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me-loving-woso · 24 hours

Text

Today. Tomorrow.

Author's note: Hi everyone! So I know I've been MIA for several months. But I'm back! This fic will be divided into 3 parts cause I've realized that I can't write a short one-shot. In no way am I an expert in medicine. The information is from Greys Anatomy and the internet. I apologise in advance if I offend anyone Summary: You never thought you'd find love under these circumstances, but sometimes, love works in mysterious ways. For you, it came in the form of Aitana Bonmatí.

TW: Illness, Cancer, Surgery, Happy Ending

You've just returned to Barcelona after being away due to your job. You were an art restorer and had established a small company with some friends from university. While you specialized in medieval and Renaissance art, your three partners specialized in Japanese art, antique jewelry, and ancient Egyptian art. Your company's diverse expertise made you wanted all around the world.

Although managing such a company and traveling extensively at 26 was demanding, you wouldn't trade it for anything. You loved your job and your colleagues, who were also your best friends. Supporting each other through thick and thin made this life worthwhile for you.

That morning, you were driving to your next job. FC Barcelona, yes, the football club wanted you to restore and polish their trophies. They were meticulous about their trophies, and despite the unnecessary level of care, they requested your services every year to maintain them. It was lucrative work with minimal effort. Even though you weren't specialized in that type of restoration, you were willing to assist your colleague and friend with the task since you had little else to do.

As you parked near the Barcelona training grounds, about to pull up the parking brake, you heard an unpleasant sound, like glass breaking, from the back of your car. You hoped it wasn't what you feared. Taking a deep breath, you checked the other side of your car, hoping it was just your imagination. But as soon as you saw the damage and a small woman approaching you with a mortified expression, you knew the worst had happened. She had hit your car. This couldn't have happened at a worse time.

Walking up to the culprit, you were angry. She was about to speak, but you cut her off. "Sorry, miss. How many fingers am I holding up?" You politely showed her two fingers.

Looking baffled, she replied, "Two?"

"Oh, so you have eyes!" you retorted sarcastically. "I guess an SUV right in front of you was too small for you to see." Your anger was palpable.

"I'm so sorry. I-I was overthinking and didn't turn the handlebar all the way to the right," she stammered apologetically. You could see she was genuinely sorry, but in that moment, you didn't care.

"They should revoke your driver's license. You're a menace," you said, crossing your arms and returning to your car. Taking out the accident report, you said, "Let's fill out the accident report so I can be done with you." She nodded sadly and helped you complete the report.

You knew you were being unfair to her. Stuff happens, but this one was the final straw for you.

As you started filling out the report, you noticed her coming back towards you. Despite her being attractive and all, you were too mad to give a damn. Once you wrapped up your part, you handed her the report to fill out while you rang up your insurance company.

After a couple of minutes of you dialing your mechanic and finishing off the paperwork, you said goodbye to the lady and headed to the Barcelona training grounds.

While you were hanging around, you checked out all the team photos with the trophy. The left side had all the guys' photos, with Messi and the 2009 team, while the right side was all about Barcelona Femeni. Your father was a die-hard Barcelona fan; back in the day, you'd go to some games with him. But when you hit high school, you kinda lost interest in football.

As you spotted last year's Ballon d'Or picture, you suddenly recognized her, which made you laugh out loud. You had just had a small car accident with none other than the Ballon d'Or winner, Aitana Bonmatì.

You thought she looked familiar, but it didn’t really click at the time. Well, at least she's better with her feet than with a steering wheel.

When Eva finally showed up at the training grounds, you rushed over to her.

"Hey Y/n, how's it going?" she greeted.

"I'm good. Some car bumped into me about ten minutes ago, but I'm all right."

"Wait what?!" Eva exclaimed, shocked. Since she found out about your condition and all, she's been super protective. "Are you sure you're okay? Do I need to go all out on someone?"

"The damage ain't that bad. And you'll never guess who I had the run-in with."

You pointed at Aitana's photo on the wall. "Aitana Bonmatì?" Eva asked, puzzled.

"Yep."

"Well, at least she's better at kicking a ball than driving a car."

"That's what I was thinking!" you said, pumped. "Now let's get down to business."

A couple of guys from the club gave you the grand tour and hooked you up with a whole room to work in. You offered to take the trophies back to your lab, but they were set on leaving them there.

As you got everything set up, just as you were about to dive in, the bearded dude was heading out. "Just a heads up, the squad might swing by to check out your work. You know, for Instagram and stuff. Don't sweat it; it won't take too long." You gave a hesitant nod, gearing up for your first trophy.

"Imagine if Aitana walks in here with all her teammates!" Eva quips jokingly as the two guys leave you alone. "I'd pay to see her face when she realizes it's you," she chuckles.

"I think it's the men's team. Otherwise, they would've said it," you comment, preparing your materials.

"How was meeting her?" Eva asks eagerly. She's a big fan of the women's side.

"I didn't even recognize her. I was kinda harsh, actually," you chuckle.

"Luck hasn't been on your side lately, with the car and all," she replies sadly.

"Yeah," you say, feeling a wave of emotions you'd rather not deal with. You shake it off and force a smile. "Let's focus on making some good money. I'd love to have jobs like this every day!"

You start working on Champions League and La Liga trophies. There's a lot, and as the hours pass, you feel even more exhausted.

After a couple of hours, the guy from earlier shows up. "So, the team's about to arrive. Is it okay if we film you?"

Eva looks at you, waiting for your response. "Only if I get some free advertising out of it."

He thumbs up. "I'll tag you in the story."

"You better!" you playfully retort, returning to polishing the 2005 men's Champions League trophy. You fake a smile and wait for the team to arrive.

As soon as you hear female voices, you glance at Eva and chuckle. She whispers a "I told you so" and gets back to work.

When they come in, you make eye contact with Aitana. Her smile turns to shock, then mortification. It takes all your willpower not to laugh. Out of all the people in Barcelona, she had to be the one to hit your car?

You quickly present your work, using fancy words you rarely use and explaining all the procedures. Aitana never comes near you, which makes you feel a bit sorry for her.

Once the cameras stop rolling, some of the players ask you both questions. As they're about to leave, Aitana walks up to you, apologizing awkwardly.

"I'm sorry again."

"Don't worry about it. Let's start fresh, okay?" You offer your hand, and she shakes it, smiling.

"I didn't know you worked with trophies," she adds quickly, not wanting the conversation to end.

Now that the anger has passed, you actually look at her. She's one of the most beautiful girls you've ever seen, and you're a sucker for nose rings.

"I'm actually an art restorer for Renaissance art. I'm here to help my friend with this job."

"That's so cool!" She beams at you. "So, are you going to work on my Ballon d'Or trophy too?"

You glance at Eva, who nods slightly. "Yeah, but probably not until next week."

She looks at you hesitantly. "Can I be there? I mean, it's not that I don't trust you, but I'm just curious, that's all."

"Are you done rambling?" You chuckle lightly at her nervousness. She's probably still embarrassed about the accident.

"Yes, I am," she replies shyly, making you chuckle. There's something about her that draws you in, as if you were meant to be near each other.

"Of course, you can join us. It might be a bit dull for you though, since you're all about adrenaline during your football games."

"I'm just really curious, that's all. I won't bother you, I promise," she reassures you, still smiling.

"I don't think you could ever be a bother," you say before you can stop yourself, turning your head away.

"Well then, as a proper apology, can I bring you coffee tomorrow?" she offers.

"You don't have to, Aitana."

"I insist. How do you take your coffee?"

—

The next morning, you waited for Eva to pick you up for Barcelona's facilities. Since your car was at the mechanic's, she'd be giving you rides for at least a week.

As soon as you arrived at the trophies, you got to work promptly.

"So, you think Aitana's actually gonna bring you coffee?" Eva smirks suggestively.

"I doubt it. She'll probably forget. And maybe she was just being polite," you reply, focusing on your task.

"Well, she was all smiles with you yesterday," Eva starts tentatively.

You turn to her, pausing your work. "What? What are you getting at?" you ask, eyebrows raised in exasperation.

"Maybe she wanted something more than your forgiveness. Like your attention, or an excuse to see you again," she smirks.

"You, Eva, have been reading too many romance novels lately," you chuckle, feeling defeated.

"Two is not too many!"

"We've only talked for fifteen minutes."

"Yet it was the first time I saw you smile in a month," she says, making you roll your eyes once again. You're certain Aitana was just being nice. But you can't deny she's cute. And kind. And nice.

"Eva, you know I can't," you say sadly.

"You deserve a shot at happiness too, you know."

"Yes, but I don't think a super hot football player is the answer."

"Well, maybe a super hot footballer isn't the solution, but I know one who promised you coffee," you turn your head towards the door. There she is, with three coffees on a tray, wearing a shy smile. You blush profusely, hoping she didn't overhear your conversation with Eva, but she seems unfazed, waiting for your acknowledgment.

You take a moment to compose yourself before removing your work gloves and standing up to greet her.

"Hi Aitana. Did you manage to park your car properly?" you tease.

"You're never gonna let me live that down, are you?" She hands you your coffee and then turns to Eva. "Well, I didn't know what kind of coffee you preferred, so I just brought you the most basic and likable."

Eva looks at her baffled; neither of you expected her to bring Eva coffee or to see her again. "Oh, thank you!" Eva responds before turning back to you, the absurdity of the situation evident in your wide eyes.

She takes a sip of her own coffee, then looks at the trophy you were just working on. "Have you already worked on ours?"

"We wanted to finish the men's trophies first, then do yours next week," you explain. Eva's phone rings, and she excuses herself to take the call, as it was a work call, leaving you and Aitana alone.

“It’s El Prado, I’ll be right back.”

You sit back down to work, and she curiously comes around the table to your side to see what you're doing. "Don't you have practice today?" you ask.

"We have a rest day," she replies. "Your colleague said El Prado called her, like the museum?"

"Yeah, I have to go touch up some paintings, maybe next month? My schedule's really busy right now."

"You do paintings too?" she asks, surprised.

"I usually only do that. I'm just helping Eva with this job. These trophies are already well taken care of; they don't really need this much attention. But I have to say, LaPorta pays really well," you joke, trying to ease the tension. She chuckles lightly. She has a cute laugh, you think.

"Well, now I'll definitely tell LaPorta!" she jokes back.

"Don't you dare!"

You joke and chat for at least another fifteen minutes. There's something about her that makes your stomach flip in ways you definitely don't want it to. She's attentive, curious, and sweet. She's confident but never boastful, which you find refreshing.

As the minutes pass, she gradually moves closer to you, coaxing you into letting her help with your work. You gently push her away, chuckling, telling her they don't pay her to restore trophies. But she doesn't budge. She grabs a pair of gloves, picks up her chair, and places it next to yours. She sits down, and you turn to her, wide-eyed at the proximity, but soon focus back on the trophy.

She tucks a loose hair lock behind your ear, asking for your attention. You turn to her, cheeks slightly flushed. "You're distracting me, Aitana."

"Maybe that is my intention," she smirks teasingly.

"Do you want me to lose my job?"

"It's not my fault you're easily distracted. I haven't done anything. I just sat next to you and put on some gloves," she raises an eyebrow.

"And that's more than enough," you utter to yourself.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing!" You reply hastily, but she smiles knowingly, as if she caught you saying something you shouldn't have.

You two stare at each other, like strangers trying to solve a puzzle on each other's faces. You can't quite figure her out. She's the best footballer in the world, yet she's so much more. Still, you feel drawn to her, as if you're meant to be there with her, and she with you.

You're probably imagining things and being delusional. You blame it on your period. The silence fills the room, becoming suffocating. It's too intense, too much.

Thankfully, Eva enters the room, and you jump back into action, focusing on the trophy again, while Aitana stares at the floor.

You look at Eva, who's already sending you a big smirk, making you roll your eyes.

Aitana stands up and walks to the door. "I really have to go now. How about tomorrow?"

"What-"

"Okay. Bye!" And she was already out.

You turn to Eva. “Did I miss something?” She asks.

“I don’t know. And I don’t want to talk about it.”

—

"So, the blood work came back," your doctor says, settling into his chair and opening your file. "You have anemia. Until your hemoglobin levels increase, we can't proceed with the therapy. I advise you to adjust your diet to include more iron and vitamin B12-rich foods. Also, consider taking some vitamin supplements."

You nod lightly, already mentally noting a trip to the drugstore. After a final visit from the doctor, you head home.

This week has been relatively relaxed compared to your previous ones in Italy. You've been working on an undemanding job with your best friend, which couldn't have gone better. Well, maybe it did. Every day this week, she brought you coffee and lingered for at least 15 minutes to chat with you. Even with her busy training schedule, she always made time to talk. You wouldn't discuss deep topics or your condition, but you appreciated how she listened and remained interested in your life.

Occasionally, she'd flash you that beautiful smile, tempting you to throw caution to the wind and kiss away all her smirks and grins.

—

That same morning, Eva was alone at the Barcelona training grounds because you were at the doctor's office. Around 9 AM, Aitana arrived, searching for you.

"Hi, Eva. Is Y/n here?" she asks.

"Y/n isn't here today. She had a doctor's appointment. Did she forget to tell you?" Eva replies.

Aitana's face falls into a kicked puppy expression. "She did. Anyway, I wanted to give her this." She hands Eva a bag. "It's game tickets. She mentioned she's never been to a Barcelona Femení game, and I wanted to change that. Can you please give them to her?"

Eva studies her, trying to gauge her intentions. "You like her, don't you?"

"What?" Aitana's taken aback, clearly not expecting those words.

"I get it. She's a wonderful person. And stubborn. Just don't hurt her; she's already going through enough," Eva warns.

Aitana nods lightly. "I hope to see you at the stadium this weekend. Bye!" With that, she leaves.

—

Two hours later, you return to work.

"Hey!" you greet Eva.

"Hey! How was the appointment?"

"I have anemia, among other things, so I have to wait for it to get better before starting treatment."

"That sucks. But on the bright side, your footballer came by."

Damn. You were so wrapped up in conversation with her, and also distracted by her presence the day before, that you forgot to tell her you wouldn't be at work the next day.

"I forgot to let her know I wouldn't be here today," you admit.

"I figured. I saw the disappointment on her face when she didn't see you," Eva says, overly dramatic.

"You're being dramatic," you lightly blush.

"Maybe, but she cares about you."

"She's a good friend. It's no wonder everyone likes her."

"She could be more than a friend. I think she's—"

"Again, Eva. You know I can't! Besides, do you really think a girl like her would go for a girl like me?" With every interaction, your feelings for Aitana have grown. You're ignoring them, but you know they're there. Acting on them wouldn't be fair to her. But there's an inexplicable pull that you can't control.

"Y/n, you have qualities not everyone has. If it's a worthiness issue, it's all in your head." Eva hands you the bag Aitana left.

"You know I can't be in a relationship right now."

"Why?"

"You know why. It wouldn't be fair to her."

"Then stop giving her heart eyes. It's annoying, especially when I'm trying to work," Eva chuckles.

"It's not you she's trying to distract," you admit, blushing lightly. "And I don't give her heart eyes." You pout.

"Denial isn't just a river in Egypt," she comments ironically. "But I get it. You've never dealt well with hot women anyway. You're just playing it cool because you're still denying your feelings."

"Stop getting inside my head! Let's get back to work."

That night, you finally open the bag. Inside is an envelope with two tickets to Saturday's game against Atletico Madrid, along with a note.

"I hope you enjoy the game! Since I know you don’t have a jersey, I thought I’d give you one of my old ones."

You pull out the jersey, from last year with the Liga F patch. You subtly smell it, convincing yourself it's not weird. Her perfume lingers, but there's also a scent that inexplicably feels like hers.

The next morning, you wake up an hour early for work. You want to finish an be earlier to surprise Aitana and apologize. Knowing she has a physio appointment ending at 10 AM, you plan to surprise her with a macha latte, just as she did for you all week.

Waiting outside the physio building feels like a terrible idea, making you regret everything. As time passes and she doesn't emerge from the building, you were about to give up. But then, after what feels like centuries, she appears. The look on her face makes it all worth it. She walks quickly to you, still wearing a cute smile.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" she asks.

"I wanted to apologize. I forgot to tell you about yesterday." You hand her the macha. "Plus, this week, it's my turn." You both sit on a bench.

"Is everything okay? Eva mentioned you had a doctor's appointment," she inquired, causing your brain to pause for a moment.

"Uhm, yeah! Just some anemia, but otherwise, I'm good," you fib.

"That must be tough. My mom also has anemia, but fortunately, it's not that serious," she says, switching to a more excited tone. "So, are you coming to the game on Saturday?"

"Of course," you reply, grinning at her excitement.

"You know, since I gave you the tickets, you have to wear my jersey, or they won't let you in," she teases.

"Too bad, I was planning to wear my Putellas jersey. She's the best player on the team. Plus, I love the number 11," you try to rile her up. Her smile fades, and she's about to stand up when you put down your coffee and wrap your arms around her waist to keep her on the bench. "I'm kidding!"

She sits back down, crossing her arms childishly. "I want my jersey back."

You scoot closer to her, attempting to uncross her arms, but she's surprisingly strong. "Oh no. It was a gift. Besides, I think I can get used to the number 14." Finally, you manage to uncross her arms, and she takes your hand, intertwining it with hers. Your heart begins to race as you stare at your hands together. Her voice brings you back to reality.

"I'll show you who's the best."

"I have no doubt." With your free hand, you tuck one of her locks of hair behind her ear. "And you, woman, are one of the most competitive people I know. It's concerning."

"If we win, we'll probably go out to celebrate. Do you want to come?" she asks shyly.

"I'm already going out. One of my friends wants to celebrate his birthday at a bar. Maybe next time?" you suggest.

"Definitely."

You check your watch. "I really have to go now; I need to get back to work. Same time tomorrow?"

"Bringing you coffee is my thing. Are you stealing my ideas, Y/Ln?" she hints.

"Well then, I won't have a reason to see you," you imply, stepping into unknown territory, but it feels right.

"Well, that's just your loss. Coffee's my thing. You'll just have to find another way to see me then."

"Is that a challenge? Because I can find some other excuses to see you before the match," you grin confidently.

"Like?" she asks, smiling back.

"Well, I was thinking of working on your Ballon d'Or tomorrow evening. You've been bugging me for a week, asking for my help. I'll let you work on your Ballon d'Or, if you still want to, of course."

"Oh, so you want to invite me over to do your job?" she smirks.

"Definitely. This was all planned. You didn't see that coming, did you?"

"You just broke my heart. And for a moment I thought what we had was genuine," she says dramatically, making you poke her side.

"I really have to go now. So, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Definitely."

You walk to your car with a smile plastered on your face, feeling a tingling sensation in your hand from when she held it. You feel and sound like a horny teenager. Never in your life has a person made you feel this way, and that scares you.

—

The next morning, you arrived at work with a newfound excitement, which didn't escape Eva's notice.

"Why are you so happy?" she asked.

"Just the usual," you shrugged.

"Does it have something to do with your footballer?"

"She does have a name, you know."

"Yeah, I know. I've seen her more than my parents this past week. It's concerning. By the way, where is she?"

