Seungcheol who he can see laughing through the glass as he pulls away from the curb, leaving the two of you standing with your suitcases.
He hears you giggling, and turns around to face you with a sigh. “Ignore him.”
You give a thoughtful hum, drawing it out as you grab the handle of your suitcase and wait for Jihoon to grab his and start walking with you through the station.
“No, I don’t think I will,” you finally decide, a mischievous grin tugging at the corners of your mouth.
Jihoon groans, tilting his head back as if to ask the universe why me?
“Why,” you continue, “embarrassed about your Nami posters?” 
Like Soonyoung, Jihoon knows you’re just teasing, and he falls into your easy banter with a smile threatening to tug at the corners of his mouth.
He glares at you half-heartedly. “It’s poster, singular. And no, I’m not embarrassed,” he adds as you both make your way across the platform and into the closest empty train car (the only benefit of leaving at the ass-crack of dawn). “Why would I ever be embarrassed about Nami? She’s badass.” He grunts as he stands on his toes and lifts his luggage to store on the overhead rack and then reaches out to take yours as well. “Plus, you’re one to talk, with your weird shrimp god poster—“
And this argument is familiar, too. He can’t help but smirk as you roll your eyes in exasperation and slide into the seat next to the window.
“It’s shrimp heaven,” you exclaim, “we’ve been over this.”
Jihoon just shakes his head, and he knows he sounds more than a little besotted when he says, “You listen to the weirdest shit.”
You give him a Look that manages to be both deadpan and undeniably fond, and no one except a few untitled projects saved on his external hard drive knows exactly how much he adores that particular look. “I am aware, yes, thank you.”
While this is the first time the two of you are traveling back to where Jihoon grew up, it is not the first time the two of you have traveled together. There’s a well-worn ease to the way your shoulders draw together like magnets, Jihoon offering up one of his earbuds as he balances his iPad across your joined knees.
It had scared him, the first time he felt himself leaning into your presence without a second thought — as easy and unthinkingly familiar as pulling on his favorite hoodie when he’s cold or the sound of his keys clinking against the countertop every night when he gets home. He’d never been one to seek out physical affection before, not unless he was desperate. But now he can’t help but feel like a flower seeking out the sun whenever he’s with you.
He leans his head against yours as he asks, “Want to watch some Bonobono?”
“Yeah,” you reply with a happy hum.
Jihoon presses play without further ado, and the two of you settle in for the next few hours.
You get through a few episodes quickly before taking a quick snack break, and it’s only a few minutes into the next episode that Jihoon notices you aren’t really paying attention. He turns his head where it's resting on your shoulder to get a better look at your profile, but he’s not able to see much since you have your own head turned to look out the window.
He finishes the episode and gets halfway through the next one, glancing over at you every few minutes, before deciding it’s time for him to check in.
Starting conversations is still not one of his strong suits, but he’s discovered interesting ways to wiggle himself into them, mainly by tricking you into getting the ball rolling for him. It’s in these moments that he channels his inner Soonyoung (he is taking this train of thought to his grave, mind you) and asks himself “How would cat-me ask for attention in this moment?” (Again, taking this train of thought to the fucking grave.)
So Jihoon leans away from you just enough for him to be able to turn slightly in his seat and gently plonk his head against your shoulder. When he gets no reaction, he does it again. And again, before doing it one more time as your turn to look at him with an amused smile. “Hi? You having fun, there?”
“Yep,” he says, popping the “p”. “The funnest.”
You snort and shake your head at him. “Okay, babe.” You turn your attention back out the window and Jihoon frowns.
With a quiet huff, he plonks his head on your shoulder once again, pushing in with his forehead and rubbing it back and forth against your sweater.
You start giggling — and god, it’s still one of his favorite sounds, he doesn’t think he’ll ever get tired of hearing it — and you turn to look at him again with a single eyebrow raised. “Yes, Jihoonie?”
He moves so his temple is resting on your shoulder and he can look at you properly. “You okay?” he asks, lighthearted and warm. “You’ve been staring out the window for a while, missed the last couple of episodes.”
You blink, a little surprised, and look down at the iPad still balanced between the two of you. “Oh, yeah, I’m fine, sorry.” You give him a smile and shrug the shoulder he’s leaning on. “Just thinking.”
The automatic retort of “oh, dangerous” is on the tip of his tongue, but he holds it back with a small frown. He’s never liked when you apologize unnecessarily, but he knows it’s something you’ve been working on, so he decides not to bring attention to it this time.
“What about?” he asks instead.
You’ve turned your attention back to Bonobono at this point, and you respond with a distracted “Hm?”
Jihoon pokes your temple with one finger. “What’re you thinking about?”
“Oh.” You look at him, considering, and then you huff out a short laugh as you reach over to pause the video. “You actually,” you tell him, tucking the iPad into your lap as you turn in your seat to face him fully.
That was not what Jihoon was expecting. “Me?”
“Yep,” you say, popping the “p” just like he did earlier. “Your bedroom, more specifically.”
That was definitely not what Jihoon was expecting. Both of his eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “My bedroom…” he trails off, voice dry and seeming to ask, are you really implying what I think you’re implying?
Your expression morphs into one of disgust so quickly Jihoon barks out a startled laugh. “Ew, no, don’t look at me like that, that’s not what I meant.”
Jihoon lets out a few of his own giggles as he asks, “What did you mean, then?”
He almost coos at the adorable way you pout as you cross your arms in faux anger. “Ugh, no I’m not telling you anymore if you’re just gonna tease me.”
“Aw come on,” he cajoles, reaching out to pry your crossed arms apart. “I only tease those who deserve it.”
You roll your eyes even as you let him pull your hands into his own. “Tell that to Soonyoung.”
“Are you kidding? He deserves it just for existing.”
You lift one of your conjoined hands to awkwardly point at him. “I’m gonna tell him you said that.”
Jihoon narrows his eyes. “Good. He needs the reminder.”
You fold over as you snort, falling into Jihoon’s space for a moment before you straighten back up with a beaming smile. “You’re such a terrible friend, Lee Jihoon.”
Closing his eyes, he nods solemnly. “I am aware of this, yes. It is my curse.”
“Oh my god,” you laugh, making him smack himself in the shoulder with your still joined hands. “You can be such a dramatic little shit sometimes.” There’s a glint in your eyes that tells Jihoon you’re about to say something purely because you know it’ll rile him up, and he’s proven right when the next words out of your mouth are, “Soonyoung must be rubbing off on you.”
Jihoon’s jaw drops in offended horror. “You’d better take that back right now, I swear to god, y/n—” He doesn’t give you a chance to respond as he untangles your fingers and digs them mercilessly into your sides.
You squeal at the onslaught and try your best to deflect, but Jihoon’s relentless and you’ve always been extremely ticklish, so it’s only a few moments later that you’re choking out through strained laughter, “Yield! Yield! Fuck, I yield, you absolute ass!”
Jihoon glares at you as he stops and generously lets you trap his fingers in your hold. “Take it back.”
“Yes, I take it back, geez,” you pant. He’s pretty sure he hears you follow it up with a near silent “Why are both of you so insane?”
He raises an eyebrow. “What was that?” He wiggles his fingers pointedly.
“Nothing,” you say quickly, glaring at him half-heartedly before rolling your eyes. “Absolutely nothing.”
“Good,” he smirks, wiggling his fingers again, but this time so he can lace them once again with yours. He brings each of your hands up to his face and kisses your knuckles before bringing them back down to his lap and letting himself drink you in.
You’re looking at him with something teetering the edge between incredulous and fond and over-the-moon, and Jihoon thinks he probably looks like a smitten fool just based on the way his cheeks ache and his ears feel like they’re on fire.
He’s come to love moments like these, where the both of you take a moment to just… take each other in — to simply exist in each other’s presence and soak it all in like sponges. And he doesn’t know if he’ll ever be able to put into words exactly what it feels like to look and be looked at like this. To see and be seen.
Jihoon doesn’t try to find the words this time, just lets himself bask in your glow with a soft smile.
After a few moments, he brings himself to break the ambient quiet of the train. “Hey,” he murmurs.
Your response is as soft and quiet as the smile you tuck into the corner of your mouth. “Hi.”
He stares at you for another moment before saying, “You never ended up telling me, y’know.”
“Telling you what?”
