#in between customers if we don't have a list i can just fuck off to the back and play on my steamdeck lol

[corbinite]

Anyone else struck with an overwhelming sense of dissatisfaction?

#mine #personal #I'm still extremely fatigued from covid #and so i end up getting no exercise which means ibend up restless when it's time to go to bed #so I've been sleeping awful #and also I'm wondering if i need to look for a new job #it's just a mess and i keep getting promised more than is delivered #but as soon as my manager finds his new job i get a promotion #so i think I'm gonna ride it out and get a uear of experience as manager before putting that on my resume for somewhere else #it'll suck but at least be bearable #our asses aren't ridden at this job like a lot of other places will #in between customers if we don't have a list i can just fuck off to the back and play on my steamdeck lol #so i am lucky in a lot of ways #just not really compensated and we're horribly understaffed so there's no room for vacations or sick days without the store falling apart #and there's just so much pettiness from the owner and between stores #we realized recently that other stores might be faking item transfers on stuff they're under on in order to move the error to us #lile were finding items pop into our system that have been discontinued for years and just recently disappeared from another store's system #amd they definitely didn't actually have the item beforehand so that would have heen an error for them #so the error disappeared for them at the same time it appeared for us #v sus

[that-irrelevant-ricecakeaddict]

"She's a regular here..."

Drug Dealer!Seonghwa x f!reader

CW: mentions of drug dealing/usage (seonghwa smokes), drug dealers!seonghwa and hongjoong, slight fluff, !!SMUT!! (unprotected sex, pls stay safe!!!), reader n seonghwa are dating, seonghwa fucks reader in his fur coat lol , not really proofread?? Idk I tried

My first time trying to write a proper smut scene 😭😭 I hope its okay omg. Wrote this cuz @/ygswl on instagram (best ateez editor btw) brought up the concept of drug dealer! Seonghwa ARGHHHH. I wanted to write a more intense, concept-heavy smut scene but I js tried my best since I'm not familar with smut writing💔💔

Edit: Part 2 is out!!!

Part 3 is out!!!

"Fuck..." Seonghwa groaned, breathing out a puff of wispy smoke. He leaned his head back against the couch as he clocked in the sight of jumbled notes on his mahogany wood coffee table. Orders from customers. Usually, he would've been able to keep up with them, no problem. But there had recently been a huge surge of calls, requesting for the new, trending drug: ARRIBA. And as part of the most reputable dealers in the area, MATZ, he was well-expected to have the best supply. He irritably grinded his teeth together, pre-installed Grillz provided a light, screeching noise.

Taking another drag from his rolled cigarette, his ears perked up at the sound of the door opening. "Hwa, what are you doing?" Seonghwa's business partner, Kim Hongjoong, walked into the shabby makeshift office. Seonghwa didn't reply, merely staring blankly at the ceiling as he absentmindedly played with the blunt in his fingers. Meanwhile, Hongjoong's eyes lingered on the stack of order forms, and he gave a stern look to his tattooed counterpart. "I asked you a question, Park Seonghwa." "What? I'm fucking exhausted from taking calls and names. I've been at it since 11, give me a break." He jerked his head towards a wall clock behind him. A quarter past 3pm.

It had always been this way with the duo. Ever since they started their underground business as barely legal adults, Hongjoong dealt with supplies, and Seonghwa would deal with the customers and their orders. 2 young men in struggling financial situations, who were desperate to make ends meet, starting a drug-dealing business together, it worked out strangely well. This also, despite their constant bickering, formed a strong bond between the two.