"She'll be here in the evening when we work on the Ballon d'Ors."

"Then I'll be out of your way."

"You don't have to. Nothing will happen between us, don't worry."

"Yeah, no. I've suffered enough this week. All the giggles, all the weird flirting. I'm done. Plus, you're making me feel extremely lonely."

—

Fast forward to the afternoon, you were waiting for Aitana while finishing touching up all the material. Even though the supplement for anemia gave you more energy, you had been working for six hours straight and couldn't wait to finish.

What was left was Aitana's Ballon d'Or. You hated working with gold, so you were glad this was the last thing for Barcelona. You would probably miss being here, but most importantly, you'd miss a person more.

As soon as she came in, you noticed she was still dressed in Barcelona sweats.

"Hey! Did you just finish training?" you asked.

"Yeah."

"How was it?"

"Tiring. I didn't know you wore glasses." She put your glasses on herself.

"You are definitely blind. I remember you asking me if I was blind when we first met. I guess coming from you, it's even funnier," she teased, earning a poke to the side.

You rolled your eyes. "I had contacts on. What's your excuse?"

She showed you her tongue. "Do I look like an art restorer now?" she fake bragged.

"You are way too fit for anything to do with art," you chuckled, gently removing your glasses from her face.

"Hey! I do, in fact, love everything to do with art. I'm here; that should mean something."

"Being friends with an art restorer doesn't change the fact that you're for sports, while I'm for the visual arts."

"Maybe that's why we get along."

"Maybe." You handed her a pair of gloves, which she excitedly put on. "You're getting very excited for this. Working with gold is very boring."

She shrugged. "I'm working with Spain's best art restorer; it's a privilege," she teased.

"I'm far from being the best," you denied shyly.

"I looked you up, you know. Youngest woman to own an art restoring company, you travel the world because everyone wants you. What more can you do?" she insisted confidently.

"You're the best player in the world. Last year, you won everything. What more can you do?" you flipped the conversation.

"I'm far from being the best. I still have to improve," she repeated your words.

"To me, you are the best, if that means something," you admitted, making her turn to you with a big smile on her face.

"Well, I thought Alexia was your favorite player; you claimed that you love the number 11," she raised an eyebrow, smirking.

"Well, I told you that I could get used to a 14 on my back. Plus, she didn't bring me coffee for an entire week just to see me. Lame, I might add," you teased her, making her blush.

"Shut up! You loved it," she said shyly, hiding her face away from you.

"Yeah, I really did... Now let's get started."

For the next half-hour, you taught Aitana a part of your work, filling your heart with joy at her curiosity. Whenever you guided her hands, Aitana would send you a look that you couldn't quite explain. It was intense and riveting, making you internally combust.

She was sitting so close to you; you could smell her perfume and shampoo. Your eyes focused on her, and she lightly stuck out her tongue, which you found extremely cute and distracting. As you gently took her hands, you could feel her calluses even with gloves on, you showed her a movement she had to do.

"Thank you for letting me help you," she said shyly, and you gently squeezed her hands.

"No problem. Plus, it's your Ballon d'Or," you shared a quick, soft look. "Actually, you're doing me a favor. Working with gold is my least favorite thing to do. You made it a little more tolerable."

"I'm glad to hear that," she chuckled. "I hope I didn't distract you too much from your work this week," she confessed insecurely. Insecurity didn't suit her well.

"Did you distract me? Yes," her face fell a little. “Do I care? No. We wouldn't be here now," you reassured her, and she lightly nodded in response. "So, on Saturday, I'll have to find ways to distract you from the game, so then we'll be even," you bumped her shoulder playfully.

"I never get distracted," she said confidently. You were glad to see her back to her confident self.

"Is that a challenge?" you raised your eyebrows.

"No challenge. It's a fact."

"Are we back to being all confident now?" you smirked playfully. "Well, now I'll definitely make it my main goal for Saturday to be able to distract you."

"And how do you plan to do that?" she turned to you defiantly.

"My master plan will be divided into plan A, which I still have to devise, and plan B."

"What's plan B?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"I kinda do?"

"Too bad," you chuckled playfully.

It was 6 PM when you decided to go home. You had stayed with Aitana for more than three hours, but strangely enough, it felt like thirty minutes. You had discovered a new side of her that you couldn't get enough of.

She was different in real life from when she was on the pitch—still driven and determined, but also funny, kind, and gentle. She cared about so many things and was so busy, yet she had time to be with you for more than three hours.

She loved books and days spent at the beach. Her passion for football encompassed her whole life, and you admired how passionate she was about her work.

She reminded you of yourself and your love for art. When you asked her about her favorite books, you were surprised when she replied with nerdy titles. Looks could be deceiving; Aitana Bonmatí was a bit of a nerd, and you loved it.

She walked you back to your car with your bag on her shoulder, insisting that it was too heavy. As you reached your car door, you quickly turned to her. "So I'll see you on Saturday?"

"Definitely."

"Don't leave without saying goodbye, okay?" you couldn't help but smile.

"Yes, boss," this time, you received a poke on the ribs. "Ow!"

"Thank you for today. I really had fun. I thought working with gold was going to be more boring."

"It wasn't, thanks to you," you wanted to hug her. No, you felt the necessity to do so. Unceremoniously, you brought her into a hug, wrapping your arms around her neck and drawing her closer. After the initial shock, she wrapped her arms around your waist and held you tighter. The hug lasted longer than necessary, but neither of you wanted to let go.

There was a pull that made you not want to leave her embrace. It was comforting, and even if you didn't realize it at the time, you really needed it. After some time, you broke off the hug, said your final goodbye, and left for home.

—

Upon arriving home, you noticed a light emanating from the living room. Initially startled, you thought it might be an intruder. However, upon entering, you found your annoying brother standing there with his arms crossed.

"Jesus Christ! I thought you were a burglar! Idiot!" you exclaimed, smacking his arms in frustration.

"Hi to you too, sis," he responded with a smirk.

"Why didn't you call me?" you asked, placing your bag on the floor before embracing him.

"I needed to talk to you, and I knew you'd find an excuse not to see me," he explained.

"You live in Manchester!"

"I'm back. Got transferred back to Barcelona."

"For good?" you inquired eagerly. Ciro, your brother, was one of the best sports physiotherapists globally, having worked with Man City for almost two years.

"Yeah, got a call from Barcelona. You know I can't say no to that. Plus, I really wanted to be home," he replied.

He towered over you, twenty centimeters taller, with medium-length wavy hair that made heads turn. You both represented the opposite ends of two worlds—you loved art, he loved sports.

"I'm glad you're back," you said warmly, stepping back from the hug.

"Now, why did I have to hear from Mom that you were sick?" he asked, concern etched on his face.

"Ciro, I wanted to tell you, but you were busy with work. I really didn't want to worry you."

"You should've told me," he said sadly. "I would've been there. Could've come sooner."

"And do what? I'll start my treatment next week. There's not much you can do."

"I can be there for you. We made a deal to always stick together. You're my older sister, you've always been there for me. The least I could do is to be there for you," he insisted. You sighed sadly, realizing he was right. You should've told him. Perhaps you wanted to protect him, or maybe you feared that acknowledging your illness would make it too real.

"Did you come home because of me?" you asked tentatively, hoping for a different answer.

"As much as Man City pays, Barcelona is my home. And I really missed my sister."

"You're such a suck-up! What do you need?" you teased.

"Well, now that you ask... I might need a place to stay."

Rolling your eyes, you replied, "You can take the guest room."

After settling his stuff in the guest room, you both decided on pizza for dinner. He insisted you make the call, but you refused, playfully tossing his phone back to him. As soon as he returned, you sat on the couch to catch up on each other's lives. It had been months since you'd seen each other, and despite your reluctance to admit it, you missed him.

"Are you also working with Barca Femeni, or only the men's side?" you asked.

"I still don't know. Definitely covering all the home games and the key players if they're injured. Unsure about the away games."

"I have tickets to Saturday's game for the women's side if you want to come," you offered.

"I'll probably have to cover that game, being the first one," he replied with a suggestive smirk. "Why do you have tickets for a football match? Weren't you against 'the sports'?" he teased, using air quotes.

Blushing lightly, you retorted, "I never said I was 'against the sports.' I just prefer books to football games."

"Then why the sudden interest in watching a football match?" His face lit up. "Is it for a girl?" he asked excitedly.

"No girl!" you insisted, though thoughts of Aitana flickered in your mind. "Just felt like it."

"Then why are you smiling?" he persisted, tossing a pillow your way.

"No particular reason," you lied.

"Okay. You'll tell me when you're ready," he said with a knowing smile.

—

Fast forward to Saturday, and Ciro settled into his new job quickly. He primarily worked with the men’s side, working on Gavi and Balde, the most serious injuries at the moment.

On Saturday, he was to finally meet the women’s side in preparation for the game. Patri was the first to arrive, followed by Pina and Bruna. Aitana was the last, there for additional ankle support.

Upon seeing Ciro, Aitana gave him a strange look, as if he reminded her of someone.

"Hello?" Ciro greeted, puzzled by her expression.

Quickly snapping out of it, Aitana apologized, "Oh, hi, sorry! You kinda looked like someone familiar. I apologize if I gave you a weird look." Extending her hand, she introduced herself, "I’m Aitana."

"Hi. I’m Ciro. I’m the new physio. What can I do for you?" he responded.

During their time together, Ciro realized that Aitana was very chatty about nerdy things like books and coffee places—things that reminded him of you and how well you two would get along.

"You said you just came back from Man City, right?" Aitana asked.

"Yes, I did," Ciro replied.

"Did you know that the first atom was split there?" she commented, making Ciro chuckle. She would really get along with you.

"I think you’d be friends with my sister. She said the same thing when I left to go there," Ciro remarked.

"I guess it’s common knowledge," Aitana stated confidently.

"No, it’s not. But I’ll reply the same way I replied to my sister: who cares about atoms, when Manchester is home to the annual World Pie Eating Championship," Ciro chuckled.

"You got a girlfriend there?" Aitana asked unexpectedly.

Blinking at the question, Ciro replied with a crooked smirk, "Why, are you interested?" It was playful banter, no ulterior motives.

Raising her hands defensively, Aitana replied, "Nope, you’re not really my type."

"Then I should really introduce you to my sister," Ciro teased.

"Nah, I’m already interested in someone else. I’m sorry," Aitana smiled brightly.

"Too bad," Ciro finished up her ankle. "You’re all set. I’m sorry if this conversation was unprofessional. Please don’t report it to the club," he added with a tense smile.

"Don’t worry. We were just talking. But I do have to say, the more I see you, the more you look like a person I know," Aitana observed.

"Well, I hope they are great. I don’t want to leave a bad impression," Ciro replied.

"She’s wonderful," Aitana said before heading to the pitch.

—

Meanwhile, you were getting ready with Eva to go to the Estadi Johan Cruyff.

"So your brother’s back in town for good?" Eva asked.

"Yeah, he’s currently crashing at my apartment until he gets a flat of his own. Feels like we’re back to being teenagers living together for Uni," you replied, putting on Aitana’s shirt and giving it a subtle sniff.

"How’s that going?" Eva raised her eyebrows.

"So far, so good. She’s my friend," you reassured her.

"So, you told her about your condition, right?" Eva asked sternly.

You fell silent. "I’ve been meaning to! I just haven’t found the time yet."

"You need to tell her," Eva urged.

"I know. Let me just ignore it for a little longer," you replied hesitantly.

"She won’t go away, you know that?" Eva reassured you.

"I don’t care about that. We’ve only met three weeks ago. I don’t have some sick attachment issues, okay? I... I just really care about her," you admitted.

"I know you do. Or else we wouldn’t be going to a football game just to see her," Eva said with a smile.

—

At the Estadi Johan Cruyff, Aitana had secured great seating spots for you. As they warmed up, you couldn’t take your eyes off her. When she spotted you in the crowd, her face lit up with a huge smile, and she excitedly waved at you.

The game started quickly, with Aitana making a significant impact on the field. Her passing was precise, and she dribbled past opponents effortlessly.

In the first 15 minutes, she had already made an assist and nearly scored a goal. At the thirtieth minute, she scored a remarkable goal from outside the box, prompting you to cheer loudly.

However, the next action worried you. A harsh tackle left Aitana clutching her ankle in pain. Thankfully, your brother quickly tended to her, and she was able to continue playing, albeit with some discomfort. At halftime, Ciro was still with Aitana, leaving you concerned. But what concerned you more was that she didn’t return for the second half, replaced by another player.You quickly sent a text to Ciro, hoping he’d see it.

**You:** Where are you?

**Ciro:** I’m at work, idiot. You saw me.

**You:** I know, but right now? Is everything okay with Aitana?

**Ciro:** Yes, why? Why are you so concerned?

**You:** She’s my friend. Can I come and see her?

Aitana was perched on the physio bed, visibly annoyed that they’d taken her off at half-time.

“Hey, Aitana,” Ciro turned to her, puzzled by her behavior, away from his phone. “How do you know my sister?”

She looked at him, puzzled. “Who’s your sister?”

“Y/n?” He stated, as if it were obvious.

“Like Y/n Y/ln? You’re his brother?”

“Yeah!”

“I didn’t know that! She never mentioned she had a brother. That’s why you looked like her!”

“She wants to come and see you. I can’t let her in, but you can if you want.”

Aitana blushed lightly, a fact Ciro noted but didn’t comment on. Internally, she thanked him for it.

“Yeah, of course she can come if she likes.”

He smirked knowingly, making her blush again. “I’ll go get her. Then we’ll have a small talk on how you have the hots for my sister,” he teased, leaving the room.

As soon as you saw Ciro in the hallway, you understood immediately that he had something in mind.

“Since when do you know Aitana Bonmatì?”

“Since I worked on her Ballon d’Or. We’ve become friends.”

“Only that?” he raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, Ciro. Only that.”

“Doesn’t seem like it. You are way too worried.”

“Shut up,” you smacked his stomach hard, making him whine. “And not a word about this around her, understood?”

“Can I say one thing?”

“Then you’ll shush?”

“Yes.”

“Okay.”

“She’s really nice and chatty. I get why you like her. Plus, she’s really hot, not to mention your type?”

“You really want me to get violent on you?” You hit him again.

“Ow!”

“You deserved it.”

“You didn’t deny it though…” You hit him again, this time harder. “This one was my fault. I take it back.”

You both reached the door to the physio room. “Now get back to work, Ciro.”

“So bossy! I hope Aitana likes this side of you!” He teased, and you replied with a glare that clearly said, "I’m going to hit you." Your patience was really getting tested. “Bye!” He quickly left to get back on the pitch, while you opened the door.

—

She was sitting still on the physio bed, with some ice on her ankle, still dressed for the match, and lightly pouting.

“Hey,” as soon as she turned to you, she brightened up.

“Hey!” You approached her. “How’s your ankle?”

You took her in, noticing she looked exhausted even though she only played for 45 minutes. Even though you saw her play, you were glad they let her rest.

“It’s good. They took me off for ‘precautionary measures,’” she rolled her eyes.

“I’m glad you’re healthy,” you replied, turning around to show her you were wearing her jersey.

She grabbed both sides of the jersey and dragged you in between her legs. “You have it on!” she said excitedly.

“Of course! I only wear the best! Great game, by the way,” you lightly caressed her thigh, next to her knee, to give her some reassurance. “You scored a banger!”

“Thank you. I’d rather have played more, though,” she pouted, making you smile at her cuteness. “By the way, what was your secret plan to make me distracted?”

You chuckled lightly, completely forgetting. “Plan A was to distract you just by my presence,” you bragged jokingly, making her giggle and earning you a poke in the ribs.

“That’s not true. You just didn’t think of anything to distract me with,” she said confidently.

“Maybe.”

“What was plan B, then?”

“Becoming a pitch invader or just flashing you,” you said dramatically.

“I would’ve definitely loved to see that,” she gave you a playful smirk, lightly gripping your waist a little harder.

You chuckled, smacking the back of her head. Then, you looked at her properly, changing the mood of the conversation. Her eyes looked so tired. “You look exhausted. You still have the elastic band in your hair. Isn’t it uncomfortable?”

“I’m just too lazy to take it off,” she confessed bluntly.

You rolled your eyes and then gently took it off her. “There you go. Do you want me to take out your ponytail too?” You looked into her eyes once again.

“You don’t have to. I can do it on my own,” she said shyly.

“I know you can, but then I wouldn’t have an excuse to be near you.”

Her face softened, making you melt like chocolate under the sun. She nodded slowly, and you sprang into action. Taking a step closer, you gently took off the elastic band and looped it around your wrist. You scratched her scalp a little, making her release a relaxed sigh. Chuckling lightly, you took a step back to give her some space. As you were about to take another step, she quickly grabbed you, bringing you even closer to her. Swallowing some of the tension, you realized she was in control now and wanted you closer. You quickly looked at her lips, then back to her powerful gaze.

“You don’t have to find an excuse to be closer to me. I always want you near me all the time,” you tucked your head down to hide your blush, not wanting to show her how much those words had affected you. She gently grabbed your chin and raised it to her level.

“Don’t hide from me. I love it when you blush,” she teased.

“Stop doing that,” your face flushed again.

“Doing what?”

“Being all confident and so close to me. It’s distracting.”

She smirked in response. “Maybe that’s the effect I want you to feel. I’ll let you go if you feel uncomfortable,” she reassured you.

You replied by simply placing your hands on the sides of her face, playing lightly with her baby hair.

“We’ve been skirting around it for two weeks now. Don’t you feel the same pull towards me that I have with you? It’s consuming, and it feels so good,” she admitted.

It was intense, obliterating in a sense, yet you couldn’t resist it. You hated not feeling in control. Acting upon these feelings wouldn’t be fair to her.

“I feel it too,” you removed your hands from her and took a step back, seeing her expression change. You could feel her disappointment. “So much. But I can’t,” you sighed defeatedly. “It wouldn’t be fair to you.”

“Why?” she asked vulnerably. “Do you have a secret boyfriend or something?”

You took a deep breath and decided to tell her. She deserved to know. You couldn’t continue like this.

“Aitana, I have ca—”

The door opened, and the entire team barged in. You subconsciously took another step back and let the team swarm Aitana. They were checking up on her, but her eyes never left yours.

“Hey, you’re the art restorer!” Patri pointed out.

You quickly changed your demeanor to something more cheerful. “Yes, I just came in to say hi to Aitana. I was just about to leave. I’ll see you.”

You quickly left to reunite with Eva and then headed home.

—

Later that night, you were going to a club to celebrate your colleague Pablo’s birthday, but for you, it was also the last party before you had to start your treatment.

The whole thing with Aitana earlier that day had left a bitter taste in your mouth. You felt like an asshole and couldn’t shake the feeling that things could have gone better between the two of you.

Realising that you never asked for her phone number and that you had finished your work for the club, you concluded that you probably wouldn’t see her again.

So when you left for the beach bar with your friends, you decided to indulge in some vodka. Eva didn’t question it. She knew that sometimes, when you were out with your friends, you stopped being the responsible one and drank more than usual to have some fun. Pablo and Eva always made fun of you because you never had filters and would always create chaos, but you never went overboard.