“What you were thinking about earlier.” He starts idly rubbing his thumbs across the skin of your hands, tracing gentle arcs with the pads of his thumbs.
“Oh.” You scrunch up your face a little before smoothing it out with a small shrug. “Eh, it wasn’t anything important.”
“Hmm.” Something tells him it probably is something important — to you, at least. And even if it isn’t, he still wants to know. “Tell me anyway?”
You tilt your head and look at him with a confused sort of amused smile. “Why do you wanna know so bad?”
Because I’m highkey obsessed with you and always want to learn more about you and how you think, is what he doesn’t say. At least, not out loud and not right now. He knows it’d probably fluster you and he doesn’t want to distract you from answering any more than he already has. (And maybe he’s still struggling with saying his sappy thoughts directly to your face instead of hoarding them in various notebooks, but that’s a problem for future Jihoon to work through.)
“Just curious,” he murmurs with a shrug. “And we still have a couple of hours left on the train.”
You stare at him for a moment like you don’t quite believe him and are trying to find the lie somewhere on his face. But eventually you mutter, “Okay.” You take in a deep breath and let it out slowly through your nose. “Well,” you start, after a moment of collecting your thoughts. “I said I was thinking about your bedroom, right?”
“Mhm.”
“Okay, so.” You purse your lips as you tighten your hold on Jihoon’s fingers, just for a moment, before loosening your grip with a quiet exhale. “I was mostly just trying to imagine what that’s like.”
Jihoon blinks at you. “...What having a bedroom is like?” His tone comes across more deadpan than he means, confusion flattening his question into more of a statement.
“No, no,” you shake your head. “What having a childhood bedroom is like.”
Jihoon blinks again, furrowing his brows. “...I don’t understand.”
“God, I’m not explaining this right,” you mutter, chewing on your lip in obvious thought. “Okay, so like… You know how in movies and books and stuff, a lot of times there’s this— trope, I guess, where a character goes back home and stays in their childhood bedroom and it’s like a glimpse into their past? A lot of times for comedic reasons?”
Jihoon slowly nods his head. “Yeah, I know what you’re talking about.”
“Yeah, well.” You give a self-conscious little half-shrug that makes Jihoon’s chest hurt for some reason. “I was wondering what that’s like. Like…” You trail off for a moment, gaze drifting off to the side and focusing on the middle-distance. Jihoon forces himself to wait patiently as you try to find the words you need to explain, his thumbs continuing their silent metronome across your skin.
“What— what’s it like to have lived your entire childhood in the same house?” you start, gaze still locked somewhere off to the side. “To have the same four walls watch you go from toddler to kid to preteen to moody teenager and then reluctant adult? And to know those same walls are still watching you grow up.” You give a wistful little sigh and focus back on Jihoon with a crooked smile. “I’m trying to imagine what that’s like. Hadn’t realized how much of a foreign concept it was to me until I really started thinking about it,” you finish with a small huff.
During your whole little spiel, you hadn’t sounded sad or bitter or anything other than genuinely curious, but it still pokes at that little ache in Jihoon’s heart. He knows your parents divorced when you were young, and there’s a part of him that wishes you could have had the perfect childhood he knows doesn’t actually exist. He also knows you’re not one to really talk about yourself or your past, so he’s grateful for the vulnerability you’re sharing with him in this moment. Softly, he encourages you to share more with him. “You went back and forth between your parents a lot, right?”
“Oh, god yeah,” you laugh. “And not only that, but my mom could never stay in one place either. Growing up, I think my dad only moved like… four times? But my mom moved… uh.” Your brows furrow deeply for a moment. “Hang on, I need to think this out.”
Jihoon almost whines when you detangle your fingers from his, but manages to turn it into a pretty convincing cough. (It’s actually not at all convincing, but luckily you’re too preoccupied to properly clown him for it.) He watches you mutter to yourself with a small pout and then he looks back down at your hands like he can make them hold his if he just stares hard enough. Your fingers extend one by one as you count, and his pout falls away as one fist and then the other blooms fully. And then one fist closes again, leaving a single finger standing.
“So… eleven? Eleven times.”
He’d known you’d moved at least a few times as a kid, but… “Holy shit.”
“Yeah.”
Gently, he reaches out to hold your hands again. Squeezes. “And how often did you go back and forth?”
“Oh, god. That was a mess, too.” You’re laughing, but that ache in his chest keeps spreading, digging deeper. “We had different schedules that would change like— every few months. We did three days on, three days off, alternating sundays; we did two days on, two days off, with alternating weekends; at one point we even did every other weekday with alternating weekends… it was insane. Looking back, it seems even more insane.”
“Jesus.” He can’t even begin to imagine what that must’ve been like — almost constantly being on the move. Especially as a kid. “How old were you when they split again?”
“Five.”
“Jesus.”
“Yeah.” You sigh, long and gusty. It doesn’t sound sad, at least, just tired. Maybe a little bit like release. Then you send a small, amused smile in his direction. “So you can kinda see why the whole “childhood bedroom” thing is such a foreign concept to me, right?”
He can see why. And it aches. “Yeah,” he breathes.
Some of that ache must show on his face because you gently scold him, “Hey, don’t look like that.” You untangle your fingers once again to cup both of his cheeks, thumbs pressing into the corners of his mouth and smoothing out his unconscious frown.
You look at him, soft and warm and so full of love Jihoon’s breath catches in his chest. And then you adjust your grip so you’re pinching his cheeks, and you wiggle his face a little bit. “This wasn’t supposed to be a sad thing, Hoonie. Just a “we had vastly different experiences” kind of thing.” You stop pinching his cheeks and go back to simply holding his face between your palms. “Like, I know it helped me understand the concept of “home is where the heart is,” yanno?”
And, oh. Oh, Jihoon is so very head-over-heels in love with you. He can feel that love pooling and swelling inside him, curling up between his ribs and tickling the tips of his fingers as reaches up to cover your hands with his.
“Hmm.” His mouth moves before his brain can catch up. “And where is your heart, y/n?” he breathes.
For one infinite moment suspended in time, you and Jihoon are the only two people to exist. The world around him disappears as your eyes bore into his, and Jihoon gets to watch something in them soften, melt — pool into something that looks a lot like love as you turn your hands to let go of his cheeks and hold his fingers instead.
You bring his hands to hover in front of his face, and you roll your lips between your teeth like you’re trying to hold back a smile. What you’re trying to say finally clicks in Jihoon’s mind when you glance down at his hands and then back up at him with a raised eyebrow.
All of the blood in his body rushes directly to his face and ears so quickly that Jihoon thinks he might burst into flames.
 “Nooooooooo,” he whines, hiding his blazing blush behind your entwined hands and ignoring the way you’re outright laughing at him now. He lowers your hands just enough so that he can glare at you from over the tops of your knuckles. “How are you able to say the cheesiest things without actually saying anything? I can’t stand you.”
“Then sit,” you giggle, like the absolutely adorable little shit you are.
Jihoon growls in frustrated adoration before licking the back of your hands in retaliation.
You screech and try to yank your hands back, but he’s the stronger one between the two of you and he refuses to let go. “Lee Jihoon, you animal, what is wrong with you?!”
“Vengence,” is all he mutters.
You splutter. “Vengence for what?”
He continues to half-heartedly glare at you as he brings your hands down and presses them to the left side of his chest. Vaguely, he wonders if you can feel the way his heart is pounding against his ribs. “For stealing my heart,” he pouts.
The sound that comes out of your mouth reminds him of a dying seal, and that’s how Jihoon knows it’s over for him — because he’s never heard a more endearing sound in his entire life and he thinks that maybe he’d do anything to hear it over and over again.
You continue to tease each other back and forth, your love for each other a steady undertow, and Jihoon realizes that while they may be heading back to the house he grew up in, it’s not home in the same sense any more.
Not when he looks at you and his heart sings a steady home, home, home inside his chest.
The thought doesn’t scare him nearly as much as he thinks it should.
Home, home, home.
He likes the sound of that.
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naffeclipse · 1 year
Text
Merry Christmas!
White Coat
A Sleuth Jesters Christmas One-Shot
You have several gifts to hand out and you bring your boys to a very special Christmas dinner.
Word Count: ~8,500 Warnings: Mentions of death. Suggestive dialogue.