Hongjoong rolled his eyes at the response. "Whatever, sure." He tilted his head, eyes settling on the faux fur coat that rested on a chair beside the couch. "Is that new?" "Yeah... I picked it up after getting the payment for that huge order earlier this week." "Ohh, the order for that college frat party?" Seonghwa nodded silently in response, his eyes beginning to glaze over. "Anyways, Yunho says we can expect restock within the next week. ARRIBA's selling out fast, but we can finish these orders right away once the new shipment arrives." Hongjoong rattled off an imaginary list, giving a reassuring pat on the shoulder to his partner. Seonghwa was unresponsive, clearly stressed out from the recent increase in workload, but Hongjoong knew he was listening. Although, that didn't stop him from doing what he was about to do. "You shouldn't keep using this, by the way. It's reaaaally bad for you." With that, he leaned forward and snatched the smoking blunt from his partner's fingers.

Seonghwa hastily whipped his head around, sighing internally at Hongjoong's classic shit-eating grin. He furrowed his eyebrows at the realisation that he had given the man the satisfaction of getting a reaction. "I'm stressed, man. Gotta relax somehow." "I don't think you'll need your weed when your favourite 'regular' is here, though." Hongjoong tilted his head towards the office door, calling out in a singsong voice. "Y/N, you can come in now~"

The mention of your name caused Seonghwa's eyes to immediately light up. He scrambled to snatch the cigarette back from Hongjoong, and quickly crushed it with his heel.

Just a quiet, veterinary student that he had met in a cafe 3 years ago, Seonghwa had adored you from the very beginning. You were the cashier taking his order, nervous on your first day, and fumbling a little with the cash register's buttons. Seonghwa had found your clumsy nature both alluring and endearing, and he had asked you out on a date right away. The two of you had hit it off, and a beautiful relationship bloomed from then on. Even when you found out Seonghwa's line of work, you understood his situation and never judged him for it. It didn't make you love him any less. He would often spoil you with gifts and spend as much time as possible with you. Your college classes and his odd working hours would clash often, but you still found time to drop by his office to visit him. After all, it was quite easy to locate your drug dealer boyfriend. He mostly stayed in his office, only occasionally going out with Hongjoong when they had a large shipment coming in or a customer that wanted to deal in-person. Thus the nickname that Hongjoong gave to you: Seonghwa's Favourite 'Regular'. Despite your support for his business, Seonghwa still hated doing or dealing drugs around you, especially cigarettes. It was part of his line of work, and he was used to it, but he would always quickly put out a blunt or stash away powdery white packets when you visited.

"Seonghwa~ I'm here to visit you! My class today was cancelled, so my afternoon is free," you hummed as you walked into the room in your red checkered pants and (Seonghwa's) oversized hoodie. You offered a smile to Hongjoong, who was already on his way out to give you two some privacy. He winked at Seonghwa just before he walked out the doorway, shutting the door behind him.

Seonghwa's gaze softened as you crashed onto his form on the couch, snuggling into his exposed collarbone. "I missed you..." "I missed you too, sweetheart... you've been so busy with classes lately, I haven't seen you for a full week. Do you even love me anymore?" He sighed dramatically, earning a muffled laugh from you. "My finals are coming up, Hwa. Been rushing my deadlines and finishing up on revision. I gotta do this to earn my veterinary certification, hm?" "Well, anytime you wanna quit your course and live with me 24/7, I'll take care of you. Nothing would make me happier to, actually. MATZ has been doing so well recently." He puffed up his chest. You found it cute whenever he was protective like this. "Okay, Hwa. I'll keep you posted." The two of you settled into comfortable silence.

The quietness and stillness in the air suddenly made him very aware of your movements. He raised his eyebrows when he realised you were being touchier than usual. Your hands were roaming his shoulders, tracing circles over his neck tattoo and gold chains that sat above his unbuttoned collar. The occasional shift of your hips didn't go unnoticed by the tattooed man, either. Seonghwa experimentally slid a veiny hand under your hoodie, blushing when he felt your bare back, marking the absence of a bra strap.

"Sweetheart, are you-"

"Mhm... needy for you, Hwa."

"Oh-- we're in my office now, though, Hongjoong could hear us..."

"Wouldn't you like that?"

Seonghwa's face heated up at the thought of his partner overhearing the two of you. The possibility someone else, especially his best friend/business partner, hearing the two of you fucking in his office turned him on. A lot.