You were in the middle of the night, two drinks in, and you started telling your friends that you loved them. They only chuckled in response. You alternated between depressing states and euphoric ones, making Eva, who was also intoxicated, extremely confused.

The whole night shifted again when you saw a group of girls entering the bar, including the one girl you thought you’d never see again. As soon as she saw you, she tried to approach you. She wanted to talk about the conversation you had earlier that day, but you tried to drunkenly escape the conversation. It did not work.

A few moments later, you were met with her standing in front of you while you were sitting down at the bar stools. She saw that you were drunk, and her serious appearance faded for a moment.

“Can we—Are you drunk?” she asked.

“Yep,” you confessed without even trying to hide it. “What are you doing here?”

“We are out celebrating the win. What are you doing here?”

“The birthday party,” you slurred. She had her nose ring on. You loved it when she wore it. “You have your nose ring on. I really like it,” you tried to raise your hand to touch it, but she quickly stopped you.

“How much did you drink?” she asked, concerned.

“Not that much. Why are you so serious? I don’t like it when your face scrunches up.”

She chuckled at your drunkenness. “You are so drunk. I’ll take you home.”

“Nooo. You just got here, plus my friends are about to leave,” you protested.

“It’s no biggie. You need to get home to sleep it off.”

“I think I should. On Monday, I have my first treatment. I shouldn’t feel hungover,” you blurted out.

“You have your first what?”

“Can I have a kiss?”

“What?”

“A kiss. You know, the ones you give to a person with the lips,” you explained, while she slowly took your hand and led you out of the bar.

“I know what a kiss is. I don’t think I should give you a kiss, given your current state. And the fact that a few hours ago you rejected me.” You were out now.

“Wait. Why are we outside?”

“I’m taking you home.” She states.

“You tricked me. You are one little sneaky son of a bitch.” You pout, making her laugh.

“You drunk, is the highlight of my day.”

“That’s so sad.” You cover your mouth with your hand childishly. “I shouldn’t have said that.” She giggles in response. “I still want a kiss from you. And I want to you to know that I didn’t in fact reject you. I just told you that I can’t.” You specify.

She leads you to her car without you realizing it. “I hope you are not one of those people who takes me to their car and then try to kill me.” She opens the car door and helps you inside.

She buckles your seatbelt, and due to the closeness, you blurt out. “You are very beautiful. The most perfect face.”

She chuckles, lightly shaking her head. “You are very beautiful too.” She gives you a quick kiss on the temple and round the car to get to the driving seat.

“Was it that difficult to give me a kiss?” You ask her rhetorically, making her roll her eyes at you.

“Can you tell me your address?” She sat down on the driver’s seat and gently turned your head towards her to get some attention.

“I don’t wanna go home. My brother is there.” You whine. “Let’s go to the beach.” You say excitedly.

“Y/n you are drunk. If you don’t tell me your address I’ll bring you to my home.” Aitana tells you seriously.

“Is that an invite?” You smirk suggestively.

“Get your head out of the gutter, Y/n.”

“Calm down. I was just joking!” You grinned.

“I should probably text Eva.” You sober up and sent her, very slowly, a text.

**You** I’m going hmoe with hot footballer. See you on mnoday. I’m drukn but I love you.

The drive pretty much sobered you up. You were still blabbering nonsense to Aitana, talking to her about the most random things. When you arrived, you quickly noticed that you weren’t in your apartment complex.

“I knew it. You brought me here to kill me,” you said, fed up.

“We are at my home.”

You opened the car door and got out before she could help you. “This whole building is your house?!” you said, shocked, while she quickly walked up to you.

“No, you idiot. I have an apartment,” she giggled lightly.

“You are enjoying this, aren’t you? Getting to see me like this.”

“I am definitely enjoying this. Too bad I can’t make any videos of you like this,” she said, placing a hand behind your back to stabilize you until you got to her apartment.

You curiously wandered around her living room, taking in her home. It was just like her. Every decoration, every piece of furniture reflected her in some way, only something was missing.

“You should get some artwork to fill up the walls. Your house is beautiful, Aitana.”

“Thank you. I guess you can definitely help with that, don’t you think?”

“Not in this condition.” You sat on the couch, while you waited for her to join you.

“You wanted to talk?”

“Not with you like this, tomorrow morning?” she offered, but you weren’t on board with that.

So, with a swift movement, you sat on her lap, taking Aitana by surprise. You placed her hands on your waist and blurted out. “I’ll talk then. I really like you, but I can’t be with you right now. The connection you feel between us is so real and intense that it scares me. You have been one of my biggest blessings in disguise since you came into my life.”

“I’d rather talk about this when you’ll remember it, but I really like you, and I would like to know why we can’t be together.”

You were sober enough to stop yourself from telling her the truth. “I’ll tell you tomorrow morning, I promise.”

You gently rubbed her shoulders, feeling all her muscles, making you giggle.

“What?” she asked, tickling you for a second or two. She was back to being her unserious self, and her crinkle disappeared. Probably it was because she knew that you were safe now.

“You are so muscular.” You squeezed her biceps. “If we were in a zombie apocalypse, would you protect me from all the zombies? You go fend off our enemies while I do the housewife and part-time art restorer. Maybe zombies make art, who knows?”

“Okay, I will,” she indulged you.

“You promise?” You asked her seriously.

“Yes.”

“Pinky promise?” You raised your pinky, and she laced it with hers. “Now it’s sealed.”

“Let’s go to bed,” she spurred you to stand up and walked you to her bedroom. She quickly gave you some spare clothes to change, leaving the room for you to have some privacy. She gave you some Barcelona shorts and one of her old t-shirts.

Somehow, every item had her typical perfume, and that special something that was characteristically hers. You were now a little more sobered up, which made you less chatty and with some inhibitions.

As you opened the door of her bedroom to see where she was, you saw that she was getting the couch ready to sleep.

“Aitana, come to bed. I can take the couch. You already did more than enough for me today.”

“It’s no biggie,” she shrugged.

“No, it’s a big biggie.” You walked up to her and literally dragged her into her own bedroom. “You take the bed.”

“Then we’ll both take it.”

“We can do that.” You waited for her to take her usual side, then you climbed on the other side. She turned off the light, and you moved to your side to face her. “Thank you for tonight. You didn’t have to, but you still took care of me. You are truly one of the most amazing people I know.”

She kissed your forehead. “Goodnight, Y/n.”

She laid on her back, making you subconsciously go near her as much as possible, until you looped your arm around her waist and cuddled into her. In response, she gave you another kiss on the temple and nuzzled into you.

—

The next morning, you woke up with a headache. An arm was keeping you down, and as you opened your eyes, confusion swept over you.

Aitana was still softly sleeping on your side. Memories of last night flooded back into your mind. You guessed that she felt you stir awake because not even a minute after you had woken up, she woke up too.

“Good morning,” she said gently, moving away from you and sitting up, quickly stretching herself. You basically mimicked her movements on the other side of the bed and followed her to the living room.

“Coffee?” she offered.

“Definitely,” you replied, sitting down at her kitchen table. “Can I have a glass of water? My head is killing me.” She quickly retrieved it for you and got back to preparing the coffee. “I apologize if I made you uncomfortable last night.”

“You didn’t. I’ve thought about what you told me yesterday: that you can’t be with me because it wouldn’t be fair to me. I think… no, I’m certain, that we can work it out together,” she said hopefully. She was still standing when you chuckled sadly.

“Aitana, you don’t know how much I’d want that. But being with me right now isn’t worth it, and I won’t ask you to wait for me because that wouldn’t be fair to you,” you admitted sadly.

“I’ll be the judge of that. Whatever it is, we can—”

“Aitana, I have cancer.”

Now she sat down. “You told me you had anemia,” she said defensively, not really believing you.

“I do also have anemia. That’s why I’ll start chemo so late from the diagnosis,” you released a sigh.

“Is—is it curable?” she almost whispered, almost not knowing how to take the news.

“Thankfully, I found out early about the tumor. The doctors said a 70% success rate.”

“Where is it?”

“Thyroid cancer. It’s a little bump next to my vocal cords.”

“Why didn’t you tell me before?” she pleaded, almost offended.

“Because...I didn’t want you to see me in a different way,” you confessed as your voice cracked vulnerably.

“I could never see you in a bad light. You are a fighter, Y/n, remember it.”

“Do you understand why I can’t be with you?”

“Yes, and I call it bullshit,” she remarked determinedly.

“What—”

“You know, statistics say that only 30% of relationships last the first year. You literally have more hope to live than us being together.”

“And so?”

“And so, why are you denying us to yourself?”

“Maybe because in the next month, all my hair will fall off, I’ll be as weak as I’ll ever be, and I won’t be able to work anymore?” you said sarcastically. “Do you really want a girlfriend like that?”

“I want you, Y/n. We’ll just have to go through the bad times first before the good parts.”

“You know, Aitana Bonmatì, you are one stubborn woman. You never stop until you get what you want, huh?”

She nodded confidently.

“Can’t you see I’m trying to give you an out? For God’s sake, I have cancer! I might die, and I don’t want you to ruin your life to take care of me. I can’t be that selfish. I care about you way too much!” you replied exasperated, still with your head pounding.

She rounded the table and knelt down next to your legs, taking your hands. “It’s not a decision you can make for me. If you won’t let me be there for you as your girlfriend, then I’ll be there for you as a friend. For the record, I care about you too. And even if you already have Eva and Ciro, I won’t let you go through this alone.”

“We could never be friends, you know that?” you gently caressed her cheek, and she leaned into the touch.

“I know. But you are in control, okay? Let me just be there for you, please,” she practically begged you in the last part. You made her stand up while you thought for a moment.

“You won’t surrender, will you?” Your face adorned with a sad smile, while she shook her head. “I’m just a stranger, Aitana.”

“You are way more than that, and you know it,” she paused for a second. “You would do the same for me.” You nodded. You’d probably do worse if you found out that she had cancer.

"Let's take things slow, okay?" you concede, rising from your seat and placing your coffee cup on the table. "I should probably go home. Tomorrow I start chemotherapy, and I should probably rest," you say with a tinge of sadness. Making your way to Aitana's room, you change back into your clothes. After about five minutes, there's a knock on the door.

She slowly opens it. "Do you need me to drive you home? It's no biggie," she offers.

You nod slowly. "Can I come with you for your chemo?" she asks, her voice tentative, not wanting to overstep.

"I don't want you to see me like that," you explain, seeing her disappointment. "But maybe you could come and pick me up afterwards? We can go to lunch somewhere," you suggest.

"I'd love that," she replies with a small smile. "By the way! I think it's time for you to give me your phone number! I still can't believe we haven't exchanged numbers," she chuckles, and you hand her your phone.

She bursts into a giggle, sending you a knowing smirk. "I'm glad to hear that Eva is happy you went home with a hot ass footballer. The next part of the text, it's better that I don't say," she teases, causing you to blush profusely.

"I'm sorry," you mutter, covering your face with your hands.

"Oh no. I love it," she counters, smirking confidently as she tosses your phone back to you. As you unlock it to read Eva's texts, a smile tugs at the corners of your lips.

**Eva** Fucking finally!

Now go and sex up that hot ass footballer!

"Damn it!" you exclaim, exasperated, prompting a chuckle from Aitana.

The drive back home is mostly silent. As she stops right next to your door, you're unsure how to bid her goodbye. It's been a heavy morning for both of you, and you need time to process everything. You had intended to push her away, give her an out. But she refused to give up, surprising you.

"I'll see you tomorrow, right? You'll text me?" she asks, her voice tinged with insecurity.

You reassure her with a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow, Tani. Thank you for everything." With that, you exit the car and wave one last time before entering your home.

Sitting on the couch with a sad expression, you stare at the turned-off TV. You feel awful, like you've made Aitana feel awful. Groaning loudly, you bury your face in your pillow.

Ciro emerges from the guest room, eyeing you. "Rough night?" he asks.

"I told her," you confess.

He sits next to you and pulls you into a hug. "Did it go badly?"

"No, I guess. Is it bad if I wish she had just told me to get out of her life?"

"No," he replies, rubbing your back soothingly. "But I'm glad she'll stick around."

—

Meanwhile, Aitana returns home and collapses on the couch, her face turned toward the wall. She lets out a light but painful sob.

"Damn it."

In the afternoon of the same day she found out of your cancer, she had a recovery session at Barcelona. For the first time ever, she just wanted to stay home.

Despite being off during all her training, her teammates didn’t ask what was going on, as she's not one to let her emotions affect her play. But that day, she was anything but focused. Ciro noticed and approaches her during a water break.

"Hey," he says.

"Hi, Ciro," she greets him, trying to hide her emotions.

"You good?"

"I'm good. Just tired."

"You know you can talk to me, right?" Aitana nods and rejoins her teammates.

"When did you become friends with the physio? Are you over the Art Restorer?" Keira asks.

"Her name is Y/n, and that's her brother," Aitana replied emotionless.

"The hot gene really does run in their family," Patri remarks, earning a smack from Keira.

—

Your first chemo treatment isn't as bad as you feared. Your energy isn't drained at all; in fact, you're super alert, probably because of the steroids.

Aitana arrives half an hour early and joins you in the hospital treatment room.

You're nearly finished; you just have to complete the saline shot.

"Hey, how are you?" Aitana enters the room and gives you a quick hug before sitting beside you. You'd be lying if you said you weren't happy to see her. Her smile melts away your worries in an instant. She's here, and that's enough to lift your spirits.

"I'm nearly done. How's training?" you ask.

"It's good. We worked on free kicks and rondos, so some light stuff. I brought you some snacks," she says, handing you dried fruits and nuts. "I read that the first chemo might make you feel drowsy, and since you also have anemia, I brought you some food with iron."

You smile softly, thanking her with a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, Tani." Opening the bag, you search for some almonds. "I hate raisins," you remark.

"Just give them to me," she offers, and you quickly pass all the raisins to her as you eat the rest. "I don't know how you like raisins," you say, giving her a disgusted look.

"They're just fruit," she chuckles.

"How was the treatment? Do you feel sick?" she asks, worry evident in her voice.

"For now, no, probably because of the steroids. I should bring something to do next time," you say, your gaze softening. "About yesterday, we're good, right? I felt like we left each other on a bitter note.”

"It's okay. It was a pretty intense day. Let's just move forward, okay? So, I'm thinking... Let's go get some food, then we'll start our DreamWorks/Disney marathon. What do you say?"

For the past two weeks, the two of you had been discussing doing a movie marathon, and since you both liked kids' movies, you settled on that. However, there was one point of contention: she argued that Disney movies were better, while you favored DreamWorks. So the two of you had started arguing about which was best, and the winner was yet to be decided.

"I'm feeling great! We don't have to barricade ourselves in one of our homes. We can go to the beach and maybe take a walk," you offer, not wanting to confine her to spending the entire day indoors with you, knowing she's a very active person.

"Oh no! We have to finally settle this debate! It's been going on for too long now! Plus, you're going to need all the rest you can get, and I don't mind keeping you company," she insists.

"Are you sure?" You check once again.

"Yes, I'm sure," she reassures you.

—

Her idea proves to be right because as soon as you get home, you feel the steroids wearing off, with a sudden tiredness enveloping your body. As you drive to your home to start the movie marathon, Aitana notices almost immediately, quickly taking your hand and gently squeezing it, not letting go until you arrive.

"Your home is so full of books! I love it," she says excitedly as she steps inside your house.

"I love reading, and I have a college degree and currently doing my second specialization. I guess I have been the culprit of the death of some trees," you joke.

You fetch your grandma's blankets that she knitted for you, then return to the living room.

Aitana is already sitting on the couch with her arms open, waiting for you. Despite wanting to be held by her, you fear she might feel uncomfortable, so you sit on the opposite side.

She looks at you quizzically and then drags you to lay on top of her. You release a content sigh and proceed to hug her sides, fully taking in her body against yours. "Didn't you get the memo? From now on, I'll be your designated cuddle buddy," she giggles.

"Oh my god! How stupid! I completely forgot!" you joke.

She holds you tighter as you search for a movie to watch together, settling on "The Little Mermaid." You start to drift off, only remembering a faded kiss on the temple and a whispered, "You rest. I'll be here when you wake up, mi sirenita."

Approximately an hour later, Ciro returns home after spending the day with the men's team. He's really worried about you and how the treatment went, but he doesn't expect what he sees. You're lightly sleeping on top of Aitana, while she watches a movie on TV.

"Hey," he whispers.

Aitana's head shoots up to look at him. "Hey. She just fell asleep; the drugs wore off, and she got tired."

He smiles softly at the sight of his sister with someone who cares enough to be with her, even while she's sleeping. "How are you feeling?" he asks her.

"Oh, I'm good. She let me come inside while she finished up her treatment, and we had lunch at that place she always talks about."

"I'm glad she lets you be with her. She's stubborn, but don't give up. She'll come around," he reassures her.

She looks at you. "I really hope so," then turns back to Ciro. "Oh, you should text Eva! Y/n told me that she would text her, but I guess she forgot; she might be worried." Hearing all of this chatter, you stir awake, still drowsy.

"Tani, where is all this sound coming from?" you asked her groggily, still keeping your eyes closed.

"Ciro is here," she informed you.

"Hi Ciro," you lightly waved at him, then cuddled up against Aitana once again.

"Hey, how was chemo?"

"Tiring," you replied.

"I can see," he chuckled.

You raised your arm to show him the middle finger. "Okay! I'll wake you up later; you have to call mom."

You grunted at the thought. "Okay, okay. But now let me sleep."

"Do you want to go to bed?" Aitana asked you.

"You are too comfortable!" you replied.

"Why don't we go to bed? We'll be even more comfortable," she giggled.

"Okay," you slowly removed yourself from her and walked with her to your bedroom.

As soon as Aitana laid down on the bed, you resumed the same position as before. You indeed were more comfortable.

"You are the best cuddle buddy, Tani. Thank you." You gave her a kiss on the corner of her lips and fell back into a deep slumber.

—

Approximately an hour later, you woke up. You patted your bed to find Aitana, but she wasn't there. You quickly got out of bed, feeling a little better, and went to the living room to get a cup of water. In the kitchen, you found Ciro.

"Where's—"

"She left about five minutes ago; she had to do some media stuff with Barcelona, and she didn't want to wake you," he explained.

—

For the next two weeks, you had fallen into a routine. Whenever you had chemotherapy, Aitana would take you back for lunch away from the hospital, and sometimes you would take small walks together or watch movies if you were extra tired. In those two weeks, you had gotten a chance to know her better. The more you talked to her, the more you couldn't picture yourself without her.

She was incredible. But most importantly, you loved how she made you feel. She was always so supportive, never failing to make you smile, but most importantly, she was ever-present.

Eva and Ciro would tease you so much because whenever she was around, you became a completely different person: nicer and more compliant. However, the mood from the first two weeks changed when you started losing hair.

You never really gave much thought to your hair; it was long and wavy, and honestly, you never thought about how being bald would actually make you feel. When single locks of hair started falling out, it was really a punch into reality. You had cancer, and your hair was falling out. Still, you didn't tell Ciro or Eva about it, and especially not to Aitana.