A/N: This wasn't a prompt or a request, just a good ol' one-shot for the holiday! Enjoy! ♥
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amee-racle-ofmyown · 5 months
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Csptaineer art request 5. admiring them from afar
dear anon, I know you asked for art but I had intended these as writing prompts! however!! I may doodle something for this later anyway, because it's cute :3
and still, never do we tire of watching stars glow
head engineer mark x reader (the captain) | words: 877
For as long as you'd known him, he'd always had a certain look of awe about him when it came to space:
When you were kids, huddled up in blankets watching a documentary about The Solar System while you shared a bowl of cookies.
And as teens, laying side by side in the dry summer grass, gazing up at the stars dotting the sky, laughing and pointing out constellations and making up stories about what it would be like when you got to be among them. 
And as cadets, the first time you voyaged beyond Earth's atmosphere.
Now the Captain of a ship he'd built from the ground up, it took you by surprise when you looked up from your data tablet one day to see him gazing at you with that same look of wistfulness and wonder.
His expression lasted for the briefest moment before he registered that you'd seen him, eyes widening and cheeks flushing almost imperceptibly from this distance. He immediately averted his gaze to anywhere but yours, busying himself with whatever he could.
You let out an amused huff, an incredulous yet flattered smile tugging at the corners of your lips.
It was far from the first time you'd caught someone giving you a starstruck or near-mesmerised look, especially within your own crew. But for him to be the one staring like that? The same admiration and fascination that you'd seen in his eyes when he beheld an eclipse, or a meteor shower, or your new home planet, directed at you…? 
You couldn't deny the small flutter in your stomach, or your heartbeat slightly quickening its pace.
You brushed off the thought and continued working, but from then on you couldn't help but keep noticing the awe and longing when he looked at you, whether it be from across a room or in conversation. It made you wonder if this was a recent phenomenon, or if you had simply been blind to it for a long time.
It was one of those moments of catching his warm, starlit gaze in which you were caught off-guard once again.
You met his eyes with the same intensity once you realised he was watching you, raising your eyebrows slightly to get his attention. He looked embarrassed and a little taken aback, as he always did in such scenarios, and you could practically see the gears turning in his head as he decided whether or not to abandon ship. Instead, his mouth curved into a smile that crinkled his eyes with fondness, followed by a quick wink. 
Now it was your turn to look surprised. 
It's not that the gesture was out of character or that he couldn't be bold when he wanted to. You just hadn't expected it now.
Later, you found it in you to be direct.
‘What's with all the staring lately, Mark?’
His eyes widened at the question. It wasn't particularly like you to be so upfront about something like this.
You watched as your head engineer’s expression turned apologetic and a little guilty, like he'd been caught red-handed.
‘Uhh- I'm sorry. Am I in trouble, Captain?’
You giggled quietly. ‘Nah. I never said I minded, just wondering…’
He visibly relaxed at your response.
‘Oh, well in that case. To be honest, Cap, it's sorta hard to look away sometimes.’
You felt your face flush at this, but were given no pause to utter a reply even if you’d had the words; he continued quickly, as if just realising what he'd said aloud and in the same moment deciding to fully commit to speaking his mind, before he could let himself back out.
‘I just- I love seeing you doing your job, you look so happy and assured. And proud — of everyone you work with, proud that you're part of the team. You're always so willing to help out and listen to what everyone needs. And watching you take command of a situation- You just– you have this aura that screams that you belong here, this is what you were meant to do, and you have a positive effect on everybody around you. We're so lucky and grateful to have you as our Captain.’
And here you are, stunned into silence for a moment. 
He stands there, trying to gauge your reaction, a little flustered himself but steadfast in his confession.
You feel a little giddy, but take a breath to soothe your racing heart, finally composing yourself again as the smile you can no longer hold back paints your face.
‘Thank you, Mark. That's… that's really sweet.’
He grins. ‘Just being honest.’
‘And I feel exactly the same about you, by the way.’ 
He tilts his head in confusion.
‘Watching you in action, it's the same.’
You can see it in his eyes when it clicks.
‘Wait, Captain, are you saying you-’
‘Almost as much as you,’ you chuckle. ‘Except I don't get caught. You could definitely use some improvement in that area.’
He looks away, smile becoming sheepish, the tint on his cheeks you are sure matches yours from only moments ago. 
‘But… like I said,’ you speak up again, drawing his attention back to you. ‘I don't really mind. It is kinda cute seeing your reaction when I catch you.’
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rupphiremoyo · 2 years
Text
Some More Soft Yasammy Headcanons 
Yaz loves lying on top of Sammy when they cuddle. The feeling of Sammy's fingers combing through her hair and one arm slung protectively around her waist? Amazing. Combine that with the sound of Sammy's heartbeat lulling her into a light sleep and Yaz absolutely melts.
When the girls feel overwhelmed and lost in her memories of Isla Nublar, they'll stop what they're doing and just hold each other. Yaz will rub soothing circles on Sammy's scars from the Scorpios Rex attack and Sammy will kiss every inch of Yaz's face until they both feel safe and secure again.
Sammy once stumbled upon one of Yaz's old sketchbooks and found several drawings of herself in it. When she brought it up to her girlfriend, Sammy shyly said, "You made me look so pretty." To which Yaz replied, "You are so beautiful, I could never do you justice."
Yaz casually mentioned that she was running out of good songs to listen to while she runs, so Sammy spent hours making the perfect playlist for her girlfriend. Not only does Yaz listen to it every time she works out, but she'll have the biggest lovesick grin on her face as she listens to it.
Sammy is notorious when it comes to falling asleep on the couch. The girls could be watching a movie or having an Esther Stone marathon and it won't take long for Sammy to fall asleep on Yaz's shoulder or in her arms. Yaz finds it incredibly cute and will usher her sleepy Sammy to their bedroom for a good night's sleep.
These two will never shut up over the fact that they're dating. Like they will take any opportunity that is given to them to mention that they're girlfriends.
Sammy: "Have you met my amazing girlfriend, Yaz? Hold on one moment while I tell you all about my super talented and insanely pretty girlfriend—"
Yaz: "You see that stunning girl over there? The one who looks like the physical embodiment of sunshine? That's Sammy. My girlfriend."
Sometimes Yaz will pretend that she can't open jars and will hand them to Sammy just to see her open them with ease then immediately turn to brag and flex her arms. Does Yaz do this because she loves Sammy's smile? Yes. Does she also do this because she's obsessed with Sammy's country strong muscles? YES.
Sammy makes amazing hot chocolates. When the weather gets cooler or the girls have a late night sugar craving, Sammy will head to their kitchen to whip up some hot chocolate. All the while Yaz will be hugging her from behind and watching her girlfriend work her magic. (And if Yaz manages to sneak a few marshmallows, that's her business.)
These girls melt when they kiss. Like when their lips caress they'll feel warm all over and full of giddy excitement. They'll find any excuse under the sun to kiss each other and show how much they mean to each other.
When Yaz wraps her arms around Sammy's waist and pulls her in close for a tender kiss? Sammy is a goner. When Sammy traces the bottom of Yaz's lips with her fingers before gently tipping her chin up so she can lock their lips together? It's a TKO for Yaz.
At the end of the day, Yaz and Sammy are each other's favorite person. And despite the insane, dino-related circumstances that brought them together, they couldn't imagine their lives without each other in it. 🧡💜
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fluffs-n-stuffs · 8 months
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"If this is... truly what you wish to know, then..."
Destiny Bond returns with a new update this Saturday! 💫✨
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hes-a-rainbow · 2 years
Text
Heaven And Hell (Part One)
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Eddie Munson x OC!Fem Fix It Fic
A/N: Here is my newest fic! I had this idea over the weekend and ended up writing 40 pages 🤷🏻‍♀️ It’s been a really long time since I’ve last put this much effort into a story so please enjoy! A share means the world ❤️
Warnings: Angst, references to past trauma (Upside Down)
Word Count: 3.5k
(Divider by @silkholland​)
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Steve’s crisp white sneakers squeak on the linoleum tile as he tosses the bags of chips from his arms into the shopping cart Robin is currently in charge of.
“Watch it, doofus! You’re gonna break all the chips before we even get back to the car.” Robin huffs out as she picks up a bag of Doritos to see if she can ‘feel’ any broken ones inside. She huffs before throwing them back on top of the rest of their products.