His shy expression quickly changed to a dominant, cockier one. Quickly pinning you onto the couch, he connected his lips to yours in a passionate kiss. He tasted like smoke and the cherry lip gloss you had bought him a month ago, and you loved it. You wrapped your arms around his neck, effectively hoisting yourself up, before pulling away from his lips to kiss and lick at the tattoo scrawled across his neck. Seonghwa groaned at the feeling, his eyes glazing over and landing on his fluffy, new fur coat that was draped on the nearby chair. A devious idea popped into his head.

"Sweetheart, wait... I wanna do something." You stopped sucking at the 'A' on his neck and tilted your head curiously at him. He tugged at the hem of your hoodie, his eye contact with you searching for consent. You let him, of course. You trusted him. He lifted off your hoodie right away, sucking in a breath at the sight of your bare torso. "My pretty girl," he sighed, making you flush a bright red hue. Seonghwa leaned forward to leave a kiss on your breasts and gestured you to take off your pants, before getting off the couch, seemingly to get something. You sat confused, naked except for your dark blue panties, until you saw him grab the fur coat on the chair beside the couch.

The faux fur brushed against your skin as Seonghwa helped you put it on. It was huge, heavy and fluffy, covering everything yet nothing on your bare figure. He stepped back to take you in, a guttural moan leaving his throat at the sight of you naked form practically drowning underneath the fluffy mass of fabric. You, on the other hand, were aching for his touch. A whole week of being apart from your lover, deprived of his love, his intimacy, deprived of him. He noticed your pouty lips and squirming, and chuckled teasingly.

"Can't wait, sweetheart?"

You were about to nod in response, but was cut off when you felt a long finger being pressed against your moist folds. A whiny gasp slipped out of your mouth, and your hands scrambled to find support on Seonghwa's strong forearms. He smiled as he lightly rubbed circles on your clit through the thin fabric of your panties, your whines sounding like music to his chain-adorned ears. "Hwa...hurry, I want your dick in me already," you panted out. Seonghwa scoffed teasingly at your impatient tone. "Patience, sweetheart, I need to prep you first."

His expert fingers tugged aside the fabric covering your pussy, exposing yourself to him fully. Two fingers were pushed into your aching hole, causing you to arch your back at the feeling. Breathless moans filled the room as he curled and thrusted his fingers into you at a torturously slow pace. He knew you were sensitive, and it was driving you crazy how slow he was going.

"H-Hwa..."

"Shhh, I know."

The building knot in your tummy snapped, and you came undone on your lover's long fingers. But just as you began to catch your breath, Seonghwa leaned down to lick up your juices. The cold metal of his grillz shot through your core, drawing out a high-pitched cry from you.

Blinking back tears from the overstimulation, you glanced down at your boyfriend. He was sitting comfortably between your legs, lips and grillz teeth shiny with your arousal, mouth spread in a loving grin as if he didn't just finger-fuck you to an orgasm.

He got up and kissed a tear rolling down your cheek. "I'm sorry, baby, I just had to tease you a little. I'll give you what you want now." Seonghwa picked you up and shifted you to a more comfortable spot on the couch, the heavy coat's fur swishing quietly as he did so. You shivered as the fur brushed against your nipples, perky from being exposed to the surrounding air.

There was a light clunk of a belt buckle, followed by a zipping noise, before Seonghwa finally pressed his pretty cock against your bare stomach, earning a sigh of relief from you. You licked your lips at the sight of his flushed, hard member. "Did you miss me or did you miss my dick?" Seonghwa raised an eyebrow when you stared for a little too long. You whined back, and he sighed in defeat before pressing his cock into your entrance, already wet and lubricated from him fingering you open earlier.