You were currently cuddling up next to her while she gently caressed your back. You had just finished your treatment for the week, and you were more exhausted than usual. Your throat was hurting, and your legs were aching as if you had just run a marathon. Aitana was rambling on about a book she started reading that you suggested.

"It's actually so good, no wonder you have great tastes in books," she lightly praised you, giving you a kiss on the scalp. She then tucked your hair behind your ear, but the lock remained in her hand.

"Since when have you been losing hair, Y/n?" she asked softly.

You moved away from her and sat on the couch, realizing that you had just lost another lock of hair. "It's been a week now," you uttered sadly. "Let's just not think about it, okay? I don't want to talk about it," you got defensive.

One thing that you didn't want was for Aitana to see you actually sick or suffering the consequences of cancer. One thing was tiredness, but another thing was losing hair.

"Do you maybe want to shave it all off?" she tried.

"Aitana, I don't want to talk about it, please."

"Okay, okay. I'll stop talking." You felt ashamed and embarrassed that she saw you like this, weak. So you completely closed off from her.

"It's getting late," you looked at your watch. "Tomorrow you have practice, and I have to study. I think that you should leave."

"Wha—"

"Aitana, please," you pleaded, with a vulnerability in your voice that you really didn't want to show.

"I'm sorry if I overstepped." With that, she left.

—

You took a loud sigh and went to the bathroom. Your brother's electric razor sat on the counter, and you just looked at it, unable to bring yourself to use it. You tried to convince yourself that you weren't actually losing her, but that didn't quite work.

Whenever you touched your hair, a lock would fall off. It was time to shave it off. Sitting down on the bathroom floor, you sighed deeply. Lost in your thoughts, you didn't even notice when your brother came back home.

He appeared in the bathroom after a couple of minutes. "There you are! I thought you left. Where is Aitana?"

"I told her to leave," you said absently, still looking at the razor. He looked confused, both by your state and how you had kicked out Aitana. "My hair started to fall off. I've been trying to shave it off all afternoon, but I can't." You broke down crying at the last sentence.

"Gosh, I feel so stupid! I never bothered until now about my hair, and now all of a sudden, I can't get rid of it!" Frustrated, you punched your leg.

He sat down next to you and grabbed the razor from you. "But it's not just hair, isn't it?" he stated simply. "Losing hair is a physical reminder of what you are going through. It's scary, especially because you are someone who deals with problems by ignoring them."

You released a choked-out chuckle. "It's scary. You have cancer, you can die. Just like dad. And losing your hair may feel like you are out of control, like your body isn't responding to you anymore like before. But it's just hair." He turned on the razor. "Hair will grow again eventually." He moved the razor next to his scalp, making you react almost immediately.

"What are you doing?" You tried to move his hand away from his hair, but he wouldn't budge.

"I'm showing you that you are not alone, and for as long as you are in this fight, we are in this together." He quickly shaved a whole strip of his hair.

"Are you an idiot! Why did you do that?!" You said angrily, knowing that he would most probably pull off something like this, and even if you begged him not to do it on multiple occasions, he still did it. He didn't bother with your angry tone as he kept shaving off his hair until he was nearly all bald.

"See! It's just hair. Losing your hair is tough, but you know what? It's just another step until you get better. You are a fighter, and you are stronger than this." You were at a loss for words, so you just hugged him.

"Did you search on Google how to talk with your family member who has cancer?" You chuckled lightly, trying to break a little tension.

"I did," he said honestly, earning a small giggle.

You stayed a while inside his embrace, but then you soon remembered why you were in the bathroom. "I think I'm ready to shave it off.”-

—

After a very intense and emotionally charged afternoon, you found yourself sitting on the couch wearing one of your old Adidas beanies. You realized that one drawback of being bald was the constant feeling of coldness. Touching your head without any hair on it was something you had to get used to. It felt strange yet oddly cathartic, signaling your readiness to continue with the treatment.

"So, are you going to tell me why you kicked out that poor girl who's been following you like a lost puppy since you met her?" Ciro jumped on the couch to sit next to you.

"She's not a lost puppy."

"Well, she's been ever-present, bringing you food and always taking naps with you even when she could be doing other stuff."

"Don't make me feel guilty," you said defensively.

"That's exactly what I'm trying to do. You haven't fully given her a chance, and I believe she wouldn't want anything more than for you to give her a chance. You are all she talks about." His confession made your cheeks redden, trying to hide away the stupid smile forming on your face.

"I don't want to hurt her," you uttered sadly.

"By pushing her away, you are doing just that."

"I know, but what if I give her a chance and it goes wrong? What if she decides it's too much, or I don't make it? I can't deal with that."

"What if it works? You're simply denying yourself some happiness, which I think you fully deserve."

"Why are you being so wise today?" You tried to change the subject.

"I'm just trying to help out my sister, plus I really hope that if the two of you get together, she'll stop talking about you during the physio sessions. That girl is chatty," he chuckled.

"I should probably go and talk to her," you said.

"She should be home; she told me she needed to rest for tomorrow's practice."

You put on your coat and left for Aitana's apartment with newfound determination.

#woso imagine #barca femeni #woso x reader #aitana bonmati x reader #aitana bonmati #alexia putellas #woso fic #barcelona femeni

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dcxdpdabbles · 3 days

Note

Hi!

I saw someone did an Ask about Damien and Danny knowing each other and just keeping in touch just not letting the Batfam know (was it Angel and Demon Brat or something?not sure).

What if we break some hearts,

We have big brother Danny who is dead (the big brother who told him it was okay to call others brother and that blood wasn't everything no matter what grandfather said), Tucker (or Sam or Jazz) just barely escaped Amity's destruction (maybe the GIW went nuclear on the city, maybe a ghost or demon finally got the better of Danny, maybe the portal need to be closed and Danny's life was the price, or maybe the city was already gone and Danny barely got Tucker and Dani out dealers choice) and tearful introduces Damien to his niece (Last last piece of the man he's spent countless lives thinking about, dreaming about and loving since his first life (I love Pharaoh/magically powerful Tucker)).

That got way more detail the more I was writing, haha... Oops 😳😬.

What do you think? Or just whatever pops into your mind. You do you, whatever you put out will be amazing!

There is loud, awful banging coming from the front door.

Or, to be more specific, there is someone banging on the door as hard as they can. At first, Alfred is wondering if he is imagining things. It was a rather quiet night for the bats to be out and about.

There was a storm that had blown through Gotham, driving everyone to take shelter. The howling winds and ran had left even the worst of scum chilled to their bones.

The bats were on their way home. Having called it a night after the third time, the wind had nearly caused two of them to fall while grappling across the city.

When he heard the noise, Alfred had just finished prepping the cave for post-patrol and went up to get everyone some warm clothes. He immediately went for one of the hidden guns around the manor.

Master Bruce was unaware of them, but Alfred had been able to hide the weapons since the lad was five years old.

Crouching low to the ground, he slowly approached one of the windows that overlooked the front door. Whoever had come knocking had somehow gotten past the first three levels of security.

Alfred leaned up only so one of his eyes could look over the window shill, keeping his back to the wall for easy push-off and the shotgun at the ready.

None of their motion detectors, video cameras, or heat vision cameras had detected the two standing figures on his porch. He couldn't see them clearly due to the water splashing against the glass, but it seemed like a man and a child.

Narrowing his eyes, Alfred leaned back down. He quickly pressed the side of his watch in three rapid clicks. At once, the signal that the manor may be compromised went out, alerting his returning family.

Alfred did not wait for a response from them. Instead, he threw himself on the ground, using the crawling technique taught to him by his years in Her Majesty's service to get closer to the door.

He trains the barrels at the wood, ignoring the desperate banging. Usually, he would have opened the door to question who they were, but it was nearly four in the morning, and he could have sworn that the man had been wearing a purple jacket and pantsuit.

In Gotham, that could only mean one thing. If the Joker was here, he would not live to see another sunrise. Alfred was done with that fool harming his family. Master Bruce's wishes be damned.

The only reason he didn't take the shot, for surely the bullets would pass through the aged wood, was that he had seen a more petite figure, too—a child.

He isn't sure who the child is—or if it is even a child—but he can't risk ending the Joker until he is sure the small;ler one is safe. Alfred had seen war many times in his military days; he did not want to force a child to live with them, too.

A few minutes pass when the banging sound starts to slow down, and there is nothing but silence. The wind contuines to howl. The rain continues to spray across the roof, and the lightning and thunder continue to roar.

Alfred feels his fingers strain with the urge to shoot but he keeps still ignoring everything until his watch beeps softly three times. Master Bruce and the children had arrived.

They must not have come through the cave, for he does not hear or sense an approach from anywhere inside the manor. A shadow overpasses him, causing Alfred to snap his gun in that direction until he registers it in the shape of a bat and quickly reaims towards the door.

He keeps himself perfectly still on the ground, even as he starts to hear faint curses, thumps, and a chilling little girl's scream. There is a moment of stillness before two figures fly through the wood—the child and the made-in-purple.

Alfred has a moment of surprise. It seemed the child was a meta before he pulled the trigger, aiming for the man's knees. His aim has not dulled with age, and the bullet sails true. Sadly, the little girl had faster reflections, making the faint glow surrounding her travel down her arm and to the man's body.

Their bodies become intangible as the bullet passes the man easily. Alfred frowns, reloading as he rolls over and swings himself to his feet.

The front door slams open as Master Bruce rushes in, followed by Master Damian. The two crime fighters slam into the strangers, somehow able to touch them when, seconds ago, metal couldn't.

Master Bruce flings the man to the wall, slamming him against one of the tables, while Master Damian has the girl in a painful hold. She thrashes and fails, but she can't get out, and Alfred wonders if her powers are limited.

Alfred trains the gun on the scene, keeping an eye on both Master Bruce and Master Damian at all times in case he needs to cover them.

"Who are you?" Master Bruce hisses, holding the purple suit man up by his collar. At this point, Alfred can see it is not Joker, for the stranger is far too young and has the wrong ethnicity.

"How did you find us?" the man gasps instead of answering, his eyes filled with tears. "The government wasn't supposed to find us here! Wayne was supposed to be safe!"

Alfred doesn't allow his brow to raise, but it's a darn thing. It didn't sound like they were here to do any harm, but one could never be too careful.

"Why are you after Wayne?"

"Don't tell him anything!" The little girl screeches, rainwater mixing with the blood dripping down her face. Master Damian had not been gentle when he slammed her against the ground. He was likely worried about Alfred. "We aren't afraid of you, GIW scum!"

"GIW?" Master Damian repeats. "Who or what are they?"

Both strangers freeze. "You're not with them?"

Master Bruce remains silent, and for one tense moment, Alfred wonders if the other man has passed out from the way he slumps in his old ward's hold.

"You're not with them. Thank the Ancients." The man gasps. He suddenly reaches out, grabbing Master Bruce in a craze of desperation. "My daughter. She's in danger. Please get her to Damian Wayne. Danny said he could protect her. Please... please help us."

His strength fades, and the man finally does fall unconscious, his hold on Master Bruce's slipping as he faints. The little girl screams- it doesn't sound human at all, and the noise likely started Master Damian's reflection, for the boy is quickly slamming onto her back, knocking her out, too.

Alfred finally lowers his weapon as the lightning flashes again, followed by loud thunder. He waits a few minutes before creeping towards Master Bruce.

The other is checking the stranger, mouth pulled into a tight, thin line once they spot that underneath the purple outfit, there are multiple wounds. Burns, cuts, and bruises decorate the dark skin of the stranger.

It's easy to see he escaped from somewhere abusive.

A gutted gasp from Master Damian has them swinging around, Alfred with his gun raised and Master Bruce with one of his batarangs at the ready. Instead of seeing the youngest being attacked, they find Damian staring in horror at the amulet he is holding.

The chain is still around the girl's neck as she was flipped onto her back- likely the lad was also checking her for wounds. Alfred can't see much but he can tell she may be just as wounded as the man.

"What is it, Robin" Master Bruce growls.

There is silence from the Katana user until one single tear rolls down from underneath the boy's mask over his cheek. He looks up at them with the most devastated expression Alfred has ever seen as he whispers.

"She bares my older brother's mark. Father, I think she's family."

"What, brother?" Master Bruce asks. "You never mentioned a brother before."

"He died.....years ago, but if Todd returned, then my brother...I left my kind-hearted brother in my Grandfather's grasp. I left him..."

The lighting flashes behind Master Damian's form, highlighting the devastation on his expression, and Alfred is filled with confusion, horror, and worry faster than the thunder can catch up.

Master Bruce's face loses all emotion- the coping mechanism Alfred had seen him use since the day he was found in that alley by the cold bodies- and growls. "To the cave. I want answers."

#dcxdpdabbles #dcxdp crossover #The lost In-laws #Part 1 #light angst #Tw: mention of implied torture #Tw: Major chater death #It's Danny he died in Amity Park #Danny/Tucker #Dani is their daughter #Danny died to get them to saftly #Damian wasn't aware Danny lived #Alfred's pov

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w2soneshots · 3 days

Text

Confess -W2S

Words: 1.1k+

Warnings: angst, alcohol consumption, hospital, injury, car accident, worrying.

Summary: when you fall in love with your best friend you struggle to keep your feelings at bay then Harry gets into an accident and it changes everything.

a/n: hello my loves! Here is the request🫶🏼. This is like nothing I’ve ever written before so I hope you enjoy🤭💓

Tonight I'm going to a club with the boys and the side girls for a night out. It was Freya's last minute idea since we haven't been with each other as a group in so long. I was slightly nervous since I knew Harry was going to be there. I've had a crush on him since last year. There wasn't a specific moment that I realised but when I found myself constantly thinking about him and his big blue eyes I knew there was a problem.

I tried to convince myself that I didn't like him but eventually I accepted that I had a crush on one of my best friends. We've grown apart the past year due to me not wanting to be within two feet of him, worried that I'll do something I'll regret.

I invited Faith round to my apartment for pre drinks. Once she arrived I poured us both a drink and turned the music on. She helped me figure out what I was going to wear then after a few finishing touches we left. When we arrived outside of the club I took a deep breath. "You alright?" Faith asked with furrowed brows. "Mhm." I hummed then hopped out of the uber.

Thankfully Harry hadn't arrived yet so I got myself a drink. When I made my way back to the table I noticed that in the five minutes I'd been gone Harry and Freezy had arrived. It felt so weird to be nervous around him, we've been friends for so long and I've always felt so... safe when I'm with him. "Hey! y/n, how've you been?" Freezy asked. I smiled politely. "Great thanks." I sat down next to Talia.

After almost an hour of avoiding Harry I left to use the toilet. "Wait!" I turned around swiftly, just as I was about to open the bathroom door. Harry stood before me. I started to panic. I've never felt so strange in my life. Why do I feel like I'm going to explode. "I just- are you ok?" He asked. I looked to the floor. "I'm fine." I replied, swiftly pushing myself into the bathroom.

I took a deep breath once the door closed. "What the fuck is wrong with me?! I need fresh air." I thought. I made my way outside after freshening up and I let the cool air wash over my body. "I can't continue like this. I need to talk to Harry." I told myself. But first I need to get a little more drunk. When I returned to the table Talia began asking me where I'd been. I told her I wasn't feeling great so went to get some fresh air. She didn't look like she fully believed me but she let it go.

Later in the night once I was extremely drunk I decided it was time to talk to Harry. I took a deep breath then walked over to the bar where he stood next to Ethan. I tapped him gently on the shoulder. "Can I talk to you?" I asked him softly. He nodded quickly. I led him outside. "Ok so-" my words slowly cut out as he stepped towards me, so close I could smell the mixture of cologne and alcohol lingering on his body. "Can I kiss you y/n?" He asked. My breath hitched. I leaned closer. "Yes. Please." I whispered. Slowly his lips touched mine and everything finally felt complete.

After that night I didn't hear a word from him. I was upset but assumed that he didn't remember since we were so drunk or that he thought it was a mistake. But I couldn't stop thinking about that kiss. It was sweet but desperate. Slow yet fast. Soft yet rough. I tried desperately to forget and move on but I just couldn't.

Almost two weeks after that night I was headed to my car after a long day at work when I got a call from Freezy. "Hello?" I answered, confused. "y/n, hi. Um- Harry's in the hospital." He told me quickly. My eyes widened. "I- what- Is he ok?!" I frantically ran towards my car. "He's ok but he's asking for you." "Me?" I stopped as I opened the car door. "Yes. Are you on your way?" He asked. "Mhm. I'll be there in ten."

When I arrived outside of the hospital I quickly parked then practically jumped out of the car. I made my way towards the reception desk and gave Harry's name. The woman nodded politely then showed me to his room. "Just in there." She said sweetly. I smiled lightly. "Thank you." She walked away and I stared nervously at the closed door. I took a long, deep breath. "He's fine. Everything's fine." I attempted to silently reassure myself. Before I could contemplate any more I pushed the door open.

Harry sat on a hospital bed with a few machines hooked up to him and a large bruise on his forehead. My mouth dropped open. "Oh my fucking god! I thought Cal said you were fine!" I rushed towards him. "I am." He reassured quietly. "You're clearly not! What the fuck happened?" "I- I was hit by a car." He looked into my eyes. A look of complete shock graced my features. "Hit by a car?!" "Uh, yeah. It was only a bump but I fell and knocked my head on the pavement. I think I passed out, it's all kind of a blur." My eyes fluttered closed. "Why am I here Harry?" I asked, eyes still shut.

It was silent for a second before he finally spoke. "Because I- I realised that if I had been really hurt today I would've regretted not telling you that... that I- I love you y/n." My eyes shot open. "You what?" My voice came out much quieter than I expected. "I love you. I've loved you for years. And I haven't stopped thinking about you since that kiss." "You remember?" "How could I not?" He pushed himself from the hospital bed. "Why- why didn't you say anything? No call, no text, nothing." I stepped back. "Because I thought you didn't remember." He replied.

I sighed, looking down at my feet. "I love you too." I whispered, barely believing that I was saying those words out loud. A tear slipped down my cheek. I wasn't sure if it was because I was nervous, stressed or happy but I didn't have time to think before I felt two strong arms wrap around my figure. I burst into floods of tears as I clung onto him. "I was so worried." I squeaked out. "I'm sorry." He whispered. I pulled away slowly with a sniffle. "I'm glad you're okay." "Me too because if I wasn't I wouldn't be able to do this." He placed his hand on the top of my back as our lips connected for the second (but definitely not last) time.

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sommerbueckers · 1 day

Text

My Brother's Best Friend Pt6

___________________________________________________________

Noella chewed silently on a salted pretzel as I disclosed the details of my hookups with a certain blonde. We had been talking for a whopping hour and a half per Noella's request to know every single detail.

"You're telling me, that you lost your girl on girl virginity two years ago and never told me?" Noella finally asked after swallowing a bite of her food.

"That's all you got from this?" I frowned, unimpressed.

"No, no no. I just need a minute to process the fact that you've been secretly hooking up with Paige for almost a month," Noella said.