Steve ignores her and reaches for the back pocket of his jeans, finding the crumpled handwritten list of items to get for Robin’s birthday party. Nancy and Jonathan were in charge of the actual set up and decoration while Steve and Robin were in charge of food and drinks. It seemed like the easiest task but he and Robin had been crisscrossing around the local supermarket trying and failing to read Nancy’s chicken scratch writing of precise instructions. (Nancy had even gone as far as writing out the products in order of the aisles they were in but Robin and Steve never caught on; both of their eyes moving around the page too quickly to fully process.)
“Can you relax? Most chips come broken anyway, they factor that in with the price,” Steve’s eyes roam over the page, mentally ticking off what they already had in their cart (because they both forgot the pen in the car) so he misses Robin’s annoyed reaction. She leans over the rail of the cart, slapping him on the shoulder to get his attention again. “Don’t tell me to relax!” She points her pointer finger into his chest, “I am the furthest thing from relaxed, Steve! By midnight tonight I will officially no longer be a teenager. Do you know what that means, Steve?”
Steve rolls his eyes, getting ready for the speech that he’s heard at least a hundred times within the last six months, “Yes I know what it means Rob—”
She quickly waves her hand around his face, effectively silencing him, “I don’t think you do, Steve! I will no longer be able to blame my naivete on being a teenager, I will no longer be able to continue getting the student discount at the movie theater because in certain lighting, I look younger than I am!” Robin continues her tyrant as she begins listing off the things she’ll no longer be able to do. Steve quickly takes control of the shopping cart, hoping she’ll eventually tire herself out (as she usually does) but at least he’ll be able to guide her a few aisles over where they forgot to pick up plastic cups.
“I have been playing it very carefully for those movie discounts. They're supposed to stop at 16 but I have been able to walk a very thin–,” She moves her pointer and thumb in front of Steve's face, pushing them together until there is barely any room left to further prove her point. “Very thin line these past few years.” Steve lightly knocks her hand away from his face as they pass an older woman who scowls at Robin’s yelling and Steve thinks the woman is about two minutes away from calling the manager over to kick them out.
“Yes, your long con of saving ten cents per movie ticket is now catching up to you–” Steve leans more of his weight on the car as he turns into another aisle, narrowly missing a display of cereal boxes.
“Do you know what Tiffany Braddock told me?” Steve begins tuning her out as he scans the aisle for the red plastic cups they need, the last item on their list.
“She said that everything was fine and dandy on April 21st and then–” Robin claps her hands together loudly causing Steve to jump a bit. “Boom! Morning of April 22nd, her twentieth birthday, wakes up with appendicitis.” Steve spots the cups towards the middle of the aisle and picks up his pace a bit as Robin continues, “Doctor said she could have died if she had waited any longer! It’s as if her entire body just shut down at the strike of midnight. And how do we know that’s not gonna happen to me? She was at least athletic in school! As for me, I think we are all well aware of how unathletic I am. It’s almost as if I was bred not to be in sports. My mom always said it was because of my weak ankles but it has to do with my equilibrium or something. There has to be some medical explanation for how uncoordinated I am.”
Steve decides to get the 100 pack instead of the 50 because it’s better to have more cups than less, especially since he had seen the invite list Nancy had put together and she had nearly invited every person Robin has ever even interacted with. She may not have been the most popular in high school, but once Robin got into the local community college and started attending classes that she was actually interested in, it seemed as if people just flocked to her. Steve could admit that sometimes he was a bit jealous about how easily she could talk to people, just going up to somebody random to compliment their shirt and then ending up being invited to their cousin’s wedding two weeks later (true story). Steve liked Robin’s new friends, they were quirky and loud and laughed at all of Robin’s lame jokes, but most importantly, they loved and appreciated her for who she was and that’s really all that Steve could ask for for her.
Steve starts humming along to the Cat Stevens song playing over the market speakers when he realizes he hasn’t been able to hear any of the music since they first walked into the store due to Robin’s constant stream of words. His eyebrows furrow together, as he looks to his right where Robin stood only a second ago.
“Rob?” He calls out her name before seeing a quick flash of her striped shirt as she turns out of the aisle. He swears her mind is always going a mile a minute but sometimes she’s even worse than Henderson, disappearing in the middle of a conversation to pet a dog or something.
“Robin!” He ushers the cart into the direction he saw her leave in, the cart now significantly heavier than it was 10 minutes ago. He quickly spots her in the next aisle, hugging some random woman in front of the cereal section.
“Jesus Christ, we do not have time for this.” Steve whispers under his breath. Leave it up to Robin to make friends within the 10 seconds he lost eyes on her. He pulls his cart up next to Robin and the mystery woman, “Hey Rob, we really have to get going now.”
“Steve, look who it is!” Robin takes a step away from the woman, letting Steve finally take in who exactly was standing in front of him. His breath catches in his throat as he takes in the woman in front of him who he hasn’t seen in four years.
“Noah! Holy shit!” He doesn’t realize just how loud he is as he throws his arms around his old friend. Her hair is shorter now but she still smells like the sweet vanilla shampoo he had recommended to her all those years ago. He can feel her squeezing him back, God he had missed her hugs, he had missed her, they all had.
He pulls away too soon for his liking but he already has a million questions on the tip of his tongue, “What are you doing here? Are you back for good? Did you graduate yet?” He leaves his hands on her shoulders as he takes a step back to get a better look at her. “You look great! Henderson is gonna freak out when he sees you! Did you tell him you were coming back? Holy shit!” Noah smiles back at him with her signature wide grin, dimples peeking out slightly while her cheeks coat with the slightest pink hue as she takes in her rambling friend.
“Steve,” She giggles out, “Please take a breath, I don’t need you passing out in front of the Coco Puffs.” He lets go of her to turn to Robin, whose face mimics his as he points to their mutual friend in front of him with a ‘can you believe this’ look on his face. Robin laughs and mouths back ‘I know!’
“You have to come to Robin’s birthday tonight! It’s at my house. She’s turning twenty and everybody’s back in town for it! Nancy is gonna freak out when she sees you and oh man don’t even get me started on Eddie–” Her smile falters just the slightest bit, and anybody else might not have noticed but Steve sees it right away, after everything they had been through together, he can read her like a book. He sees a small hand holding on to her worn out jean jacket, he hadn’t even noticed that someone else was with her.
“Mama?” Noah quickly steps aside, revealing to Steve the tiny human she had unintentionally been blocking from him. In the front of her cart, in the child's seat, sits a little girl wearing an outrageous outfit of bright red and white polka dot leggings and green flannel shirt that looks two times too big for her. Her brown hair sits messily on the top of her head in a wild bun with curls sticking out all over. Her big eyes look over Steve, before they look back at Noah, leaning closer towards her arm.
“Whoa.” he hears Robin whisper out behind him and he’s almost a hundred percent sure she didn’t mean to say that outloud.
“I–” Noah begins towards Steve but stops herself looking back at the small child, “Baby, these are mommy’s friends from school.” The little girl looks up at Noah and Steve can’t believe just how similar they look; he understands genetics and all but she is literally a spitting image.
“This is Robin and Steve.” Him and Robin both respond silently with a small wave, neither of them really knowing how to interact with a child this young.
“Hi.” “Hello child.” Steve gives Robin a look over his shoulder as she just shrugs back. Noah laughs it off, knowing that all of this was quite the surprise but she really wasn’t expecting to run into anyone this quickly. She had only been back in Hawkins for less than 24 hours. She had rehearsed everything she was going to say in the long car ride back to Indiana, Scarlett mostly sleeping or singing quietly to herself in the back seat, but she thought she would have more time. Time to seek out her old friends and then drop this bombshell on them.
“Guys, this is my daughter, Scarlett.” The child’s gaze looks over Steve and Robin quickly, seemingly assessing them and Steve feels like he’s being judged for every bad decision he’s ever made in his life.
“Wow,” Robin clears her throat before continuing, “So are-are you like married now or something?” Steve automatically looks down at Noah’s hand, she always wore a lot of rings, and it seems her style hasn’t changed that much but the rings have. He looks towards her left hand, where he sees a ring he recognizes.
It instantly takes him back to 1986. To the Upside Down.
He remembers staring at those rings as she tightly held on to his nail bat that he had let her borrow when going after Vecna. He remembers them shining in the moonlight of the eerie dimension as she held pressure down on Eddie’s wounds. Her tears streamed across her dirty face as she shouted at the metalhead who was going in and out of consciousness. Steve has to physically shake his head for the thoughts to disappear.