"F-fuck! So warm..." Seonghwa hissed as his cock sank into you. You cried out, reaching out to bury your face into his neck when he started to thrust in and out of you. Sloppy slaps of skin, whiny moans, curses and the occasional swish of faux fur against leather filled the room as Seonghwa fucked you into the couch. The air reeked of hot sex and cigarette smoke, but neither of you minded. He gazed lovingly at you through his lashes, admiring how you looked in his fur coat, with his dick in you. The possessiveness that you two had for each other always made him hard whenever it showed.

He winced when you clenched on him particularly hard. "Oh s-shit- you like my cock? You like your drug dealer boyfriend's cock?" You nodded hastily, drool beginning to form on the side of your lips. Seonghwa smirked, but was barely keeping his composure at the sight of you so cock-drunk. He pulled you in with his free hand for a kiss, heavy metal rings on his fingers squishing your face and making your breath hitch involuntarily. The lingering taste of tobacco on his lips made you moan, eyes glazing over from pleasure as his tongue pushed past your lips to invade your mouth.

It wasn't long before both of you came undone. You sighed breathily as your second orgasm formed a ring of white liquid around Seonghwa's dick, and he quickly pulled out to cum onto your bare stomach. Still panting from his orgasm, he gathered some of his fluids onto his fingers, and stuffed your mouth with them. You hummed appreciatively in response, suckling his fingers clean as he admired your flushed, fucked-out expression.

♡♡♡

"Yah, I was only out for awhile! What did you guys do??" Hongjoong snickered an hour later as he waltzed into the room and over to the couch. He quickly clamped a hand over his mouth when Seonghwa shot a stern look at him, index finger pressed to his lips as if to say "shut the fuck up you big-mouthed minion". His other hand was wrapped around your sleeping figure, still naked but bundled up in his fur coat and shielded from Hongjoong's eyes.

Hongjoong raised his hands, exaggeratingly mouthing a "sorry!" that his best friend scoffed quietly at. Seonghwa rolled his eyes and returned his gaze back to you. His heart warmed at the peaceful look you had in your sleep, but his dick stirred at the sight of you covered by nothing but his oversized fur coat. Needless to say, he was definitely giving you a round 2 once you woke up.

If you've managed to read this far, thank you so much for reading my fanfic! 🙏 I hope you enjoyed it 😭

#ateez #ateez smut #ateez x reader #ateez x you #ateez x yn #seonghwa #park seonghwa #seonghwa smut #seonghwa ateez #seonghwa x reader #seonghwa x y/n #ateez fanfic #ateez fic #atz x reader #atz smut #atz fanfic #atz seonghwa

[sophsbookstore]

Sims Stream

Lando Norris x reader ｡･:*˚:✧｡

Word Count: 1,354

“So, what do you want to do today?” a shirtless Lando said, coming up and hugging me from behind as I make us breakfast.

I turn around, giving him a quick yet passionate kiss before turning back around, just finishing preparing a fruit salad for the both of us, his head nessling between mine and my shoulder, his arms wrapping around my waist.

“Your day off has barely started and you're already bored huh?” I laugh, a smile creeping onto his lips.

“I already trained, did simulator practice, took a nap, and now I want to hang out with you my love.” He squeezes me tighter as I nestle into him.

“Well I was going to stream sims today.” I make my final cut, mixing all the fruit together before putting some in a nearby bowl and handing it to Lando. He gives me a thank you, before turning to lean against the kitchen counter, now facing me.

“I could join you.” he states, scarfing down the fruit, taking a few pieces of fruit from my bowl as well.

“We cant join games” I frown, wishing he could stream with me today.

“I know, you always watch me play video games, I wanna watch you play something you really like doing” he smiles, placing both his and my empty bowls in the sink, wrapping up the leftovers and placing them in the fridge.

I take his hand in mine, leading him to my office/game room. I pull up a chair for him, placing a pillow on the seat as well as the back of the back of the chair for comfort. As I get settled, He takes the armrest of my chair, pulling it closer to him. I drape a blanket over both our legs and start the stream, the sims loading screen shining bright in the backlit room.