"Okay in my defense, I thought that weak shit two years ago was gonna be a one-time thing," I argued, resting my elbows on the table.

"But?"

I sighed, "But then she came into my room to say 'goodbye' after Thanksgiving break."

Noella snorted and shook her head, tucking a few strands behind her ear. "You're insane, you know that?"

"Insanely active," I smirked.

Noella ripped a piece of her pretzel off and squished it around with her fingers before eating it. I waited patiently for her to say something, to either continue my dirty joke or change the subject entirely. When she finally did speak, I wished it had been one of the above.

"So what's the deal with you two? Are you talking, dating, like, what's up?" she asked.

I didn't know the answer, and I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about what it could be on multiple occasions. Whether it was by choice or it was simply because I didn't have the courage to talk to anyone else, I was exclusively hooking up with Paige. But that didn't mean that she was exclusively hooking up with me. College did interesting things to a person. It not only made you, in Paige's case, blonder and hotter, but it also made you wilder.

How could I be sure that Paige wasn't keeping herself busy when she was 1,300 miles away from me? I couldn't, and that's what scared me the most. I was carelessly giving her the key to my heart, not even caring what she did with it. For all I knew she was looking for someone else to pass the responsibility onto and having her own fun along the way.

But then I thought back to earlier, how this hookup felt different from the others. We had started off slower, savoring the taste of each other's lips. She told me she missed me. Was that all just a hoax to get me to let my guard down easier? The way her eyes had traced every detail of my face, admiringly staring at me. No, it couldn't be.

Was I driving myself crazy?

"You still there babe?" Noella waved her freshly manicured hand in front of my face, pulling my attention back toward her.

"Yeah, yeah i'm here," I nodded.

"Okay...Are you gonna answer the question?" The blonde was now leaning back in her seat, arms crossed over her chest as she looked at me with quizzical eyes.

I shrugged silently and slid my slushy off the table, toying around with the straw before taking a long sip. "I would if I could."

___________________________________________________________

Game night in the Collymor house was hands down the most anxiously anticipated event of the month. Six players, three teams, and a different selection of games every time. The night consisted of greasy foods and hot takes swirling around in a pool of competitiveness. Everyone wanted to win, but at the end of it all, only one team would walk away smiling.

I adjusted my pajamas in the mirror, a light pink floral set with dark pink flowers scattered throughout it. My hair was freshly washed, hanging down my back in soaked spirals dripping with product. I applied a layer of chapstick to my lips, a popping noise echoing in the room after I'd finished.

Noella was seated on the bed, scrolling idly on her phone as she waited for me to finish. I had never put much into my appearance on game night mainly because of how long the night lasted, but this time was different. Paige was here per usual, but I knew she was looking at me. Suddenly, Noella groaned from behind me, and her eyes shot up to meet mine in the reflection.

"What is it?" I frowned.

"Please respond in this fucking group chat, these bitches won't listen to me," she complained.

"What group chat?"

"The cheer chat," she breathed out, narrowing her eyes.

"What are they saying?" I asked as I moved to grab my phone from my dresser.

"They don't believe me about the practice times changing. Just because i'm not head captain, doesn't mean i'm clueless!" Her eyebrows were knitted together as she spoke, frustration evident in her expression.

Cheer was practically Noella's life, and when the captain title was passed down to me, she was heartbroken. So, I made sure that she had as much power on the leaderboard as I did.

I read over the messages in the group chat, frowning as I learned how they had out right ignored Noella's info text about the practice times. Before I could figure out how to address it, I heard my mom calling everyone from downstairs.

Sighing, I set the phone down on the bed. "We'll deal with it later, c'mon."

I grabbed her hand and we made our way out of the room where we ran into Micah and Paige in the hallway. They were clad in various shades of purple; lilac socks, lavender shirts, amethyst basketball shorts they had gotten from an athletic camp last summer. They held proud smiles on their faces as they emerged from the cave Micah called a room.

Noella snorted, "No way you guys coordinated your outfits."

"So what if we did?" Micah frowned, "It's better than those pieces of string you two call pajamas."

"At least I wear pajamas! Can't imagine waking up with literally nothing covering my chest," she retorted.

The two of them descended the steps, their petty bickering continuing. Before I could follow after them, I felt a familiar hand graze over my butt. My motions came to a halt when Paige leaned over to whisper in my ear, "These things are little."

I bit my lip when she gently squeezed, "Try not to let 'em throw you off your game."

She scoffed and slipped past me, "You and I both know that's not possible."

The comment was meant to be funny, and I tried to find the will within me to laugh as I walked down the steps and into the living room, but I just couldn't. I had probably taken it deeper and more personal than I should've, letting the poisonous meaning I had interpreted it to have infect my mind.

'You and I both know that's not possible.'

Paige completely pulled my attention away from everything else. She was the first person I looked for when I entered a room, regardless of whether I knew she was there or not. When I was in her presence, I was hyperaware of everything I did. Was I breathing too quickly -- too slowly? Was I walking funny? Should I fix my hair? I'd carefully plan my outfits on the days I knew Micah had invited her over, obnoxiously discreetly placing myself wherever they'd be.

In the midst of all of that; all the planning, the watching, the waiting, had Paige even given me a second thought? On the days that she'd come over straight after practice, was she subconscious about the fact that she smelled funky? On the summer days that our family spent at our lake house, was she worried about what I'd think of her in her bathing suit? Could she have even considered me for a moment as I unwittingly surrendered my heart to her?

Who was I kidding? Of course she hadn't, and after thinking over our entire relationship, I didn't know how I hadn't seen it sooner.

Paige was a basketball phenom; McDonald's All American, she had made the cover of SLAM magazine, and she was destined to go to the WNBA.

And I was just her best friend's little sister.

___________________________________________________________

its short, ik, don't be mad. but in my defense when i started this story i didn't think people would actually like it so i didn't have a real storyline in mind. IM TRYING HERE.

there's so much cooking in my brain i can't keep up w everything

probably gonna start another series soon too😫

#brother's best friend #paige bueckers x reader #paige bueckers #wlw post #uconn wbb #wlw #paige bueckers fic #paige bueckers x oc

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vbecker10 · 8 hours

Text

Trust Me

Pairing: Loki x female reader (Y/N) - established relationship

Summary: You and Loki have been dating for a year and a half and you moved into his apartment in the Tower last month when your apartment's lease was up. Since you've moved in, Loki has been coming home late more and more often. You fear he is cheating on you like your exes did, you finally break down and confront him. He admits has been keeping a secret from you but it's not what you expected.

Warning: Angst of course, being cheated on in previous relationships (briefly mentioned), fear of being cheated on again, lack of trust, arguing, negative thoughts, Loki being a little stupid

A/N: Ok... tiny spoiler but there is a super fluffy ending 💚 I know it's kinda long but I just didn't feel like making this a two-parter

You have just finished cooking dinner and begin to set the table when you catch a glimpse of the clock on the stove. You feel a growing sense of disappointment, Loki should be home already. Sitting alone at the table, you look at the food for a few minutes until your phone vibrates causing your heart to sink. Without even checking, you know what the text will say.

<Darling, I'm so sorry I need to finish something for Stark. I'll be home late, don't wait up.>

You frown and scroll back up to the previous messages in the chat. Loki had sent you similar texts twice and you've only lived with him for six days.

<Okay. I made you dinner, it'll be in the fridge. Love you>

He replies quickly.

You instantly lose your appetite and decide to put all of the food away. It is hard not to feel as if Loki is avoiding you. In the year and a half you've been dating, he only worked late a handful of times and it was never several days in a row.

What are the odds that his work load has suddenly increased now that I am living with him? you think as you fill with anxiety. No, Loki loves me, you try to reassure yourself. He would never lie to me, if he says he is working, he is working.

You get another text from Loki as you close the fridge.

You smile, your worries fading quickly as you text him back.

You change the channel again but you are barely watching the TV. You've had an unusually long and stressful day and you really need to cuddle with Loki but something tells you he is not coming home just yet. Almost as soon as you think it, your phone vibrates and you sigh.

<I'm sorry love, I'll be home late again. Don't wait up>

<K>

You text back the single letter, unsure if Loki can tell the subtle difference between 'okay' and 'k' but you just don't have the energy to fake being fine at the moment.

Two minutes later Loki responds.

You swipe the message away without replying, putting your phone in your pocket. You turn off the TV and decide you're done for the night, you can't bare the thought of eating alone for the third time this week. Without eating, you take a shower to try and wash off the day then crawl into the large, empty bed.

Once you are under the covers in the dark, your thoughts begin to race. Why does Loki never seem to want to come home to me? Does he really have that much work to do or is it an excuse? What if he is tired of being around me? We only just started living together but it feels like he is just trying to avoid spending time with me. What could he possibly be doing until midnight three or four nights a week?

No, not what... who is he doing, the little voice in the back of your mind pushes through. He's cheating on me, I've just been too blind to see it.

But Loki said he would never betray my trust like that, he promised, you counter but your negative thoughts quickly return. My previous boyfriends all seemed honest too, until they hurt me.

There are other signs I've been ignoring, you allow yourself to think. The calls, the texts, you wipe away your tears and cling to his pillow. You had gone into your bedroom two weeks ago and Loki was sitting on the bed, scrolling through your phone. He told you he was checking the weather app before you left for the park but the answer didn't feel right. You had nothing to hide and would often let him use your phone without question but you couldn't shake the feeling that he was looking for something. One thing you learned from your first boyfriend was that if someone started snooping around, it was because they were hiding something of their own.

Soon after that, Loki began getting texts that he didn't respond to or he would leave the room to answer a phone call. He always insisted it was Steve, Tony or Thor and that it had to do with work but you found it harder and harder to believe him.

He probably didn't even really want me to move in with him, your mind switches tracks suddenly. Sometimes I feel like the only reason he asked me to move in was because I had complained that my lease was running out and he was tired of hearing about it.

That's not true, you try to correct your thoughts. Of course Loki wants me here. You remember what he told you when he was helping you pack.

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

Your memory of Loki is quickly pushed aside by your memory of crappy ex number two. You had moved in with him just after college when you both realized you couldn't afford to live in NYC on your own. You had only been together a few months before you signed the lease on a one bedroom and it was just two weeks later when he began working later and later. It turns out, what he really wanted was a roommate with benefits and to still see other woman.

"That's everything," you said, looking around your empty bedroom. You had a gnawing feeling, even then, that Loki would grow tired of you and cheat. You wondered if you were setting yourself up for another heartbreak and Loki seemed to sense your anxiousness.

He took your hand in his and kissed it lightly, making you smile. Then he said, "Darling, I know the timing seems convenient but I have been wanting to ask you to live with me for some time. I know you prefer to take things slowly but I would have asked you to move in with me a year ago if I thought you would have agreed."

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

I can't keep denying this, you roll onto your back and look up at the ceiling, tears streaming down your cheeks. Loki is cheating on me. The only question is did this start after I moved in or has he been doing it the whole time?

A few hours later Loki walks into the apartment completely exhausted, all he can think about is crawling into bed with you. He hates how late his project is keeping him, he misses you tremendously and needs to feel you in his arms. Loki is overwhelmingly concerned by your response, or lack there of, to his texts tonight. You had never not told him you loved him and it made him nervous.

He pauses in the dark when he is just outside your bedroom and realized he can hear you crying. His heart aches at the sound and he turns on the light when he enters the room. You roll over away from him, clutching his pillow tightly.

"Y/N, are you okay?" he asks. You are silent, unable to answer his question. He crawls onto the bed next to you over the covers. You squeeze your eyes shut, hating how safe his actions make you feel, his chest flush to your back and his strong arms around you. "Darling, please tell me what's wrong," he urges gently.

"You're cheating on me," you state through your tears.

"No," he pulls back in surprise, "No, Y/N, you know I would never do that to you."

You shake your head, "You never come home."

"I'm sorry, I'm working on something-" he tries to explain but you cut him off.

"Who is she?" you ask sitting up. He moves to sit up and face you.

"Love please, I'm not-," he again tries to deny he is cheating but you don't let him speak.

"I know you aren't working this late, you never worked long hours before I moved in," you tell him as you wipe away your tears angrily. "Just tell me who she is unless... unless there's not just one other woman." Memories of your third ex-boyfriend flash through your mind, he had cheated on you with five women that you knew of but you were sure there had been others.

"There is no one else. I swear on everything in the nine realms I have been nothing but faithful to you," he promises quickly.

Your heart desperately wants to believe him. You love him so fiercely, more than you ever thought possible especially after you had been hurt so horribly in the past. Your mind, however, is convinced that you can't trust him and you shouldn't have let yourself fall for him. You know it will destroy you to leave him but you can't remain with him if the trust is gone.

"Look at me," he says, touching your cheek lightly. "I have never and would never cheat on you. I know you don't believe me right now and I understand you have been hurt in the past but I love you and I respect you too much to ever treat you the way those pathetic excuses for men ever did."

You sniffle and he says, "It's late, come with me tomorrow morning. I will show you what I have been working on. I will show you that you can trust me."

You nod in agreement although you are unsure how he can prove to you he has been faithful. He wipes your tears gently. "Don't," you whisper, pulling away from him when he moves to kiss your cheek.

"Would you prefer if I sleep in the living room tonight?" he asks. His chest hurts even as the words leave his mouth but he knows if he pushes too hard, you will retreat further away from him.

You nod again, unable to trust yourself to speak. You want to tell him to stay, to comfort you but how can he if he's the one who caused you this pain.

"Okay," he says quietly. He hates knowing he hurt through his actions. He tucks you back under the covers and runs his fingers through your hair slowly in the hopes that you will relax even the slightest bit.

"I'm so sorry I've made you feel this way, this was not what I wanted," he says softly. "I was planning something for you and I didn't have time to work on it during the day. I should have thought about how you would feel when I didn't come home but I need you to know that coming home to you has always been the best part of my day."

"I love you," he kisses the top of your head and you feel him get out of the bed. He turns off the light but waits a few seconds before leaving, hoping you will change your mind and allow him to stay with you. As soon as he closes the bedroom door you begin sobbing again.

Loki paces angrily back and forth in the living room. How could I have been so stupid, how could I have missed how upset you were? he thinks as he runs his fingers through his hair. He never intended to hurt you, he had become so distracted trying to make sure everything went perfectly to plan that he let the most important person in his life slip through his fingers. He sits heavily on the couch, wishing morning would come quickly.

He lays down after a few minutes, his hand over his eyes and remembers the day he first asked you on a date.

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

"No, Loki, I'm sorry," you told him while you were sitting together in the park. You slowly removed your hand from his and shifted away on the bench.

A few days later, the two of you were cooking dinner in his apartment and you asked him if you could explain why you had told him no.

Loki was almost too shocked and hurt by your rejection to respond. You had been doing date-like activities for almost a month and he had finally decided to ask you out officially. After a long moment he said, "I understand. I'm sorry, I must have misread things between us. I thought..." he shook his head, his words dying off. "Friends then," he looked up at you and smiled.

"Of course," he answered, a part of him hoping there was still a chance, however small, that you would change your mind.

You sat with him at the dining table and said, "There are two types of people when it comes to trust. You're the first type, you trust with your whole heart unconditionally. Once someone breaks your trust, however, it is gone forever."

He nodded in agreement knowing he had trusted his father without question but once he found out the truth, it was gone and could never be restored.

You continue, "I'm the second type, I don't trust anyone when I first meet them. I can't help but assume everyone is lying or unfaithful or willing to hurt me until they prove otherwise. I wasn't always like this but all three of my previous boyfriends cheated on me so now I almost feel like I've lost the ability to trust anyone. It was why I have so few friends."

After another hour of telling Loki what they had done, he promised to find your exes and make them suffer for how they treated you. You laughed in response, telling him that they weren't worth him getting in trouble but you secretly loved how protective he was of you.

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

You roll over again, unable to get comfortable without Loki next to you. You close your eyes tight and try to force yourself to sleep but it seems impossible. I don't understand why he would do this, you think. He had tried for so long to earn my trust and convince me to be with him. Why would he throw it all away?

Three months later you were sitting on Loki's couch together, the same one he is trying to sleep on now. His arm was around your shoulder and you were leaning comfortably against him. Your mind wandered since you had seen the movie before and after replaying the last few weeks in your mind you realized something.

From the day you told Loki no, he had been nothing but patient with you, being the friend you needed. You continued to go to museums, parks, movies, from the outside it appeared as if it were dating but Loki never pushed you. He would hold your hand as often as he could and you discovered he gave fantastic hugs but he never went in for a kiss or asked you out again although you could sometimes tell he wanted to.

"Loki, ask me again," you said out of seemingly nowhere.

"Ask you what darling?" he laughed as he paused the movie.

"Ask me on a date," you smiled nervously. "That is, if you still want to date me."

His eyes lit up and a smile spread across his lips. "Y/N, would you go on a date with me tomorrow?" he asked, holding your hand.

"Yes," you answered and he kissed your cheek causing you to blush. He promised you that he would never make you regret giving him this chance.

There is a light knock on the door and Loki opens it slowly. "Good morning darling," he forces a smile and you can tell by the redness in his eyes he slept probably as well as you did. "I know it is early, but I need you to come with me. I can't bear the thought of you thinking I've cheated on you for a moment longer."

He stops in front of the last door in the hall and he clears his throat. "It isn't finished yet," he says before he opens the door. "I was hoping to have it ready for your birthday next month."

You both get ready in silence and leave the apartment. He walks next to you and you can tell he wants to reach for your hand but you keep your arms crossed against your chest. You step into the elevator first and Loki pushes the button for one of the highest floors in the Tower. You have never been to that floor and are honestly not sure what is up there. When you arrive, he leads you down the empty hallway without a word.

"My birthday?" you ask confused.

He nods, "You were right, I have been lying to you and hiding something but I never meant to make you feel as if I was trying to hurt you. I was a fool for not realizing this was a horrible idea."

Loki opens the door and the lights turn on as you follow him inside. You freeze, your hand covering your mouth.

"It's almost an exact replica of the Great Hall in the palace," he says looking at the high ceiling. He looks back at you, "You told me you wanted to see Asgard and this is as close as I could get to making that happen for you."

"Loki-" you can barely speak as your eyes try to take in the room.

Your heart fills with love but also pain and guilt that you hadn't been able to trust Loki the way he deserved. You slowly move through the space and you are blown away by the tall marble columns, stained glass windows and gold accents all around you.

"The calls and texts were to your friends and family," he explains. "I needed to go through your phone for their numbers. When we were at Scott's party last year, you said you had never had a surprise party so..." he shrugs. "I tried."

"I'm so sorry," you tell him, putting your arms around him but he shakes his head.

"I'm sorry, I thought you would like it," he says utterly defeated.

"I do," you tell him earnestly. "Loki this is amazing, you are amazing. I can't believe you did all of this for me. I don't deserve this."

"You deserve the world Y/N," he tells you, his fingers wiping away the tears you didn't realize had fallen.