As if she can feel his gaze, Noah holds left hand with her right hand, blocking Steve’s gaze at the ring. She clears her throat, causing him to make eye contact with her again, “Uh, no. No, just me and Scar.”
The silence is deafening between them as the cheery beats of a Van Morrison song play overhead. It breaks Steve’s heart at how much has changed, he had fought against every nightmare you can think of with Noah, and now he felt as if she was a stranger, because in many ways she had become one.
“That’s awesome!” Robin says a little too loudly, “Are you visiting Pops?” Robin refers to Noah’s grandfather, the only one of her family to have stayed back in Hawkins after the Vecna situation.
Pops ran the only record store in Hawkins (promptly named ‘Top of the Pops’) and was a stubborn son of a bitch. Steve remembers Pops telling him it would take more than an earthquake to get him out of Hawkins.
Noah’s parents had felt differently, selling their house soon after and to everyone’s surprise (and shock), Alice had followed them to New York to stay with family and finally start college in the city. All the Hawkins gang had tried their best to stay in touch with her; it started out with phone calls every night, then the occasional letter, but life soon got in the way for all of them.
The town was rebuilding, Hopper, El, and the Byers had moved back to town. Nancy and Jonathan moved away to Boston. Even Steve himself started taking night courses at Indiana State. But he still remembers those first few weeks when she had left. No one was expecting it, they all assumed she would just move in with Pops, or she and Eddie would get a place together (everyone knew they were destined to be together). But when Eddie had shown up at Steve’s door step, less than two months after defeating Vecna, all of their wounds (both inside and out) still healing, Steve will never forget the look of utter defeat on Eddie’s face.
He and the metal head quickly became friends after March of 1986. Apparently battling monsters in a different dimension will do that to people. If anyone had told high school Steve he would be best friends with the town freak who was accused (and acquitted!) of murder, he would’ve thought they were smoking some of Eddie’s stash. They soon become the brother that neither of them wanted but both of them needed.
Eddie was utterly heartbroken when Noah left, and from the little he told Steve, Eddie had even insisted on going with her, starting a new life away from Hawkins like they always dreamed of, but she had turned him down.
Eddie was never the same after the events of the Upside Down, none of them ever were. They all now carried scars, visible and mentally, that had bonded them for life. But the whole group was torn up after Noah left, because after all they had survived and endured together, she still decided to leave them behind.
Steve remembers when Noah told them, after she had left Eddie’s place, sat everybody down together in the Wheeler’s basement. Steve was furious, Robin had cried, Max had yelled, and Nancy and Henderson had yelled above the rest trying to keep some sort of peace amongst the group. After many, many tears, hugs, and promises, Noah drove off to her new life.
But she was back now. Standing at the Main Street Supermarket back in her hometown of Indiana in front of him and Robin with a child of her own.
“Uh, yeah,” Noah begins to twist the rings on her fingers back and forth, a habit she always had when she was nervous, “Pops fell and broke his leg while doing inventory at the store last week.”
“Oh my god! You should’ve called us! We would’ve checked in on him.” Robin grabs for Noah’s hand, squeezing it lovingly before looking over to Steve, seemingly waiting for him to agree with her.
He clears his throat, “Um, yeah. We definitely would’ve helped him out and brought groceries or whatever.”
“I couldn’t ask you guys to do that.”
Robin seems genuinely confused, “Why not?”
“Because he’s my family,” Noah responds before Steve corrects her, “You’re our family.”
Noah looks away and starts blinking her eyes in quick succession, “Well maybe I just needed an excuse to come back then...” Her voice cracks slightly as a forced smile graces her face but Steve can see there’s so much more behind it. He has so many things he wants to ask her; why did you leave? Why didn’t you ever come visit? What happened while you were away?
“Please come to my birthday tonight!” Robin bounces on the toes of her feet slightly as she quickly tries to change the conversation, “Everyone will be there and I’m sure they will all be so surprised to see you!”
“Oh, I don’t know, Rob–”
“Please! You’ve been gone for so long and this will be my last official night as a teenager!” Noah looks over at Steve who just shrugs in response, they both know that Robin usually has a way of getting what she wants.
Noah turns to Scarlett, brushing an unruly curl away from the little girl's face, “I’d have to ask Pops to babysit…”
“Yes!” Robin claps her hands together, bouncing up and down slightly, “Everyone is coming over Harrington’s at 8. Same address so don’t say you got lost on the way over.” Robin winks and envelopes Noah in another bone crushing hug. Once she releases Noah out of her grip, she leans over the cart to come face to face with Scarlett, “And it was a pleasure meeting you, little one.” She sticks out her hand to shake and Steve can’t hold in his laugh at the utterly confused face Scarlett shoots back at her.
“Scar, baby, we talked about this.” Noah bends slightly to get eye level with her daughter,  “You say ‘thank you, Miss Robin!’” The look on Scarlett’s face remains and Steve can instantly tell the toddler is just as stubborn as her mother, and even comes with the same facial expressions. Noah turns back to Steve and Robin, “As you can see, we’re still working on our manners. But, uh, you sure I won’t be like a nuisance or anything?”
“What?! Fuck that! It’s my party and I want you there!” Noah’s eyes grow at Robin’s outburst. A wide grin comes over the little girl in the shopping cart, “She cust-ed, Mommy! Quarter, please!” She sticks out her little hand and laughs, seemingly pleased with how this is all playing out.
“Dam-Dang it, Robin!” Noah reaches into the pocket of her jean jacket and pulls out a bag of quarters, handing one to the little girl who gleefully squeals and puts it into the pocket on her shirt.
“We’re trying to learn not to use curse words so much because somebody,” Noah side eyes Scarlett who again just giggles at her mother, “Thinks it’s funny to repeat the things mommy says at home to their friends at daycare.” Scarlett’s hands flew to her face in a lame attempt at covering herself as she broke out into hysterics.
Robin bursts out laughing at the toddler's displays, and Steve can’t help but follow along.
“Yes, ha ha. Mommy loved meeting with your teachers about that one.” Noah tickles Scarlett’s sides causing the toddler to let out a little screech of laughter. The loud speaker crackles around them to announce a clean up on aisle three. Noah looks down at her watch, “I’m sorry guys, but we’ve really got to get going.”
“Oh yeah of course!” Robin grabs her hand again, “I’ll see you tonight, right?” Noah pauses for a split second, and Steve can see a flash of fear come over her features before she straightens up and nods her head, “Of course, we have so much to catch up on!”
“You’re telling me!” Robin shakes her head towards Scarlett who is now distracted by the bird on the Fruit Loops box. Noah sniggers, “It was great seeing you both. I’ll probably be a little later tonight because of bedtime and all.”
“Right, that’s no problem, you know where to find us!”
Noah’s eyes fall down to the tip of her well loved leather boots, she opens her mouth to ask something but stops herself instead, leaning into Steve for another hug. Steve wants to ask her if she’s alright, or question her about what she was going to say but she speaks up first as she pulls away from him, “See you later, Harrington.”
Him and Robin watch her and Scarlett head off into another aisle as they walk in silence towards the cash registers. They don’t say much to each other as they are both replaying the conversation in their heads.
It isn’t until they get to Steve’s car that Robin asks the big question, “So, do you think Eddie knows?”
Steve looks at Robin, visibly confused, “That Noah is back? Probably not. She said she just came back yesterday.” Steve goes to grab another few bags from the cart, fitting them into his trunk like a giant game of tetris.
“No, idiot. Do you think Eddie knows about his kid?” Steve drops the bags in his hands and watches as they tumble out of the paper bag and onto the concrete.
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courtoftheclueless · 1 year
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Scarred but Not Broken
All things take time to heal, and healing is not always forward. Sometimes steps are taken back even as we try our best.
AN: So here is the first writing on this blog. And yep, it's for Pretty Boy. At this point, It's basically finished (I cannot think of a better ending for it) and is fairly... weird in regards to explaining things about my Self Insert. But, here we go. Hope y'all enjoy it.
The apartment was still strange to them. The windows faced east as opposed to their old western facing windows. The sounds of Washington were different from their comforting lull of a half used back-highway in a small part of a low population province. Even the bed and bedding was different- not enough plush or weight to it.