As we start talking both to one another and the stream chat, more and more people start joining, freaking out at the sight of Lando and I streaming together for the first time. Chat being so used to just hearing Lando, and never seeing him. Lando starts talking to chat, telling them how excited he is to play with me.

Soon the game fully loads, I choose to start a new game, not wanting to ruin any of the storylines I have going with my other sims lore. “Why don't you make us? We can live out our lives through the sims” Lando asks. Chat, all Lando fans, loving his idea and agreeing immediately.

Embarrassed, I go to my library and select the premade Lando I had made just a few months back on another stream. “Already did.” I blush with embarrassment, he turns to me with a big grin on his face, getting closer to the monitor screen to observe his custom made sim.

“You did so good love, thank you for making me look so handsome” he says leaning closer to me, giving me a forehead kiss. As he gets closer, he moves his hand from his lap to start squeezing my thigh. I lean into his body, moving the armrest out of the way, holding his arm that's squeezing my leg. Chat absolutely loses it at the interaction, spamming mom and dad in the chat.

Once we make some adjustments to our sims outfits we start the game, going into a random starter house, customizing the interior to our liking with what little funds we have, and finding jobs for our respective sims. “Can I be an F1 driver here?” he questions.

“No, but you can be an athlete” he makes a sad face, not getting what he wanted. “The good thing is, there's a lot of job options in the game” this perks him up. I continue to scroll though the list, showing and describing all the jobs to Lando.

“WAIT WAIT WAIT I CAN BE A SECRET AGENT” he practically screams. “Why didn't you tell me, that's way cooler.” 

Lando picks the job of secret agent, I settle with the streamer career, wanting my sim to be as accurate as possible. 

“Can you fuck in the sims?” Lanod says out of nowhere. I playfully smack him on the shoulder.

“Lando there's kids watching, also our sims aren't even dating yet, they are just roommates.”

“How come sim Lando hasn't asked out sim Y/N yet?”

“Maybe he's too scared, sim Y/N is way too hot for sim Lando” I shrug, Lando giving me a side eye. “Dont side eye me, I said what I said, chat did I lie?” chat clearly siding with me.

“Tell sim Lando to ask out sim Y/N, we have to date her before anyone else tries to steal my girl” Blushing, I click on my sim, making Lando's in game alter ego flirt with her.

Soon, my sim walks away from Lando's, moving away to talk to another nearby towns person. Lando watches in disbelief as my sim, against my control, starts talking to another man. “WHAT THE HELL” he stares at the screen, sitting up a little more. Chat going absolutely insane, clipping the moment to probably use for another couples compilation.

“I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING, SHE DID THAT ALL ON HER OWN” I argued back. Lando takes the controls, choosing my character and moving her away from the random sim man, to go back to talking to him.

“How do I kill someone in the sims?” he questions, going to the settings and looking around for a kill button.

“You can't, I dont have the mod.” I laugh, holding my stomach with laughter, pulling him away from the screen, to go back to cuddling me.

“Can we download it? I want him dead, he tried to take my girl” lando pouts.

We continued the game, Lando and I switching off the controls whenever we wanted our charters to do something. Soon enough, Sim Lando and Sim Y/N start dating. Lando and I both chanted “kiss, kiss, kiss” when they shared their first kiss with one another.

“Does this mean that we can fuck now” Lando turns to me waiting for my approval.

I sigh, a smile forming on my lips. “Yes lando, they can now.” he cheers, taking the mouse and clicking on the bed, happily selecting the woohoo button.

I take the mouse back from him, moving the game to show a different room. “I don't want to show it on stream, it's an invasion of privacy '' I look at him sternly, he silently nods in agreement.

We wait a couple more seconds, talking to chat about anything that comes to mind until finally seeing the notification that they are done. Lando grabs the mouse before I can, clicking on my sims and taking her to the bathroom. “Lando, what are you doing?” I ask confused.

“I wanna see if Sim Y/N is pregnant.” 