"I gave you plenty of reasons," he corrects you gently. "I can see how... sketchy my behavior was. I just wish you told me your fears sooner, before they consumed you so completely. I would never be able to forgive myself if you left me because I did something stupid. "

You hug Loki tighter, resting your cheek on his chest while he runs his fingers through your hair. "No I don't," you tell him. "I didn't even try to believe you. I compared you to all of my exes and I assumed you were just like them even though you have never given me a reason to mistrust you."

"A lot of magic, that's why it is taking so long. It is draining to build the type of illusion that can withstand being touched and will remain even when I am not here," he explains.

"This isn't stupid, this really is amazing. I love it," you look up at the painted ceiling again. "I love you."

He smiles, "I love you too."

"How did you even do all of this?" you ask, looking around again in awe.

"It's why your always tired when you do finally come home?" you ask.

"Yes," he tilts your chin up. "But you are worth it." He leans down and kisses you.

The night of your 'surprise' party Loki walks into your bedroom with a beautiful deep emerald green dress. He smiles at your reaction and says, "This is my first gift of the night for my queen."

You finish getting ready and meet him in the living room. He stands from the couch, his eyes fixed on you. "You truly are a goddess," he says as he walks over to you. He puts his hands on your waist and you put your arms over his shoulders.

You blush at the compliment and joke, "You look half decent I guess." He laughs, both of you knowing full well how much you love when he wears a suit. Tonight he chose his black suit with a green dress shirt to match you and black tie. He leans down to kiss you and you find it impossible to let him go but he eventually breaks the kiss.

"Loki, you've done too much already," you can barely contain how happy and loved he makes you feel.

"You can only be so late to your own party," he smirks and you agree. Taking his hand, you walk towards the door but he stops you. "Wait, I think you are missing something," he says as he conjures a long, thin velvet box. "A second gift for my love."

"You deserve every bit of it," he says as he opens the box to reveal a gold necklace with a small resin pendant. You notice a tiny flower in the center when he places it around your neck from behind. "It's a freesia, the flower. They are often thought of as a symbol of trust and I want you to have this, to know you can trust me completely as I trust you."

He puts his arms around you and pulls you close. "You didn't ruin anything, please stop apologizing. And for the record, according to every single person on the team, I am the annoying one in this relationship, not you."

You fight to hold back tears and say, "I'm sorry I almost ruined everything. I can't imagine how annoying I must have been, constantly reminding you that I didn't trust you and comparing you to my exes."

You laugh and look up at him, "That's just cause they don't like you as much as they like me."

He smiles, "At least you like me."

You shake your head no and giggle. "I love you," you tell him then you reach up and kiss him.

He strokes your cheek softly, "That is all that matters to me."

Loki smiles at you before opening the door and the lights turn on. Everyone yells surprise as you step into the space and there is no need for you to fake being completely amazed. Loki has added so much detail work, flowers, candles and even some balloons since you had last seen the room. The Avengers, your friends, your family and some of your closest coworkers are here, ready to celebrate you. You turn to thank Loki and he lets go of your hand.

You look down in shock, covering your mouth with one hand as he reaches for your other hand. He kneels on one knee in front of you, a small ring box in his hand.

"Y/N," he starts but he is unable to get another word out

He smirks, "At least I was able to keep this a surprise."

"Loki..." you can barely believe what is happening.

"Yes," you answer quickly.

He laughs, "Darling, I didn't ask yet."

"I don't care, yes," you tell him and he stands up, putting the ring on your finger. You don't even look at it but you know it is perfect. You throw your arms around Loki and he picks you up, kissing you fiercely.

"I love you," you tell him over the sound of everyone clapping in the background.

"I love you too," he says before kissing you again.

I hope you liked this!! Please like, share and comment if you did 💚💚 Please let me know if you want to be added to my taglist!

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witch-oftheflowers · 2 days

Text

This is 18+ starts slow and then smut. So be advised!

It would be years after she was yanked from her forests. Adjusting to her new situation was difficult

Even the lads would say that's an understatement.

Gaz was the most attentive to her. Seeing her lacking because she didn't know English well. Along with she was stuck in the period she died in.

What period? She didn't even remember.

He showed her the ropes, getting her used to their years of military training. Their lingo their way of life. It was a culture shock.

Price was very close to warming up to the woman. The way her eyes light up when he taught her what he could. Helping her hone her skills and abilities. He brought out the best inside her.

With him being a dragon. She didn't know till later he sought her into his hoard. A term she didn't get till he realized it and admitted to it.

That day was a bit flustered for her. Seeing as she looked up to him, wanted to protect the man that dot on her. Making her feel special for the first time in her life. And well some touches and looks lead to more... But that's for later.

Soap followed after. Seeing her adapt quickly and she felt like a puzzle piece they were missing. He brought out the joy she lacked and missed. Even brought her outfit to modern times even.

He became a good friend for her to confine in. The way he made her feel safe and secured to pour her emotions out. Especially too after she adjusted, the way she wished she could go home-

She knew she couldn't anymore.

And there was Ghost...

As the time had pass since she's joined. Adjusting and adapting to their way. She still didn't quite understand Ghost...

It was a constant thing she was pulled back to. Mentally and spiritually, like her soul was yanking her towards the mysterious man.

As she was working with Price in his office. Her curls pulled into a ponytail as she was relaxed. Finishing her paperwork from a last mission that went sideways.

Her eyes linger on the words she wrote as she still struggled with the terminology in English.

"Sir."

"John for you lass..."

"Still feels wrong..." She whispered as she glanced up. Noticing her was staring at her. His one wing flap a tad, his anxious sign as she smiled.

"John.." she stated his name, it came out like honey. And the way his eyes flicker at her with something more. Sent a shiver down her back as she finally looked back down. Feeling her stomach twirl with anxiety

"Whats the problem?"

"Why does...Ghost dislike me?"

He was a bit surprised as he noticed her tapping the pencil. It was an odd question from her even. But he had noticed that strain as Simon, wasn't the kindest towards her. Even admitted to him that he hated the woman, but never specified why.

"I... Can't say why."

"He just stares at me like... I'm a spider he wants to squish..." She spoke as she didn't dare look up. Feeling a pang in her soul as she admitted the words.

She knew how he stared at her. Like she was a monster. Like she wasn't supposed to be there.

She wasn't. She knew that, but she just went along with the lads around her.

But Ghost reminded her that. She wasn't one of them.

Price coughed a bit dragging her out of her dark thoughts. He walked around his desk as he knelt before the woman. His large hands on his knees as he stared up to her.

"Look at me.."

She stared down at him as their eyes met. She tried to remain calm as she sighs.

"I know it's hard still..."

"John I've been here four years... And he hates me still." She admitted as she let his hands grasp her. Giving them a firm squeeze as he was careful of his sharp claws.

"Lass look at me."

"I'm trying... I'm trying..." The words spilled from her mouth as she was softly panicking. Her eyes shut as if they were glued as she rest her forehead on his shoulder. Letting the large man engulf her into a hug.

"I know you are..." He gently caressed her head as he let her get her worries out. Letting her rant about the anxiety and issues she had lately.

Once she eased up. The fear in her voice quiet down as she just whimper into his hug.

"just give him time.... He doesn't hate you... Just still adapting to another person being like him."

"it's been four years..."

"He's. A tough one to get through to. Believe me I know personally..."

She listened to him as he rambled on his words. Softly she withdrew mentally from the conversation. As she just allows herself to be held.

As if he knew, he stopped ,as he just held her. Even got up as he lugged her over to his chair. As he dove back into his work, but letting her snuggle in his lap.

The way her eyes flutter shut, and eventually the soft breathing came as she rested. Drifting off to dream land in his embrace.

Price smiled as he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead as he was thinking. How nice it was to have another in his hoard. Another he sought as his own. And no one would touch her. He wasn't a man to share what was his anyways. Such a dragon instinct he kept.

It wasn't just on her either. The whole group he kept a firm hold on. All the lads he knew he was possessive of, he knew he didn't wanna share them. But at the same time he knew he couldn't stop them.

When she woke up. Left her work when she finished. Even promised to find him later as he needed her help with 'other things'. She went to her own dorm as she walked in.

Being surprised wasn't what she wanted. But by whom. She nearly died again if she could.

Her eyes flicker to him as he blend into the shadows. But his eyes were all she saw.

"What are you doing here?" She asked as she held her hands to her chest. Shutting the door behind her as she turned the bedroom light on.

Shinning the light on the large man that took up space. His chest moved with silence, a hair of movement as he walked a bit closer. Trying to intimidate her even

"You've been shagging the old man?" He asked her, a clear tone of disgust in every word he utter

A bit surprised by this as she took a step back. Her back pressed into the door as she stared to him

"What it to you?"

"What it to me?" He scoffed at her words, mocking the way she asked him

"Let's get one 'hing straight... You're just a distraction for 'im. A new toy." He stated as he got eeriely close to her. Putting his whole weight into her as he boxed her into the door.

The way their chest touched. How he was firm on his arm on her head making her glance up to him.

His free hand grasping her cheeks as he forced her to stare. He was dominant in his presence, even showing off his dark aura he kept.

Ximena's brown eyes flickered as she tried to remain calm. Disliking how he command hrr attention or how he handled her.

"I don't care for your jealousy."

A dark chuckle left his lips as he snapped her neck down. His fingers bruising in her her throat. But she couldn't grasp back, she knew she couldn't as his black smoke filled around her. As he didn't give her the chance to.

" 'm not jealous of some mutt 'e picked off the streets. 'M disappointed 'e spending all 'is time on the likes of you."

A smile was heard in his words as he reeled back. Staring down at her as he kicked her feet open. Making her buckle and fall onto her knees as she glared up to him.

Her hands on the floor as she tried to get up again

"Don't even. Want me to tell Price you've been a brat? 'Hat you don't deserve to be 'ere, that you fought with 'is right hand man?" He taught her as he squat down to her height.

The way her eyes shook as she knew he would do that. That he could do it even.

"Awe don't cry. You didn't cry all 'hose nights when 'e bent you over 'is desk and fucked you like the slut you are."

She stared to the floor as the tears pool.

She knew he disliked her. But this. This was hatred, it was a rage for someone he loathe. And she was the point of his hate.

"What do you want then...?"

"Back off the Cap' be a good girl will yeah? The rest of us 'ave needs too.." he spoke as he got up. Shoved her aside with the door as he left.

Leaving her on the floor as she didn't know what to do.

But she did listen..not wanting to be on Ghost shit list.

She didn't make it to her 'appointment' with John. Or any others he made with her. Nor did she bug the lads about any of it.

She distanced herself after that little talk she had wit Ghost.

And her little act didn't go unnoticed either.

Months passed as she grew closed off again.

Avoiding Gaz and Soap.

Not spending quality time with Price anymore.

Shot even made herself vanish out of Ghost sight the best she could.

One evening when she was finishing her work in her room. Away from the others.

A knock on her door pulled her out her thoughts. Getting it as she noticed the trio there. Worried painted their faces as Price spoke up

"Why you been avoiding us?"

"Yeah Bonnie? What we do?"

"Come on Lass we can help you if you need it?"

She blinked a bit as she looked down..not wanting to bring the boys into her own problems.

She was a burden and she knew that well. She was pulling them away from their jobs originally, she was a thorn they took in and she only repaired them with more things on their plates.

Her mind spiral until she heard Price calling to her

"Whatever it is.. we're here for you Ximena..." He spoke as he tilted her head up. She stared in awe as she sighs. Looking down as she didn't wanna cause trouble on Ghost.

Her lips parted as she shook her head.

"I just need time... Alone boys... Thank you.." she whispered as she pulled from Johns touch. And the way it felt was amazing. But she couldn't do it. Couldn't tell on the man.

As she shut the door, locking it up even. Allowing herself to slide down the wood as she let the tears pool and trickled down.

She missed them. They made her feel so special and wanted in her miserable life for once. But here she was shutting them out.

Later that late night. She sought one out.

But to her demise and not her best choice. She found Ghost.

The way she stood out his door. She seemed so destroyed, desperate even. She had become so accustomed to their affection, the way they treated her, toyed with her.

She knew they used her like a fleshlight when they could.

She knew that what she did for them behind closed doors was distasteful. But how else could she repay them for what they've done. But they all felt amazing.

Price was rough on her. She adored it, felt like she was claimed by a man for once. The way his large cock bullied into her holes was nice. Stretching her around as she drilled with excitement. The way he held her down as he filled her up with his seed each and every time. She would be a crying mess in the end, if she wore makeup. Streaks of it down her face. Her poor curls would be tugged enough, forcing her to keep it up.

Gaz, the young man had such stamina. They went on for hours and hours. Her body would be caving in under herself as she tried to keep up. But he would be a gentleman as he pulled orgasm and orgasm out of her. Keeping her up with his arm around his waist as he filled her again and again.

And Soap- the werewolf in him didn't leave her unscathed. Claw marks linger on her hips as he was brutal. His cock outline would be jabbing through and lined in her stomach. He wasn't slow or sloppy. But he coated her in his sweet seed, her face and body soaked. He loved cleaning her up after he took his pictures for later. He made her cry in pain the most honestly...

Her thoughts yanked from the others as Ghost pulled her in.

He could tell she needed something as he let her sit on his bed. Arms crossed over his chest as he glared down to her.

"You've been ignoring them?" He asked the question he had since he noticed her change.

"...You warned me to..."

"I told yous to stop shagging the Capt."

She didn't speak up as she looked to her shoes. Feeling aware she made a mistake coming here-

"I love them..." She whispered as she admitted it. It's the only reason why she's stayed. She fell down this hole of 'love' she told herself

A twisted one even in her opinion. She didn't want them to leave her. She wanted to stay even when she was given the chance to go

Looking up to Ghost as he shot narrowed glared. Sizing her up even as he let her speak.

"I never left when I could... Because I fell in love... I think? I don't know what love was really... Maybe I'm crazy sure... I think I love them... And they love me?.."

"They love a free shag-"

"Oh I know... I'm probably just that to them... I know I'm just a few holes they get off of now... And they know a few pretty words would keep me hooked and planted here... That's probably why they spoil me...?" She spoke the words outloud she never dared say.

She never told any of them those words directly. Because she knew one thing. She was this Task Force toy. That's why they brought her in originally anyways.

She grew so used to it even. Telling herself that was love. Every ounce of their seeds, every thrust they gave her, each bruise, each mark, everything. It was love...

Ghost stared at her as he let her ramble on and on. How confused she was. How lost she felt. How without them she was actually nothing

"I didn't 'hink you cared for 'hem..." He stated as he walked over. Sitting besides her, at arms length

"Ive never been loved before.. or showered with this much attention. Unless someone wanted me dead." She smiled a bit as she looked up to him finally. The tears pooled down as she sighs.

"I.. don't know why I'm telling you this..."

"Because 'm not them."

He sighs a tad, his hand on her knee now as he didn't know how to handle this. He never wanted her in his room. Or even this close to him to begin with. But he felt a bit bad that he caused her this pain. A hair bit bad.

"Why do.. you hate me?"

It felt like his breathing stopped as he glanced to her.

"I don't"

"Liar. All you've done since I've been here is tell me how much I'm a burden or how much I take up space."

He stared at her with his brown eyes. Knowing she was spilling the truth to him.

"I disliked how quickly you took to John... But I hate how my soul itches each time I see you "

She froze when he spoke those words. A shiver up her spine as she remembered how he used to make her feel.

"You felt that too?"

"Too?" His eyes linger on her as he heard those words.

The pair sat in a simple silence as they processed the revelation.

Their souls kept tugging towards the other.

Ximena's eyes flicker to him as she scoot closer. Letting her knee press against his as she spoke up

"I've felt that since we met... Like my soul wants me to seek you... No matter how far away or how cruel you've been... I felt that stupid urge to find you..."

His eyes trailed down her. Seeing no indication of lying, seeing how she was brave enough to tell him that. Seeing how... Pretty she was this close.

His eyes hood a bit. Leaning down as he let his smoke surround her. Letting it tug on them both, becoming a bit toxic as he didn't want others to hear. Or himself to admit what he was gonna say

"Let me get a taste of ya.." he whispered as he pinned her back.

From there she couldn't remember much-

All she remembered was the smoke surrounding her. The wayyl it seep into her non existent lungs, it felt like foreign her body

But it excite her. Her legs eventually were around his large torso.

The way only half his mask was up, just enough for their lips to connect.

And the rest from that night was history.

Morning light flood the room.

Ximena laid in the comfortable bed. Her curls sprawled out. The way her nude body was wrapped into someone's?

Her eyes flutter open as she looked around.

It wasn't a dream?

Her hands were gently holding against his arms. The way he kept an iron grip on her. The way even now his morning wood was firm inside her. Feeling him twitching, a long with his shallow thrusts.

His breath on her exposed neck as she whimpers. The way he kept her pin under him.

She wouldn't find out about the marks, the hickies nor the bruises till she got out his arms.

" 'M not letting you leave..." He whispered as he kept his thrusting up.

Pulling whimpers out of her throat as she laid there. Letting him fill her for the nth time now.

Her moans and his filled the room. The way his bed slam into the walls filled the room and outside.

But unknown to them. Outside his room was the lads. Listening in as they heard their precious Ximena being brutally shagged.

All of them a bit surprised it even was happening. But at the same time a bit relieved

" 'Bout time huh?" Gaz whisper as he sighs.

" We lass ain't walking straigh' for a month" Soap chuckled as his tail wagged. Adjusting his pants a bit

Price stood there as he ignored the two.

Hearing his best man, a long with his favorite lass screwing each other.

His lip was a line, his fangs poking out as he stormed off a bit. His tail swaying as he had plans to deal with them later.

"Ghost~!" Ximena cried out. His large hands on her torso, pinning her down. Her face to the side as she glanced back to him.

Her knees parted, her arse in the air as his thrust slam into her large bottom. Watching ripples from each thrust

" 'ake it you mutt. 'Ake my seed? 'll make sure yous not walking right!"

She whined and cried as he kept going. Their skin slapping filling the room as she cried in pain

"It hurts-" she hiccups a tad as he kept going.

" Almost done" he stated as he slam forward a few times. His groans echoed in her ears, he flung his head back as he released in her. His cock pop out a tad even and slicked her ass with his seed.

He admired his work as he smacked her ass a few times. Whines from her echoed as he kept going. Leaving her with a red bottom

"Such a view..." He spoke as he watched her black out from their day of fucking.

Ghost chuckled a bit as he got out the bed. Cleaned her up a tad, keeping her mostly coated in his seed. As he left her be in his bed. Getting ready for the day till he walked by her.

Watching her snooze as she seem so content now. Her face buried into the pillow he usually slept on

" 'll be back..." He whispered and leaned down. Rubbing her head as he walked out his room.

#rosie writes #call of duty #cod #oc #canon x oc #cod oc #cod monster au #monster au #simon riley smut #call of duty smut #oc x poly!141 #poly!141 #poly 141 #poly!141 x oc #cod price #price cod #soap mactavish #cod gaz

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jq37 · 3 days

Note

Little bittersweet that this might be Fig's swan song. There's like this "six seasons and a movie" mentality that makes me feel like Senior Year is the finish line, so just stick it out for one more. But, if creatively Emily doesn't feel like she can get any more out of the character, then that's that. It's best to move on rather than force it. Or not. It's the end of her time at Aguefort, doesn't mean it's the end of her time with the Bad Kids. The school part of these characters being high schoolers only really came into play this season, so let's wait and see. Emily considered retiring Fig at the start of this season and changed her mind. It could happen again.