It was an improvement from… before however. From the month that they spent in the Valley, when the Plaga was trapped in them, starved and dead. It felt like the dirt that beneath their skin would never go away, but the showers in the week since had helped. The long, exceptionally hot, baths helped them feel human again. A haircut helped to even out their hastily chopped strands, though they lamented the loss of their long hair.
It was a necessary sacrifice.
The steam from the bathroom flooded out, and the light of the sunrise caused a glare that blinded them for a moment. Their footsteps were quiet, far quieter than the upstairs neighbors who they swore must wear work boots at all hours of the day. And the stillness of the apartment was undisturbed.
In the daylight, it was easier to remember that they were safe. The night had been long, with their mind warning them against sleeping in a bed. The Ganados- the cultists- always returned to their beds. It was comfortable, yes, but unsafe.
Sleep never came, even after they curled up in a blanket bundle in the closet.
But humans were born for the sunlight. And they refused to deny themselves that. Refused to deny themselves the nature which they sought to return to.
The living area of the apartment was open concept. The kitchen was a small galley one, that they swore they bumped into either side of the counters whenever they turned, with the outer counter looking over the living and dining room. Dining was a bit strong of a word, the small table hardly big enough for the two occupants of the apartment, and the living room so sparse that they swore that it echoed.
A pan is set on the oven, and the makings for breakfasts were slowly pulled from the fridge. Their… roommate was probably the most accurate description for the sheer chaos that had happened- their roommate seemed to stock only the bare minimum. The thought of him helped to keep them occupied as they started to make the scrambled eggs.
Leon was… It was complicated. He seemed like a good man. A dedicated one, certainly. Who took his job seriously but wasn’t afraid to crack jokes to ease the tension. A handsome one to boot. In less, egregious circumstances he would have been a great life partner.
Their eyes first catch on the gold plated band around their left hand’s ring finger. It was pristine, not even three days old, and uncomfortable. Both in what it represented and how it rubbed against the burn scarred flesh of their arm.
And then they cannot tear their eyes away from the flesh of their left arm. Once it was pale and dotted with moles along it. Twenty seven of them, if their count was accurate. Never something they did for a reason, just boredom. Something they could no longer do.
Now it was red. An angry red, with a texture that sometimes they could not reconcile with human flesh as much as they could jerky. It was supposed to be impressive that they could still move it despite the damage done, but they almost wished that it would have needed to be amputated. Maybe if it had, they wouldn’t have been forced into a marriage for a green card to work for a government not their own. Maybe if they were down an arm, they wouldn’t have had to survive the Valley and the Plagas where none of their friends did.
Six Doctors. Four Lawyers. Three General Scientists. Three Artists. Two Ecologists. One Teacher.
Nineteen hikers dead. Nineteen university students out of a group of twenty. Six Doctors who would never help a patient. Four Lawyers who never got to make their arguments against the cruelty of the law. Three Scientists worth of papers that would never be published. Three Artists’ works are forever unknown to the world. Two Ecologists that never got to help the planet. One Teacher who would never inspire the next generation.
The scars along their left side burned, only hurting more on their face when the tears ran along the indent on their cheek and jaw. The arm- burnt and should be unfeeling- shook as they couldn’t breathe anymore. The Plaga in their chest contracted, squeezed around their lungs and forced the air out. Tried to stop their heart because if it couldn’t control them then they needed to be burned at the sta-
“Charlie.”
Hands grasped at them, and they shook. It wasn't enough to shake off the hands. They shouldn't have been so visible. They were safer in the forest, they needed to be away from the village and needed to hide, they needed to escape-
"Charlie." Hyperventilated breaths were pressed against a chest, and they knew the end was coming. The gentle hands were going to stop stroking their hair and try to tear out their organs like they were one of the cows. More tears blurred their vision and they silently prayed to whatever God was up there that the next life be better. "We're safe, Charlie."
Legs surrounded them, their entire body weight leaned against the one who had them. He- his voice was a he and he was strong and that would hopefully mean their death would be quicker- treated them gently for the moment. A soft kiss pressed to their hairline. A seal of their fate, they were certain.
And he hummed, their ear pressed against his chest. It was a tactic to try make them less observant. To silence them to the other Ganados. But their ear didn't pick up the rattling sound of the Plaga in his chest. And an odd scar pressed against their ear.
A vertical line, like Luis had.
Their breath slowed a bit. The sticky and wet egg mix that was on the floor had seeped into their pajama pants, and their body shook from adrenaline. But it was still hard to see, hard to hear, hard to know exactly where they were or if it was a dream or not.
A strong arm lifted their legs and slung them over one of the man's as if they weighed nothing. Their legs were still-life, body weight still low from their month in Spain.
Because they weren't in Spain anymore.
"Where?"
Their mind was still… wrong. Still not able to entirely register what was real and what was imaginary. What was a memory and what was moment.
"Washington." The word mumbled against their hairline, the man's voice rumbled against their side. His hands came around them- shielded them against whatever was outside the small nook kitchen. Left hand over theirs, his ring rubbing against theirs. "In our apartment in Washington."
His skin was clear. While not soft- Leon's job did not allow him to be soft- he was still not nearly as banged up as them. Their much smaller one looked like an anger projected onto his skin.
But he made exaggerated breaths, their own breaths mirroring his. The soft feeling of his on their head helped to calm them down.
"I'm sitting in eggs, aren't I?"
And he laughs a bit, probably from the absurdity and slightly dazed voices that they spoke in.
"We're sitting in eggs." As if to make his point, his legs shifted. Blocked off more of the potential danger from them. "You, uh, might need to have a shower again."
"Probably."
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areislol · 6 months
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"would you kiss me for $10 or the hottest person in the world for $1000?"
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ft— blade, gepard, dan heng, jing yuan, luocha, welt, sampo, luka, argenti, dr. ratio
warning — none, just fluff! might be ooc, established relationship, gn! reader, no yanqing for this ;( mentions of kissing, might be cringe..? chinese names are simplified. not proofread.
a/n— y'all i apologize if they're ooc (can't justify it i haven't even played hsr yet) so yes. ENJOY as this is my second time writing for 'em
wordcount. 4.2k
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刃 blade
✧ .... he knew it was one of those.. silly media questions that couples do to one another. and he hates you for actually doing them (not really he loves you too much)
✧ he continued to stay silent as he sat on the bench, watching as you sat beside him—anticipating for his response that will decide whether or not he will sleep on the couch or not.
✧ "ugh you big bum just answer the question!!" you groan, slumping down on the bench.
✧ blade cocks his head and raises his brow, smirking at you. "you mean the complex question that will probably lead you unhappy if i don't say the answer you were hoping for and then not talk to me for the next couple of hours as you're petty and—"
✧ you quickly shut him up with your palm over his mouth, you were now mad at him for being too god damn right. warmth spread to your cheeks as you stared at him, completely flustered.
✧ "you better shut that mouth of yours baldie." you threaten, still keeping your palm over his mouth when you felt the icky, wet and textured feeling gliding across your palm, it was his tongue.
✧ wasting no time you pulled your hand back and stared at your palm before vigorously wiping it on your shirt, absolutely disgusted. "ewwww!! and you still haven't answered my question!!" you pout.
✧ blade huffs (he's very sassy), "yeah not after calling me baldie. i'm not even bald." he was so serious about it, it was very amusing to you.
✧ you pout even more, scooching closer to him. "okay i'm sorry for calling you baldie.. and yes you aren't bald. now will you please answer my question?!" blade continues to glare at you, thinking about his answer. well, he was only pretending to anyway.
✧ he already knew his answer the second the question slipped out of your mouth, obviously, kiss you for $10 (credits). even if it was for $1000 he could easily get that amount of money in a day and plus, you are the most hottest person in the entire universe.
✧ but he decided to tease you, he put on his thinking face, tapping his finger on his chin. "hm... i really don't know it's so hard to choose..." he hums, looking down at your face as he smirks in amusement at your silly little mad face.
✧ "so hard? SO HARD FOR WHAT????" you asked, leaning in closer. oh you were for sure getting irritated now.
✧ blade chuckles before engulfing you in a tight hug as you sat on his lap, face buried in his chest. "of course kiss you for $10, i don't need $1000 anyway."
✧ "what about the pretty part?" "you are the hottest of them all, y/n."
✧ you hummed in content, happy with his answer before speaking again. "see, it wasn't a trick question at all." blade rolls his eyes. "uh huh... so you weren't going to quote-on-quote, 'ground' me if i said the wrong answer?"