“LANDO WHAT!” I shout taking the mouse back from him instantly. We’re both waiting anxiously (for different reasons) for the notification of sim Y/N’s status. I let out a sigh of relief when she's not.

Lando slumps back in his chair. “Lando what were you thinking? They've only been dating for a day! It's far too soon for them to have a baby! They barely have any money, no space, do you need me to go on?” I lecture him, moving the controls slightly away from him so he cant make anymore rash decisions.

“I just wanted to see what a little us would look like” he said sadly, it breaks my heart, chat spamming awww’s in the chat. “I know it's too soon, I just got excited.”

“Lando it's ok, how about the next stream, we MAYBE have them try?” this perks him up.

“Really! You mean it? Everyone spam baby names in the chat, we’ll use the best one.'' Lando starts talking to the chat about how excited he is for the next stream, and virtual fatherhood.

As I watch Lando go on and on about this potential sim baby, I can't help but get excited for the day it happens in real life.

#lando norris #lando norris x reader #lando norris x y/n #lando norris imagine #Lando Norris x streamer!reader #lando norris x you #lando norris x twitch!reader #lando norris one shot

[jennay]

Livestream

Noah Sebastian x Reader

Request: would love a fluffy best friends that totally have loved each other but are scared to admit, maybe do something like if he still streamed. I wish he still did occasionally. 😭♥️♥️

An: this had a little more angst then what I originally planned. Lol but I hope you all enjoy it! I'm living for the Noah requests. 🥰

Also as you can tell I know nothing about twitch. 😂

Noah master list

Warnings: cursing and angst…mostly fluff.

Words: about 2600

You perk up as you hear the door open and close, breaking the silence of the empty bar. You've been waiting for some customers to show up, hoping to make some decent tips today. You smile as you recognize the familiar faces of Noah and Nicholas.

You grab two glasses and greet them warmly. "My favorite customers! What can I get you?" You ask.

Nicholas hops on the stool next to Noah and scans the deserted place. "How's it going?" He says. "Where's the party at?"

You shrug and hand him a beer. "Covid, Nick… it's hard to get people out these days."

You glance at Noah, who is browsing the canned drinks. His long, dark hair frames his handsome face. You can't help but admire how cute he is, even though you would never tell him that. You and Noah have a platonic friendship, but it's not like any other. You have feelings for him, but you don't want to ruin what you have. You enjoy spending time with him, watching movies, playing games, and teasing him on his live streams. He took a while to figure out that you were the one leaving funny comments on his videos. He cracked up when he realized it was you, especially when you were doing it from his own bedroom.

Sometimes, you would catch him looking puzzled at the screen, wondering who was messing with him. "Who the fuck is this?" He would say, reading one of your messages. "They think they're hilarious."

"Hi sunshine, what are you in the mood for? Beer, white claw, mix drink?"

Noah tucks his hair behind his ears and points at a blackberry-white claw. "That sounds good. Can I have one of those?"

You nod and grab the can from the cooler. You pop it open and slide it over to him.

Conversing with them as you lean on the counter. "So, what's up with you guys today? Any big plans for the night?" You ask.

Noah sighs and takes a sip of his drink. "We just needed a break from the house. It's driving me crazy being stuck in there all the time." He says. "And we wanted to see our favorite bartender, of course!"

"I thought you were working on the album?"

Nicholas nods and rolls his eyes. "Yeah, but then Jolly got into an argument with Noah. We had to pause."

You laugh and raise your eyebrow. You're not surprised that Noah was the problem. He may seem calm and quiet, but he's also a perfectionist who wants to do everything over and over again.

"Noah." You scold. "You're such a drama queen!"

He puts his drink down and leans forward, clasping his hands together as if he's about to confess something. But instead, he whispers, "Fuck off."

You giggle at his remark, rolling your eyes at him. "You're a man-child."

"And you love it." He teases. "Are you coming over after your shift?"

"Maybe."

Nicholas laughs as he watches you lean closer to Noah, pretending to be angry at him. You narrow your eyes and say, "I don't even like you."