On to the fun stuff:

-Gorgug didn't get a last hit on Porter, but he did get a clutch assist in with a narratively satisfying move that uses his Artificer class instead of his Barbarian class, helping drive the last nail in on Porters coffin. *chefs kiss* Going out of Rage while doing it was a perfect way to twist the knife.

-Riz's kill line on KP was stone cold.

-Everyone else's contributions were valuable but none more so than the newest Bad Kid, The Lava. Taking out five major threats during the battle. What a trooper and a strong candidate for Honor Roll.

-I came around on Mary Anne too. I get why some of the Intrepid Heroes were so obsessed with flipping her allegiances.

There's a lot this season that gives a strong finale vibe, but besides that hook at the end there's another thing that keeps going unresolved. Sol and his church keep fucking around and it's about damn time they find out. I don't think Senior Year will be a full-on religious crusade, but it doesn't feel like that plot point should be off the table. And what the fuck is Kalinas deal? So she was never loyal to Cass?

I hope we don't have to wait another 4 years for the next chapter of Fantasy High to get an answer to those questions.

Fig honestly would prob go to school more if she wasn't required to so it's absolutely an Emily decision more than it is a story decision. It's hard to picture FH without her but I'm sure she'll come up with something fun if she's still feeling like retiring Fig whenever they get around to Senior Year.

I think it's arguably MORE fitting that Gorgug didn't get the last hit in and instead got him with a gadget that didn't even do damage. It's like, he got Porter and not even in a way that Porter would respect because it wasn't rageful and violent. That's gotta suck more than if Gorgug had just punched him hard and KO'd him.

The lava was just so so good. It's like when you're a warlock and technically you could do other stuff but spamming Eldritch Blast just gets you the most bang for your buck so you keep doing it. Once they figured out the lava strat, they basically had to keep using it. Lava MVP for sure.

Mary Ann being so checked out for the whole evil plot even while participating in it is so funny. Honestly, queen shit.

I really think that if Kalina is actually bad then that's a retcon from Brennan because that's never been how familiars work and Kalina did try to help them consistently throughout the season with the Spy's Tongue Curse clue. She only attacked them when she got hit with a rage crystal and that was godly interference.

I agree that there are a lot of loose ends re: The Church of Sol (Buddy, Bobby and Sandra Lynn, Helio's lack of a chosen one, Bucky's whole deal, the Helioic pantheon shakeup--how crazy is it that Cass never talks to any of her celestial sibs?). I hope that if we explore that we get to see more about the actual people of the church rather than just the gods because there was a huge god focus in back to back seasons and, as I've mentioned before, if Spyre rules mean that gods are a reflection of their followers, their followers are honestly more interesting. I can't really be mad at Sol for being what he is when his chill level is determined by Bobby Dawn and co, you know? He has limited agency as an entity. Cut out the middle man and let's chase down Bobby directly.

#asks #farmer-10 #dimension 20 #d20 #fantasy high #so close just 1 ask to go

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call-me-copycat · 1 day

Note

Can you do Oboro confessing to his classmate reader

Hi! Thank you so much for the request, especially since this was the first Shirakumo request I've gotten! (´∇｀)

I have a couple others I intend to finish as well, I just got extremely busy due to the graduation time of year ꜀(^. .^꜀ )꜆੭

That being said, I hope you like it! Thank you again for the request! ♡

When The Clouds Part

➤ Welcome - Introduction and Request Rules (Requests are open + Some info about me)

▶ Characters: Shirakumo x F! Reader

▶ Genre: Fluff, little bit of comfort

▶ Summary: The ask sums it up, but overall Shirakumo gets a little help deciphering his feelings towards you from his friends and plans on how he'll tell you how he truly feels

▶ Word Count: 7640

▶ Warnings: None :⁠-⁠)

"Faster! I know you aren't getting distracted Shirakumo!"

Your class instructor hollered at your friend, as a small group of students in training darted across the obstacle course made for them. You were in the opposite group, waiting for your turn to run.

You studied your classmates timing and reactions, ready to use it for your own turn. Alongside that, you felt a shudder of fear run through your back as your instructor yelled at another student for tripping up.

The whistle rang, alerting group one to pause where they were for the teachers to score how far they got. You glanced at the group, seeing your first friend - Hizashi - near the end. It made sense, you never really saw him as the athletic one. Shirakumo surprisingly didn't get as far as you expected, and your teacher must've thought the same way as he berated him whenever he made his way back to the bleachers.

"Something going on inside that head of yours?" A swift smack to the back of Shirakumo's head had him wincing as he smiled sheepishly. "Because it's clearly not about the training today."

As you made your way to the entrance of the course, you prepared yourself to do the best you could. At least you weren't alone anyways, as Shota stood next to you - also not being the most athletic. So at least you knew you'd have a bit of a better chance than him.

As the whistle blew, you immediately darted across the course as fast as your legs could take you. Your focus was entirely on what was ahead of you, and you combined your classmates' failures in order to learn to avoid what they hadn't.

The first group sat exhausted on the bleachers, the hot sun beating down upon them.

"Man, this really is starting to feel like middle school gym class again, am I right?" Hizashi whined, his arms resting on the bleachers as he awkwardly leaned his head back towards the ones behind him.

With no response from Shirakumo, he turned his head back upright to look at him properly. "Oboro?"

A pout formed in his face as he noticed his friend staring intently at the second group moving through, nearly about to jump out of his seat like one would be when watching a sports match.

"Look, look! She got through the spirals! That caught so many people up!" Shirakumo exclaimed excitedly, not even tossing his friend a glance.

"Ugh, c'mon man." Hizashi only leaned his head backwards again as he rested, too exhausted to complain. He knew exactly who he was talking about, as you were the only person he seemed to pay attention to lately.

Jumping from his seat, Shirakumo began getting excited again. "She just passed Nanitchi, that's insane! He was the top runner at the beginning of the year!" He turned to Yamada, who was lazing about. "Did'ya see? "

"Uh huh."

Not noticing his friend's lackluster attitude, Shirakumo was already turned back to watching you before Hizashi fully could answer.

Curious, Hizashi opened an eye to glance at the group moving through. He saw you, blazing though the course as fast as a person like you could. You were good, but after hearing the way Shirakumo was describing you he thought you'd be further ahead. Alongside that, he noticed his poor friend Shota barely managing to get through the rope climb, one of the last few stragglers just as he was.

"Ahh, Shota..." Hizashi quietly mumbled to himself, holding pity for his friend.

To the side, they both jumped a bit as their teacher hollered once more as he had been doing this entire time.

"Oi! [Name]! I told you to pace yourself, now you're slowing down! I don't want to see that again! "

With his eyes still on you, Shirakumo tried to contain himself. "I saw her doing perfectly fine! Don't you think so too Hizashi?" He turned to his friend once more, but Yamada didn't care at this point. "He's being too harsh."

A disgusted grimace formed on Hizashi's face as he looked at the lovesick pout on his face.

"I think I'm going to throw up. "

Hizashi empathetically patted his worn out friend's back as they made their way to the locker rooms to freshen up before the end of the school day.

"You pushed yourself too hard, man. "

Shirakumo raised a thumbs up at his friend with a wide smile on his face, "You did a great job Shouta! I'm proud!"

Hizashi scoffed as he held open the door for the two boys, his hand in his pocket. "You didn't even look at him, what're you saying? "

"Yes I did, I watched everyone" Shirakumo rebutted back, a coy smile on his face.

"No you did not"

At that point the locker room had gotten too noisy being filled with all the boys in class, ceasing the twos' conversation. Once they left the room, Shouta was feeling a little better, but still very sore.

"I hated those wall climbs, they stunk." Hands in pockets, Hizashi was back to complaining as they made their way through the hallways to grab their items before leaving.

"I think they were a little fun to climb if you ask me." Shirakumo offered, strolling with his hands behind his head as they entered the classroom.

"Oh, are you talking about the rope climb?"

Immediately, Shirakumo's eyes were on you as he heard your voice, and his smile only grew wider.

"Oh I was talking about the wall climbs, did you like the rope climbs though?" He asked eagerly, not wanting to miss a single opinion of yours.

"I didn't like either-" Shota's whine was cut off as you chuckled.

"I mean, they weren't that bad, but I wasn't really a fan of either," bringing your hands up in front of you, the trio noticed they were covered in bandages. "Sensei was right, I shouldn't have gone so fast, otherwise I wouldn't have torn up my hands." You bashfully smiled, embarrassed at how you thought you knew how to get through the whole thing, without predicting making a mistake of your own.

"Ah, that looks like it hurts," grabbing your hand, Shirakumo held it carefully as he inspected it, his eyebrows furrowing, "Y'know, if you need climbing powder to put on your hands, I could always give you some!"

It was touching, but the subtle action of him barely holding your hand had your face warming more than you'd have liked it too.

He chuckled while the other two looked at each other knowingly, "Don't want you hurting your hands regularly now, you're going to need those!"

You laughed along with him, always enjoying the way he joked around with you. You looked up as soon as your laughter slowed and saw the time, realizing you had to leave.

You gently pulled your hand out of Shirakumo's grip as you went to get your bag, looking over at him and the others, "Well, it was nice seeing you for a bit before we leave, hopefully it'll be a little easier tomorrow, yeah?"

He hummed in agreement as he waved to you as out of the classroom, "Have a good one! And take care of those hands!"

As the classroom emptied, the trio grabbed their bags from the pile they threw them in together, untangling the straps from the others.

"I really don't feel like walking home today" Shouta sighed, his limbs aching as he hauled his bag onto his shoulder.

"Eh, it shouldn't be so bad tomorrow since we did this today - unless Sensei just wants to be a jerk for some reason."

Shirakumo chuckled, adjusting the strap on his bag, "What? You mean you don't want more obstacle courses-"

His joke was cut off as he gasped and immediately darted to your seat. "Oh great, he's lost it," Hizashi mumbled just loud enough for Shota to hear.

"She left behind her notebook! She's going to need this tonight to study!" Holding up the sticker-covered book for the other two to see, he quickly made his way through the maze of desks, "I'm going to try to get this to her! You guys can go on without me! "

His voice faded as he sprinted throughout the hallway, Hizashi sighing.

"You left me to deal with his pinning all by myself, y'know", he grumbled towards his dark-haired friend. Shota only shrugged.

Shirakumo sprinted as fast as he could down the hallways, leaping down the stairs in groups of steps and threatening to fall down as he hurried. Once he made his way to the main lobby he tried rushing through the doors, causing them to bleep until he backed up. He tore through his bag before finding his school ID and scanned it on the machine hooked to the wall, finally being allowed through.

Looking around the campus, he didn't see you anywhere. He promptly made his way to the bike rack and unlocked his bike, hastily hopping on (hoping he wouldn't fall over) before darting off in the direction of your house. He didn't know exactly where it was, but judging based on the few times he walked home with you, he at least knew the area.

As he peddled through the street, he shouted a hurried apology at the car he darted in front of, before deciding to take a detour through the park. Sometimes you walked through it anyway, and if you weren't then at least he had a better chance of finding you faster.

His bag jumped as his bike shook since he was riding on a bumpy surface. The dirt made it a little more difficult to ride through, but he wouldn't complain if it meant he got to see you.

Taking short looks around the park, he almost suspected you weren't there until he looked up and saw you in the distance, still making your way home.

As he made his way to you he excitedly shouted your name despite the distance meeting you from hearing him. He was suddenly caught off guard as his bike began getting more difficult to steer, the dirt changing to a softer soil. It was only made more difficult as you stood at the bottom of a small dip in the park where the ground got lower.

Panic flared his chest for a second as he tried to unsuccessfully break, and his heart nearly burst through it when he saw his bike was heading straight for you. Gripping the handlebars, he held on tight as he attempted to steer it any other way, the bike failing to follow along.

He did the only thing he could think of in the moment and shouted your name as loud as he could. You recognized his voice behind you and smiled as you turned around, eyes immediately growing wide as you saw his bike hurling towards you.

"[NAME]! RUN!"

You awkwardly jumped backwards and watched as his bike toppled over, causing him to slide on the ground until he was right in front of you.

Looking up at you from the ground, he stilled as he tried to play it off.

"Hey."

You looked down at him and there was a beat of silence between the both of you. Watching a smile slowly form across your face, he began to smile wider himself until you broke out in laughter, which he joined in alongside you.

"Are you okay?" You asked him as you still chuckled, reaching an arm down which he grabbed hold of.

"I'm fine, I'm fine, thanks for asking!" Chuckling with you, he awkwardly tried to wipe the dirt from his uniform - knowing his mom would have a fit if she saw how dirty it was.

Grinning at him, you reached a hand up and swiped your hand through his puffy blue hair to get some pieces of dirt out of it, and at that moment Shirakumo's mind shut down. You were so close, and the sun was setting at a point that painted a beautiful golden glow across you, and the trees were blowing their leaves gracefully across the park, and-

He knew it would be the perfect moment to confess. It was as if fate itself set up everything together for him to. He'd have to give his thanks later at a local temple or something.

Looking towards you, he suddenly felt frozen stiff. His heart skipped a beat and he felt his hands get uncomfortably moist. The once outgoing and boisterous Shirakumo, was now afraid to actually say what was on his mind for once.

All throughout his life, he never struggled with such a thing. He always danced in public whenever he heard a nice song, laughed out loud with his friends (despite Shouta begging him to be quiet), openly talked to every new face he met as if he were friends with them since childhood. No, it was never a struggle.

So to suddenly feel this new emotion... One of worry, one of love, a horribly sweet mixture of heartache... He'd have to apologize to Shouta, now understanding his perspective when it came to shyness.

"Shirakumo?" Your hand caught his attention, waving towards his face. Quickly he scrambled back and looked towards his fallen bike where his bag sat. He nervously rubbed the back up his head as he pulled it up from its position on the ground, "Sorry! Zoning out y'know... Hitting your head will do that!" he apologized, letting out a shaky laugh before quickly pulling out your notebook from the bag.

You smiled back, albeit a bit worriedly, "Oh, of course! Though, if you need an ice pack or something you're more than welcome at my house."

He couldn't help but mentally slap himself. Why would he say that?! Now you were worried, and that was the last thing he wanted to make you feel.

"O-oh, don't sweat it, I'll be fine!" The sun was going down, and the wind was slowing. You were also a little further away, remembering your trip home. He needed to do something. To choose something.

Swallowing, he gripped your notebook with a tighter grip as he held it behind his back. Speaking suddenly evaded him as he looked at you, silent confessions falling from his mind and hurling towards you with no impact.

"Well... It was nice seeing you! I hope you get home safe!" You smiled as you began to turn to finish your path home. Quickly, he called out to you.

"Wait! Um..."

Seeing your full attention on him once again made him feel like the world's biggest lovesick idiot. You only looked at him with wide, expecting eyes as he stood there silently.

Gasping in a short intake of breath, he began to tremble as he rethought about what it was he wanted to say to you exactly. He always thought of this moment, in fact he imagined it after every time he saw you. But you were here, really real and not how you were in his imagination. Real life was always so much more daunting than one's imagination.

"S-so... I have something to tell you..." Gulping, he wanted so badly to spill the contents right from his overflowing heart. He wanted to tell you every single thing he loved about you, he so badly wanted to inform you of everything he wanted to do with you, from going to the beach to inviting you to the roof with him and his friends during lunch, to having you ride with him on his clouds... There was so much, so much-

"I lo-" Whipping out your notebook and bringing it in front of him as he bowed with his hands holding it out towards you, he changed his mind last second. "You left your notebook! So I brought it back for you!"

Pushing a stand of your hair behind your ear, you squinted in the dim lighting the sun left behind, soon recognizing the familiar stickers adorning the cover.

"Oh! Thank you so much, I'll need this for that test tomorrow." Gently taking it from his hands, you looked over and smiled at him as you put it in your school bag. "Have a nice night! See you!"

He only hummed in acknowledgement, not trusting his voice at the moment. And he stayed in that spot as he waved you off when you walked away. And he stayed in that spot as he wondered if he messed up.

"You're seeing this too?" Hizashi whispered as he leaned towards his dark haired friend. Both were silently staring at their usually bubbly and energetic companion as he sat with his head placed right on the desk. His hands hung limply by his sides, and they both jumped as he let out a loud groan.

"I messed everything up."

The two boys quickly glanced at each other and gave a small shrug before settling on helping their heartbroken friend.

"Well, what did you even do? " Hizashi questioned as he reached into his pants pocket to pull out a piece of gum. "Besides, I'm sure it wasn't even something that bad. "

Slowly, Shirakumo brought his head up to look at the two properly, before going on to explain the previous night's events. By the time he was done explaining, he was yearning to throw his head on the desk more than ever.

"I should've just asked her to a movie or something! Why was everything suddenly so difficult... ? " Looking at his open hand he previously held clenched, Shirakumo gritted his teeth in frustration - though it was more humiliation.

"I dunno, the heart's weird like that sometimes man," Hizashi shrugged, not too keen on giving relationship advice, "If I were you, I'd just try to find something we both like to do and go from there. "

"Hmm... I don't really know what we have in common.. " It was at this point that Shirakumo truly realized how much he still needed to know about you.

"Why don't you just go somewhere nice to have fun or something? Try to get used to being around her so this doesn't happen again. " Straight to the point, Shouta was as blunt as ever.

"It's not that I'm not used to being around her! I think.... I think it's 'cause I'm scared of what would happen if she said 'no' ..." Moving his gaze to the floor, a worried expression took control of Shirakumo's face. "I don't know what I'd do with myself."

"Well, then at that point you don't really have any other choice besides confessing." Nemuri's voice interjected from the door of the classroom.

The three all turned to face her, and in turn she confidently made her way in. Stopping right in front of Shirakumo at his desk, she put a hand on her hip.

"You," She started, pointing a finger directly in front of his face, "Have a bad case of lovesickness my friend, and luckily for you I seem to have a bit of knowledge in this department." Nemuri explained confidently as she placed a hand directly on her chest.

"You need to work her up to you. Small acts of service!" She threw her hands up in the air, "Be a gentleman! Open doors for her, carry her things, buy her little snacks and trinkets... And then," Bringing a fist down onto her hand, Nemuri finished, "Find the perfect moment and confess everything that you feel about her! Let your heart take the reins and show her how much you truly love her, what you think of her, make her feel special! "

Placing her hands on her cheeks, Nemuri couldn't help but gush as she got more and more excited. "Ahh, to see the beginning of a highschool sweetheart relationship! It's so pure, it makes my heart throb!"

Shota and Hizashi only stood awkwardly in the background as Nemuri continued to rant to a very jumbled Shirakumo, both not having the slightest bit of knowledge when it came to romance. Still, they loved Shirakumo and would do whatever it took to make their friend happy.