✧ "....no...."
✧ (btw he was still a lil hurt when you called him baldie. like wow, it really hit him deep)
杰帕德 gepard
✧ the second you asked him the question he did not hesitate and answered within 1 billion light speed.
✧ "you of course! i don't want to a random stranger who i don't know for $1000, i don't need that money when i have you."
✧ "oh— gepard—" yeah, you almost burst into tears at his answer. it was so geniune, sweet and adorable. even his face said it all!! he looked at you with such sincere eyes as he told you his reply!!
✧ gepard almost freaked out thinking he said the wrong thing when he saw the tears welling up in your eyes, he immediately held onto your shoulders, apologizing if he did anything wrong.
✧ you shake your head no and wipe away your tears dramatically, "n—no i'm fine gepard i'm just— i didn't expect you to say your answer so quickly! when i saw other couples doing it the other person is always hesitating or something."
✧ gepard is confused, was this a test or something? (poor baby doesn't know) and so you have to explain to him what the trend is all about and all that jazz.
✧ he doesn't think that it's a bad trend or anything, if anything he encourages you to ask him more questions!! anything you ask, he will reply asap 100%!!
✧ and so you asked more questions.
✧ "you don't care about the money gepard? that's a lot though, $1000!" you exclaim, gepard shakes his head and smiles, "i already said why i don't need that money, love, i don't need the money when i have you, you're priceless."
✧ EUGHHHHHHHHH HE JUST HAS TO HIT YOU WITH THAT. you smiled back and gave him a kiss on his cheek before backing away. "that's so sweet of you... okay next question, who is the hottestperson in the world?"
✧ gepard only stares into your eyes, mesmerized by your face, his eyes are trained on you and only you as his thumb caresses your cheek. "you, of course, you're the most hottest.. although i'd rather use prettiest instead, you are the most prettiest and amazing person in the entire universe."
✧ safe to say his face was peppered with kisses after that, not that he minds it.
丹恒 dan heng
✧ "what kind of question is that?" is the first thing he says, looking at you in confusion as he closes the book he was reading.
✧ you had just entered his room, phone in hand before asking him the question out of the blue so he assumed you saw something from the media which now... lead to this.
✧ you shrug, going back to your question. "don't be trying to change the topic, what would you do? kiss me for $10 or kiss the hottest person in the world for $1000?" you repeated, your brows furrowing. to dan heng, it was crazy scary how you looked right now, so desperate for his answer.
✧ "well obviously the hottest person in the world for $1000, that' so much money!" he replied, knowing what this was going to lead him to. "......so... you would kiss the most hottest person in the world for more money?"
✧ dan heng cringes as he nods his head slowly. your eyes narrowed as you began to glare at him, soon, you stormed out of his room, pissed, and with a right as well.
✧ dan heng sighs in defeat before getting up from his seat and following you to where you always went when you were mad, to the kitchen.
✧ and he was right, you were in the kitchen just snacking on food you just bought the day before, when you spotted him you turned around, your back facing him. "baby c'mon im sorry i was just joking.."
✧ hearing him call you "baby" did something to you but you didn't want to give in just yet. you were mad at him still. you pout (not like he can see you but still) and continue to munch on your food angrily.
✧ "i didn't mean to, i promise i was just joking. i would much rather kiss you for $100 i pinky swear." .... "pinky swear?" "pinky swear."
✧ safe to say you accepted his apology as he absolutely peppered your face with millions of kisses before engulfing you in his arms.
✧ "you're ridiculous..." dan heng sighs, resting his eyes. "yeah well you love me so" well, he can't deny that.
景元 jing yuan
✧ jing yuan is definenetly doing the mathematical calculations in his head right now. because what in tarnation are you talking about?!
✧ he stares at you like you're crazy for a second before sighing, looking down and closing his eyes shut (he reminded you a lot like a disappointed dad...)
✧ "what do you mean? why are you asking me this out of the blue..." for one, he is a tad bit afraid that if he says the wrong thing you will sentence him to three (3) days to sleep on the couch, yeah, you banish him from your SHARED bedroom multiple times when he said the "wrong thing".
✧ you repeat your question again, waiting for his answer. "what a silly question, i would kiss you of course, with or without the $10." he breathed, planting a kiss on your forehead before pulling away and smirking, he knew that that was what you wanted to hear and the kiss was the cherry on top.
✧ for a few seconds you just sat there, too flustered to do anything. YES YOU KNEW IT WAS JUST A FOREHEAD KISS BUT IT'S JING YUAN OKAY
✧ "hm? is something the matter, my love?" he questions, leaning in closer to your face, he was much more taller than you (obviously) so he was quite literally towering over you, his face was so close to yours.
✧ you shake your head before going in for a small and chaste kiss and closing your eyes, you can feel the smile on his lips as he pulls you closer to him by your waist and deepens the kiss. your brain was starting to get fuzzy as you felt more and more delirious. jing yuan just knew how to make you fold.
✧ "hey! this isn't an excuse to make out with me you know?" you pull away breathless, looking quite dazed just for this "simple" kiss. jing yuan hums, resting his head on your shoulder before speaking up.
✧ "you know you love it." at his words you sigh and shake your head, "well i can't deny that..." you reply with a smile as you run your fingers through his soft hair.
✧ a few minutes go by in silence, you assume that jing yuan was asleep by how calm and quite he was, when the silence was broken. "does this mean i can sleep in our shared bedroom?"
✧ your brows furrowed at his words, was that all he was thinking about? "mmmmmmm now that you mentioned it..." "no." you chuckled, patting his head. "i know i know, yes, you get to sleep in our shared bedroom."
罗刹 luocha
✧ "what an odd question.." luocha replies, observing your very serious face. he found it amusing how you looked so serious after asking such a silly question.
✧ you whine and shake his arm, "just answer the question luocha it is very serious!! i need to know your answer!!" .... okay yes apparently it was very serious as you literally called him by his name and not some cute nickname.
✧ luocha offers you a soft and tender smile, the one he always does every time he spots you and or is with you (it never fails to make you swoon), "of course you, i don't need the money when i have you, are you doubting something my dear?"
✧ you shake your head at his words, happy with his answer. "no, everything's fine don't worry! thanks lychee." luocha then engulfs you in a hug all of the sudden, the scent of flowers filled your nose as his hair tickled your face.
✧ "your hair's in my face babe—" you mumble, moving the strands of hair off your face. luocha quickly apologized before pulling away, he cups your cheeks and stares deep into your eyes, which confused you.
✧ luocha continues to stare at you for a good hot minute, he was thinking about something. "say, did anything happen to you that prompted you to ask me that question? did someone do something? did i do something wrong?"
✧ he's so cute. anyway, you shake your head. "no, why?" luocha sighs in relief before taking his hands off your cheeks. "i don't know i assumed something happened that made you question me with that.. question. thank the lord i didn't do anything."
✧ kissing his cheek, you sighed dramatically, "well actually something did happen.. a certain somebody hasn't given me any attention for the past couple of hours"
✧ luocha playfully rolls his eyes, "my fault, princess/prince" and that's how he ended up peppering and littering you with kisses all over your face and no, you couldn't escape him even if you wanted to.
瓦尔特 welt
✧ if you keep asking him such questions he's only going to age more, physically, you're going to give him too many wrinkles if you keep on making him furrow his brows and frown.
✧ all you can hear is him heaving a great big sigh as he sets his mug down on the table, staring down at you. "the hottest person in the world?" he asks, you nod your head while smiling, you somewhat knew his answer already.
✧ "well it's you of course." he replied without any hesitation, you hummed and gave him a peck on his cheek. "right answer."
✧ "but why $10 only? you're worth more than that you know." he added, you only shrugged your shoulder. "i don't know it's what the text says" "the text?" "yeah, look!" you held your phone up and pointed at the screen where there was a couple, one of the partner asked a question—the same one you asked him.
✧ the other partner states that they would kiss the most hottest person in the world for $1000, it then showed a clip of the person sleeping on the couch. the answer was easy really, welt didn't understand how bad one person can mess something up.
✧ "well he was stupid, answer was easy." you agreed and put your phone away. "simple right? i knew you would say the right thing" you continued, welt only smiles in pride. "of course, i know what you want to hear, but i hope you know i would never kiss a random person, even if they were the hottest."