Noah gasps and clutches his chest, acting hurt. "Fucking liar!" He exclaims. "You adore me!"

You lean back, crossing your arms over your chest. "What's in it for me?"

Nicholas stands, sneering, tired of the bickering between you and Noah, "I'm gonna use the pisser. Watch my drink, make sure Noah doesn't drug me."

"So," Noah says, smacking his hands on the counter jokingly, "Are you going to?" He asks eagerly, flashing his perfect white teeth in a hopeful smile. He leans closer to you, his dark eyes sparkling with mischief.

"I can't." You bite your bottom lip. "Why do you want me to come over so bad anyway? That's the second time you've asked."

"Nothing." He laughs, "Sometimes I like your company when I stream. The crowd that gets on likes you."

"Probably because I'm amazing." You joke.

Noah takes a sip of his drink, watching you intently as you pick up some glasses to clean.

He sets his can down, "Probably." He agrees quietly but with a hint of seriousness in his tone.

"Hmm?" You question, not hearing him.

"Oh, I just said unlikely." He lies, smirking at you.

You set the glass down and glare at him, "Sometimes I wonder why I hang out with you. You're pretty mean." You know Noah is teasing you, but sometimes you wonder if that's what he really thinks of you.

"You're sensitive as fuck today." His brow raises, but he doesn't ask why you might be feeling that way.

"Maybe you're being an asshole?"

When Nicholas arrives back at the bar, he can sense the tension between you. "What'd you pick a fight with (y/n) too?" His brown eyes look from you to Noah and to his drink. He quickly drinks the rest of it, glaring at Noah for whatever he did to annoy you. "C'mon. Don't be a dick. Let's get out of here." He flashes you a quick smile. "See ya later, (y/n)."

Noah smiles at you again, "Come over!" He doesn't wait for you to respond. He leaves you behind, waving as he exits.

You didn't go to Noah's house after work. Instead, you went home, made dinner, and cozied on the couch to watch a movie with your dog. You didn't bother texting him; his words had stung. You'd been a loyal friend to him for years, but he didn't seem to appreciate it.

Sometimes, it felt like you were a burden to him or a toy for his amusement. He treated you differently when his friends were around.

When you were alone, however, it was a different story. He was sweet and kind; Noah showered you affectionately, making your heart flutter. But as soon as one of his buddies showed up, he changed. He teased you mercilessly and acted like you were one of the guys. You hated it; you weren't one of the guys. You were a girl who had feelings for him.

Feelings that you wished would disappear, but they didn't. They clung to you like a shadow, haunting you every day. You hoped that maybe one day he would see you as more than a friend, but right now wasn't the right time.

You were just (y/n), his best friend who secretly loved him but would die before admitting it.

An idea clicked in your head; you knew he was streaming tonight. You run to your room, get your laptop, and plop back on the couch, ensuring not to squish your golden retriever, whose mighty perked up over your quick actions.

You're feeling mischievous today. You log into Twitch with a different username and no camera, ready to mess with Noah.

You find his invite and click on it, eager to see his reaction. He's live, looking handsome as ever in his glasses, sweater, and cat ear headphones. His long hair falls over his shoulders as he reads the chat. You pause for a moment, wondering if this is a good idea. But curiosity gets the better of you. You want to know what he says when he thinks you're not listening.

He answers a question from a fan, "Where's (Y/n)?" He shrugs and sips his drink, "I don't know. I think I pissed her off, so she's not joining me tonight. Maybe she'll show up later." He adjusts his glasses and reads another question, "I had a surprise for you guys tonight, but (Y/n) 's not here so no surprise."

You raise an eyebrow and type a question, "Maybe you should be nicer to her." You hit enter and bite your lip, waiting for him to notice. His eyes widen as he reads your message.

"Nicer to her!?" He exclaims, incredulous. "I'm always nice to her. She's one of my best friends." He looks at your username and frowns, "Who are you anyway?"