It was the beginning of another day, and you looked forward to the trip your Sensei had planned for your class. To understand what it was like to be a hero on an average day, you all were split into random groups and sent to patrol small neighborhoods. It was to test your knowledge on observing small odd things out, and to ensure you wouldn't mindlessly walk about, but instead that you'd put effort into constantly staying vigil. Small neighborhoods never had anything happen to them, as most villain attacks happened in the city. This was simply a test of observation.

"Aren't you excited Nemuri? Trips are always fun!" Exiting the locker rooms freshly adorned in your hero uniforms, (for plot's sake let's say Nemuri has an outfit that'd be approved by the school) Nemuri could only hesitantly nod, not wanting to diminish your excitement. No one wanted to go on this trip, as everyone knew it'd be extremely uneventful.

Making your way to the buses, you and Nemuri met up with the trio.

"Hey hey! You ready to get rockin'?" Putting up a rock and roll fist, Mic chuckled as you parroted him and put one up as well. "So ready! "

Slinging an arm around your shoulder, you turned to see Shirakumo already next to you. "Well, hopefully we get put in a group together!" Swinging a pointer finger back and forth between the two of you with his other hand he continued with a bright smile, "You and me, we make an unstoppable team! "

Your face warmed at the extreme close proximity, not having seen him this close before. "Y-yeah, and Zashi, Shota, and Nemi!" Really, you couldn't think too sharply as your brain began to overheat with your cheeks.

Nemuri smiled mischievously, tapping the tips of her fingers together as she went over her plan she made with Shirakumo. This first part she simply asked was to gouge whether or not you'd reject any advances made, and based off your reaction, he was in the green.

"Wow Shirakumo, got your hands all over her don'cha?" A couple guys snickered to each other as they passed by, and your face warmed in embarrassment as you pulled yourself from his hold.

Huffing, Shirakumo hated seeing you upset. Before he could say anything, Shota surprisingly beat him to it.

"Mind your business, you don't need to make everything you see weird."

They teasingly put their hands up, "Look, we're just messing with you guys, nothing to gripe abou-"

"Then leave us alone. We don't want to hear your jokes."

The opening of the bus doors cut off the conflict before it could escalate, and as you passed Shota sitting in his seat on the bus, you gave his shoulder a squeeze.

"Thanks, I appreciate you."

As you made your way to your seat, Shota tried to hide his faint blush by turning to face the window, but was quickly snapped back when Hizashi threw himself into the seat beside him.

You took a similar seat next to the window, and to your surprise you watched Nemuri walk past you only to sit in the seat behind you - next to the quiet girl with the archer quirk.

Seeing your baffled expression, she awkwardly shrugged her shoulders. "I, uh, wanted to discuss Moji's quirk! We never talk so I thought I'd take the chance, y'know?"

You raised an eyebrow at her sudden behavior, but ultimately didn't question her. Instead, you welcomed Shirakumo as he slid into the seat next to you.

As the bus rumbled to life and began to set off, everyone began discussing who they might be paired with and what they might expect. You animatedly discussed with Shirakumo what pairings would be best, and he added on to your excitement, happy to have you talking to him at all.

Sitting behind the two of you, Nemuri uselessly tried to squeeze a word out of the girl she sat next to, but in the end she never looked anywhere but straight ahead to Nemuri's unease.

"I want you all in order now! We're in a residential area, so be respectful!"

*Japanese neighborhoods are very, very different from American ones*

As everyone quieted and stood at attention, the teacher went on once more.

"Now, I need you all to remember who you sat next to on the bus, because that's exactly who you'll be paired with for this activity. "

He paused to allow the students to think about who they were next to, and whether they should revel or hang their head in disdain.

Feeling a tap on his shoulder, Shirakumo turned and made eye contact with Nemuri, who in turn winked and gave him a thumbs up. His face warmed as he smiled and gave one back.

Once everyone was beside their respective partner, they obediently made their way to the neighborhood they were to care for.

"Soo, think we're gonna find anything interesting?"

Walking casually beside you with his arms slung behind his head, Shirakumo clearly showed no belief that anyone would run into trouble.

You scanned the small neighborhood, looking at the walls, bushes that lined the houses, and at the flock of birds making their way into the air. It was quiet, uneventful. "Mm, probably not. " Crossing your arms you whined. "Ahh, this was what Nemuri probably was trying to complain about, huh?"

Turning to look at you Shirakumo tried to offer some reassurance, "Aww don't be that way. I'm sure we'll run into something cool!" Raising a fist into the air, he smiled. "I'm positive we'll be the ones to bring back the coolest story to the class! You and me, taking down the biggest villain this neighborhood has to offer! "

You laughed as he jokingly punched the air repeatedly in front of him, practically brimming with bright energy. It was refreshing to have someone like him around, someone to always reassure and lift you up.

The sun was beginning to set, and you knew your class would be held far after dark. That was when villains mainly come out, no? It was bright as it lowered, and you had to hold a hand up to keep the light from your eyes. However, you looked up when a shadow was cast over your eyes, and found it to be caused by a little blue cloud floating in front of you. You turned to Shirakumo, smiling bashfully as he grinned back.

Time seemed to slow as your boredom increased. You and Shirakumo continued walking ahead, and finally you found a turn on the path you could both take so the sun wasn't blinding you the whole time. The houses in this new area had more greenery growing, and in turn shrouded out the sunlight.

While the lack of light was nice for your eyes, it wasn't for your body as you began to shiver. Winter was closely approaching, and you could only hope your class wouldn't have to do as many outdoor activities.

"Y'know, I kinda like this assignment. Easy A+, just walk around a bunch with a buddy and you're all set!"

You smiled at his incessantly joyous attitude, wishing that you yourself could gain such an ability. For now though, it was more than enough to have him by your side. Eventually he began to whistle a jaunty tune he had picked up from a commercial, with you scanning the right side and him walking and scanning the left.

The neighborhood was a quaint one, little houses lined up in neat yet unique rows, and you thought about the people inside of them. How those very people in the houses you walked by were to depend on people like you in the future.

It was daunting, to have so much responsibility on your shoulders. At the beginning of your admission to UA, you had wanted to be a support or rescue hero. Less being on the main field and more on the sidelines. Less weight crushing atop of you, less damage made if you failed...

"Somethin's turning in that head of yours," as you brought your gaze up to Shirakumo, he stuck out a pointer finger and tapped your forehead a couple times. "Tell me what's on your mind, I'm curious. "

Your face warmed slightly, pushing away the self doubt that momentarily distracted you. The houses continued to pass by you, one after another, and as you comprehended just how many people were to truly rely on you, your heart stirred. The feeling was sickening, so many lives that were constantly in danger. And if you make a mistake? All those lives... Gone.

You both halted as Shirakumo slung an arm around your shoulder and stopped, bringing you to a stop with him. "Something not good I'm guessing, huh?"

His expression contorted as he furrowed his eyebrows in worry, and you hurriedly waved your arms as you tried to reassure him. "Really, it's nothing! Sorry, I was just getting distracted..."

Gazing at the rows and rows of seemingly endless houses, you pushed a stand of hair behind your ear. "It's just... There's so many people that depend on us... All these people in these houses are only a small fraction, I've realized."

Quickly, Shirakumo's expression softened. "Ah, that's what's going on, isn't it?" Confused, you took your attention off the neighborhood and passed it onto him. He retracted his arm and turned to face you properly instead once you turned towards him.

"It's just like at the beginning of the year, you're getting worried again."

He might've acted oblivious and ignorant most of the time, but you knew that was just out of fun. In reality, he was an extremely smart kid. Observation was one of his key things in particular, needed especially for someone with a quirk like his. And with how well you knew him and his group, it was no surprise he was able to read you like an open book.

The ground was now where your attention was turned to, not knowing how to continue. You plucked your fingers as you mulled over how to properly phrase your thoughts.

"It's just-" You sighed, exhausted. "There's so much waiting for us... I don't know if I can handle it all, I've always been a little slower than everyone in the class-"

You yelped in surprise as Shirakumo firmly planted both his hands on your shoulders, his own shaking. You had never seen him get this worked up before, it was odd. This whole situation was new to you, as you had never dwindled on your thoughts for this long before. It was routine at this point, just to follow in the footsteps of whoever was in front of you as you ran in the back.

"Don't say that now." His voice was firm, yet a slight waver could be noticed. "It's... It's natural to feel overwhelmed, especially when the stakes are so high." Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, he looked up at you once more. "Tell me, why exactly did you want to become a hero?"

It was a question so many had asked you before. So many times that question was passed around to everyone in the hero department, it was natural to already have an automated answer. This time felt different, however. You thought a little harder about it.

"I... Want to help people." You started off unsure, yet as you continued, your voice began to get more firm. "I want to bring comfort to those who'd depend on me, just like how I felt whatever I watched heroes on TV as a kid."

You gritted your teeth hard as the memories flooded in. "It always filled me with inspiration, seeing them battle the villain and save the civilians... I always wanted to be someone to bring a smile to their face... I'm just worried I can't live up to that. "

Shirakumo's expression softened as a small smile tugged at his mouth. You were one of the main people he always looked up to throughout his time at UA, and as you spoke it only further cemented that fact.

"You have a good heart, and that's half the battle right there. Being a hero isn't just about skill or talent, it's about the drive, about having a good heart. It's about compassion and dedication. And you have all of that."

You sighed a bit. While you knew your intentions weren't the issue, it was nice to be reassured. You had the heart, and you yearned to reach your goal. But what use is a yearning heart when your skills don't match that want?

"I've heard it countless times... That even the strongest people would struggle to become a hero without the passion or drive. But," You looked up at the rising moon that began to light up the once darkened area around you. "What more is there to do when you want to catch up but you can't? I don't think I can do it, as much as I want to do it..."

Shaking his head, Shirakumo sighed. He knew you were worried at the beginning of the year, but you had progressed so incredibly much that he was in awe. So to hear that you were still struggling to see that... It felt defeating.

Yet, despite your doubts and fears, he could see the determination in your eyes. He could recognize the passion you held in your heart. And that's what made his in turn beat a little harder.

"There'll always be room for doubt, you think I wasn't afraid when I was starting out? Or anyone else for that matter? Everyone comes up to that same thought of yours... 'What if I can't?'..."

It was so odd to think about. To think of the boisterous, confident, content Shirakumo as scared. Scared and worried, just as you. Yet, it made sense. Who wouldn't be worried starting out?

He took notice of your interest and continued on. "Being a hero isn't always about being the best and the strongest, and even then those at the top still make mistakes of their own. Being a hero - it's all about standing up and doing what's right in the face of fear. That's what courage is, after all."

His eyes shimmered with passion as he spoke, everything eventually pouring straight from his heart. He needed you to know that you weren't the only one who was afraid. He needed you to know why he looked up to you so much.

His expression relaxed as he rested a hand on your shoulder once more. "Being a hero isn't a race against others, y'know. It's about you, becoming the best version of yourself."

You smiled, putting a hand atop his that rested on your shoulder. He smiled back in response, meeting your eyes. You've come so far, but your self doubt was blocking your vision from seeing how much progress you made.

"Believe me, you're progressing. You're learning, growing, every single day. "

Your expression formed into one of surprised acknowledgement. You were so stuck on focusing on what you can't, on what might happen if you can't, that you never realized just how much you could. And that in order to push past the risk of making a mistake, you'd need to do your best to train yourself on how to change your "I can't"s into "I can"s.

Your smile widened as you grabbed his hand fully now. "I see... It's all about progress, huh?" Looking up into the soft expression of his that he gave you, you felt something warm blossom inside of you. "I guess I was thinking about it in black and white, putting so much pressure on myself... I always remember you telling me I was thinking too hard about things." You teased him, causing a larger grin to form on his face as he lightly chuckled.

Shirakumo nodded approvingly, a hint of satisfaction and relief glinting in his eyes. "Exactly, that's the spirit! You're still learning, still growing. And you will mess up, and you'd probably wish you hadn't. But that's how we learn after all."

He leaned in a little closer to you, as if the two of you weren't close enough. Oddly though, neither of you were concerned about the distance this time. It felt comfortable, and warm. His gaze was steady as it focused on your eyes.

"Just remember, your worth isn't defined by your failure or your success. It's defined by who you are, by what's in here-" He took the hand that you placed on top of his and brought it down to be placed on top of where your heart was. Together, the both of you sat for a moment in silence, simply focusing on the feeling of it beating. It was the most beautiful thing to him.

"I see... Recognizing both the good and bad aspects of yourself.. recognizing that you're only human in the end. That we both are..." You looked up from where both your hands rested, a wistful, relieved expression taking hold. "I always tried following in your footsteps y'know, you've always been someone I looked forward to learning from and I suppose I was right." You lightly laughed, the sound filling the otherwise silent air around the both of you.

His eyes widened in relivation, not knowing that you looked up to him. It always seemed the opposite way to him. You were always the one with the better grades, the one who was always progressing more and more each day.

"I guess we both look up to each other then, huh?" He chuckled as he brought his hand that was intertwined with his in between the both of you. You couldn't contain the warmth that coated your cheeks once again. "Well... You care. And it shows. So thank you."

He couldn't contain the large grin from forming, and it lit up your whole world seeing him so stupidly happy. "Y'know, I'm glad we met. Out of all the different people I could've run into, I really hit the jackpot with you." You blushed a little harder and lightly hit his arm in joking with your free hand, the smile on your face giving it all away.

Suddenly, his expression began to turn a little more serious than before, and it drew your full attention. The grip he had on your hands only tightened a bit, and you were suddenly aware of the close proximity between the two of you.

"Ever since I met you, you always made me feel a little strange. I always felt a little different around you than when I was with everyone else, and I was never able to put my finger on it." His eyebrows furrowed, his mind concentrating on letting everything he was thinking pour out as naturally as he could get it.

Your heart beat a little faster, blood warming everywhere you could imagine as you began to tremble slightly.

"You're amazing, I promise! Out of everyone I met, you're the kindest, the most passionate, the smartest... " You watched as his gaze slipped off to the side, a blush tinting his face with a lopsided smile. Your face felt as though it was on fire. "What are you trying to say, Shirakumo?"

"Oboro."

You could only hum in confusion as you tilted your head a bit. His attention was back on you, clear and concise.

"Call me Oboro, okay? You're too close to me to be calling me by my family name."

You tried mustering up a bit of confidence of your own as your shakily held eye contact with him. "Well, Oboro," It felt so odd. But it was a nice odd to have the privilege given to you. "What's all this about exactly? "

He felt as though his heart was moving his body and not his brain. Grabbing your hands felt so natural to him. Holding them up, he faced you directly, so close your noses could've touched.

"You're... You're amazing. You've always been progressing so much, and you're one of the smartest in the class," He spoke so fast he had to take a moment to heave one last breath.

"Not only that, you have such a passionate heart, it's what pushes me to keep smiling whenever I feel down." He was closer now, his eyes sparkling, twinkling with some unknown joy. "It's why I've always looked up to you... It's why... Why I fell in love with you!"

Both of you sat in stunned silence for a beat, simply looking into each other's flushed faces. It was the longest couple of seconds Shirakumo ever felt in his life.

Shakily, you brought your gaze down as you did many times before. Tremors shook your body, the source being your heart nearly tearing itself from your chest. Shirakumo only stood in place, awaiting any kind of reaction.

Looking down, he saw a droplet of something hit the floor under you. Then another. And another. Quickly, he panicked and grabbed your shoulders, bringing you up to face him. "A-are you crying?! I'm sorry if I said it too fast! Don't think you have to be obligated-"

A couple tears dotted your eyes, but...

You were smiling. Smiling the most he's every seen since he'd known you.

"I'm honored to hold such a spot in your heart, Oboro." You wiped your eyes a bit, but still looked happy as you did so. "You've always been special to me as well, always lighting up my day and helping to bring me back up whenever I was at my lowest. I'm more than happy to let you know that..." You took a deep breath. "That I love you, too. "

It was a moment he'd never forget. The moonlight lit up your features perfectly, and you looked the happiest he'd ever seen you. It was perfect. And the whole time, everything felt natural, the fear that gripped his heart earlier melting away into a syrupy, sweet concoction of love and joy.

You were close. And he was too. Together, you both absentmindedly leaned into each other without much thought, eventually ending as his lips met yours. He moved one hand to place on your waist, and the other to hold your cheek as he leaned in further, desperate for more. The hand around your waist pulled you in closer as you put your own hand on his chest to grip his shirt, drawn to his warmth.

It was quiet. Quiet and comfortable as the two of you got lost in each other. You both smiled as your noses bumped into each other, with him sighing into you as if it brought him immediate relief from some unknown tension. You only had so much room to breathe though, and as Oboro wasn't showing any signs of letting up anytime soon, you took the initiative to detach yourself from him, ignoring his whine.

Both of you were left panting and flushed, new to these emotions and experiences being discovered. Yet, as you looked up at him, you could only feel... Warm. His smile was like that of the sun, as it always lit up the area it was in - no matter how dark it was.

To him, as you looked up into his eyes he felt as though he could get lost in yours. The entire time since the failed confession, he was constantly fretting over how it could've gone, as to what he could've gained or lost.

It was always a risk. But looking at you now, he was glad he took it. It was just as he told you. Sometimes one overlooks how much they have working for their benefit and instead focuses on the possible chance of loss, deciding to not take a risk that could end in their favor.

He was elated to have you by his side, and he was going to keep you smiling as much as he could. It was the least he could do, after all.

You were the newest addition to their little trio, Hizashi and Shota both breathing out a sigh of relief at the sight of their lovesick friend no longer pinning and not having been struck down. It was the best case scenario, and in the end everyone was overjoyed for him.

Although, seeing as he was the most open and boisterous in the class, it did have its ups and downs. Such as when he would drag you all over the classroom to introduce you to your own classmates as his girlfriend, or to random students down the hall, even to some teachers. It was a habit of his, showing off everything that made him excited.

Even then, his enthusiasm only seemed to grow more with your newly established relationship. You didn't think you could handle another incident of him cheering for you at the top of his lungs during training again. Being tied with Shirakumo seemed to bring all attention onto you as well, but in the end you got used to it. He meant well, and intended to keep things bright and happy.

It was what he was best at, after all. With a smile as bright as the sun itself, it was able to part even the darkest of clouds to bring his light in.

Notes:

This one was quite fun to write! Thanks again for the request! (˶ᐢωᐢ˶)

Although I'm worried about the lack of Shirakumo fans out there... (⑉ ᷄ ⌳ ᷅ )ก

I hope everyone here has a lovely day! I'm still constantly working on requests, I haven't forgotten a single one! (⑉´ᗜ`⑉)

If you like my writing or my art (or just want to be tagged for anything in general), please let me know! I'll gladly tag anyone for anything they'd like to see (✌^∀^)

Fun fact: This was my first time writing a kiss scene, please take it with a grain of salt! Aromantic author here, I don't know much about romance but I'll still gladly write it ʅ(´д｀)ʃ

Fun fact 2: If you scrolled too fast you probably didn't realize the title card I made (the one with the manga panels of Shirakumo) is a gif (︎‪︎‬︎‪︎‬︎✌︎︎ ˋ͈ ⌄ˊ͈)︎✌︎︎ ﾆﾍﾍﾍ

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