✧ your heart melts as he speaks, his words really sinking into you. "awwhh welt~" next thing he knows you're absolutely hugging the shit out of him (and rubbing your face in his chest), not that he minds.
桑博 sampo
✧ "well would you kiss me for $10 or kiss the hottest person in the world for $1000?" sampo repeated your own question back in a somewhat sassy tone. you were a bit shocked to say the least, i mean, how dare he not answer your question but answer your question with the same exact question!! (same energy ykyk)
✧ but obviously, you're used to his antics as you roll your eyes playfully, closing your phone. "seriously, shampoo. answer the question." "woah woah—shampoo? i said to call me anything but that!" he whines as he uses his hands to talk (as usual), very much exaggerating everything.
✧ you shrug your shoulders with an unamused "hmph" and don't reply any futhur. sampo dramatically sighs in defeat. "but babes, if you really think about it $1000 is a lot of money.." you raise your brow at his answer. "you're only thinking about the money?"
✧ sampo shakes his head, he grabs a hold of your hands while looking at you so sincerely it kind of scared you as he was always so... non-serious. "no, of course not. but just think about all the things i can buy for you...and me...food, flowers, more food, clothes and so much more! wouldn't you want all of that?"
✧ you think about it for a second and replied, "well although those are nice, wouldn't you much rather kiss me instead for $10? we can.. still buy something with $10, plus my kiss is unlike any other!"
✧ "yeah, i know." sampo snickers, upon his reply you narrow your eyes at him, your unamused face screamed "what do you mean by that?" in a menacing type of way. sampo quickly clears his throat before you could get any ideas (you had already gotten a few).
✧ "what i'm tryna say is that yes, i would rather kiss you for $10 but.. i think—" you immediately cut him off with a solemn face. "sh. i don't want to hear anymore of you." sampo can see that you're visibly upset at his answer. shit. he didn't mean to say the wrong thing.
✧ his grip on your hand tightened as he moved in closer to you. "no, wait babe i didn't mean that. i was just playin' i promise i would rather kiss you, your kisses are a one in a billion and i really don't care about the money and—" once again, you cut him off, but for a good reason this time.
✧ you giggle softly and shush him up with your index finger pressed up against his soft lips. "i know what you mean sampo, don't go on a big rant now you aren't in trouble." a clear sigh could be heard from sampo. "thank the stars.."
✧ " but babe! you haven't even answered my question." you gawk at sampo. "... oh well..."
✧ and now it was your turn to tease him, be prepared for a pestering and probing sampo!
卢卡 luka
✧ luka is quite stunned at first because for one, the question was out of nowhere, and two, WHAT DID HE DO THAT MADE YOU QUESTION HIM (you have a habit of asking him random questions out of nowhere)
✧ "did i do something wrong?!" is the first thing he says, he says it like it's urgent it caught you off-guard. you shake your head no and chuckle. "no, why? it's just a question don't worry."
✧ as you both were beside each other, sitting down on your couch, luka leans in closer to you where his nose is just barely touching yours. "well.." he whispers before giving you a long and tender kiss on your lips, it was soft and delicate, it wasn't intense or hot—just simple.
✧ "you, obviously." he begins as he pulled away slowly, his deep, sparkling blue eyes staring down at yours so softly and genuinely. "plus in my eyes you're the most prettiest person in the entire world, actually—no, in the universe!" the way he beamed at you as he spoke his words made your heart flutter. he was so sweet.
✧ luka's sweetness and innocence of a child (not quite literally) never failed to make you tear up, his charisma and optimistic personality pulled you in. but back to the moment. "awww luka you're too sweet ☹️" your cute lil pout made luka's head jump out of his chest and right back in, you were all too adorable.
✧ "oh you know it's nothing.. just stating the facts!" he chuckles, wrapping an arm around your neck and pulling you closer to him where your hips touched each other.
✧ luka rested his head on top of yours, his chest heaving up and down calmly. "wait, so you would kiss me even if you only got $10 other than $1000?" you asked, not bothering to move your body to face him.
✧ "yup! i would still kiss you for free too, money or not. if you still don't believe me.." luka lifted his head off yours as he faced you, you mirrored his actions and turned to face him. "hm?"
✧ luka began to kiss your face, first your cheeks, then it was your nose, then your forehead and finally, you're lips. this time he pressed his lips onto yours for longer as he used his left hand to cup your cheek. everything about this moment was wonderful.
✧ when he finally lets go, you both are left breathless and yet still yearning for more. "do you believe me now?"
银枝 argenti
✧ argenti is quick with his response, catching you off-guard. he was just standing out in the public (well more like posing to you and other people as he always looks like he's a model posing for his pictures) when you came running to him with your phone in hand, looking quite excited. which got him excited as well.
✧ but despite the silliness of the question he quickly answers your question with no hesitation. "why, you of course. i would kiss you any day, anytime and anywhere." he spoke with such sincerity and calmness it instantly made you fold. his soft and luminous grey eyes boring into yours.
✧ argenti moves in closer to you where his chest is looming over you. but even if he was taller than you, you were quite used to him doing that so you weren't afraid at all. "why do you ask?" you shake your head and smile up at him, happy with his answer. "nothing special!!"
✧ argenti stays silent for a couple of seconds before cupping your cheeks with his hands, your hands reaching to hold his with yours, the cold, hard metallic texture. you stare up at him, confused, but don't speak. you wait for him to do whatever he needed to do.
✧ before you knew it he had leaned down, his lips barely touching yours, his hooded eyes staring down at your lips. a kiss. his lips were so warm and soft, they did not part whatsoever, it was just soft, slow, gentle and sensual kiss. his lips were softly pressed against yours for a good hot second when he gradually pulled away, the tingling and exciting sensation still lingered on your lips.
✧ when both of your lips parted, it seemed like you two had forgotten that you were out in public, unaware of the many stares that were coming your way (i mean can you blame them? they are witnessing a very gorgeous couple passionately kissing. but not in that way.)
✧ after argenti pulled away and observed your face for any signs of discomfort the corners of his lips began to pull up after seeing you smile shyly. you were so adorable. "and that would be $1010." he whispered, gently pinching your cheeks.
✧ a cheerful and tender grin grows on your face at his words. but before you could utter a word or sound your eyes land upon a rose being held right in front of you by argenti. his signature rose.
✧ "a freshly picked flower for you, my rose." he breathed, his other hand pressed against his chest as he slightly bows. what a gentlemen he is. you smile in embarrassment before gratefully take his flower and slightly bowing before thanking him and smelling the rose. "thank you so much! it's breathtaking...."
✧ "just like you."
真理医生 dr. ratio
✧ "be completely and utterly serious with me with me right now." you added, using big words to really make him think about it. not like he ever does (he's always thinking logically).
✧ ratio sighs, yes, he gave you that sigh. "what? don't give me that sigh. just tell me your answer and then go on with your life again!" you said, doing your sigh this time. ratio is clearly and visibly thinking about his answer.
✧ "wow. are you really thinking about your answer?" you spoke, raising your brow in complete confusion. ratio shoots you a stare and shakes his head. "yes, really, but the answer is simple, you." although his answer was what you wanted to hear you wanted to know why. i mean, he was your boyfriend after all but still.
✧ "i thought you said you would let me go on with my life after answering your non-sensical question." he replied bluntly, cocking his head to the side. you mumbler under your breath as he was right. "yes well just one more thing, please?" and of course, he could never say no to you.
✧ "simply because i love you. i don't need to kiss anybody, especially a random stranger that is quote-on-quote, extremely attractive, for $1000 or more. even if somebody offered me a million i wouldn't take it, simply because they are not you. your kisses are different and have a different feel compared to theirs. and i am 100% positive that their lips are probably not the best unlike yours. not only that but it would be completely unreal for me to meet someone extremely attractive in the world as nobody is. but to me, you are the most wonderful and amazing person i have ever met. and not only that but—"
✧ you roll your eyes playfully before shushing him up with a finger pressed up against his lips. "okay okay i get it smarty pants" you giggled, removing your finger from his lips. ratio only grinned upon your words.
✧ "hm, well that's a good response. you're the best!" you beamed before kissing his temple and pulling away, heat rushing to your cheeks.
✧ as you were about to walk away you stopped in your tracks, causing him to stop what he was doing and looking your way. you turned around, facing him. "did you mean everything you said?" you questioned softly. the corners of ratio's lips curled up. "of course, i promise."
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