You smirk and reply, "You weren't very nice at the bar today."

He grins, realizing it's you, "Why are you hiding behind a fake account?"

You mute the movie playing in the background of your living room, amused by his reaction. You decide to play along. "I didn't know how mean I wanted to be. Maybe treat you how you treat me sometimes."

"You didn't even listen to what I said!" He rolls his eyes and laughs sarcastically, "If you're going to do this, you might as well show your pretty face." He challenges you. He glances at his follower count, which is rising rapidly. People love drama, and he knows it. He usually doesn't get this personal on a livestream, but he has some things he wants to say. "Besides, you started it when you said you didn't even like me!"

You scowl at the screen, annoyed by his words. How dare he act innocent? "I have to keep up with your assholeness!" You type back.

He shakes his head and sends you a link to join him on the stream. "You're not fooling anyone anymore. Just join me already."

You sigh, feeling the pressure. You switch to your main account and click the link he sent you. You allow your camera to turn on, and soon enough, your face appears next to his on the screen.

"Happy now?" You ask with more attitude than you intended.

He nods, smiling at the screen. "There you are."

You lean forward, resting your chin on your hands, "What do you want Noah? I don't really feel like talking to you right now."

He looks at you seriously, "Well, I wanted to talk to you about something important. Something I've been meaning to tell you for a long time."

You raise an eyebrow, curious and suspicious. "What?"

He takes a deep breath and says, "I don't want to be your friend anymore." He pauses, feeling nervous.

You instantly feel a gut-wrenching sickness in your stomach, "Fuck you!"

"Wait! Let me finish!" He quickly says. "I like you more than a friend. I've liked you since the day we met, and I've been trying to show you how I feel, but I guess I'm not very good at it and I get scared and I fuck up and then I tease you thinking it's flirting, but it's not working cause it's been four years, and you still haven't caught on, and I'm sorry if I ever hurt you or made you angry. That's never my intention. I just wanted to make you laugh and smile and be happy. I haven't said it directly because I was afraid to lose you, but now I feel like I'm losing you because I won't fucking say it."

You blink, stunned by his words. You don't know what to say or how to react. You look at the chat, which is going wild with comments and emojis. Some are cheering for him, teasing him, and shipping you two.

You realize that he just confessed his feelings for you to thousands of people. You look back at him, searching his eyes for any sign of a joke or a prank. But he seems sincere and nervous, waiting for your response.

You feel your heart beating faster and your face heating up. You wonder if he can hear it through the microphone. You open your mouth, but no words come out. You're speechless.

"God, dammit, Noah. I'm facetiming you. Get off your live."

You're nervous and excited as you sit beside Noah on his Twitch stream. It's been a week since he confessed his feelings for you. You've decided to go public with your relationship, and you're ready to face his fans' reactions.

You sway back and forth in your chair, waiting for the screen to load. Noah rests his hand on your leg, giving you a gentle squeeze. "You OK?" He asks, looking at you with concern.

You nod your head, smiling at him. "Yeah. I'm good. Are you sure you want to tell everyone now?" You ask, feeling a bit nervous.

He nods, grinning at you. "It's been a week. I think they've waited long enough." He says, referring to the cliffhanger he left on his last stream.

He pulls you closer to him and kisses your cheek. You giggle and lean on his shoulder, feeling his warmth and heartbeat.

The computer dings, and the chat has started. You pull your head back from Noah's tattooed arm and sit straight, ready to face the camera. Hundreds of messages pop up on the screen, asking about you and Noah, wondering if you're together or not.

Noah looks at you with a reassuring smile and wraps his arm around your waist. He leans in and whispers in your ear, "Ready to do this, babe?" He calls you by the nickname he gave you when you started dating. You feel affection for him and nod, blushing. He kisses your forehead and turns to the camera, greeting his fans.

"Hey guys, welcome! I hope you're all doing well. As you can see, I have a special guest with me today." He says, gesturing to you. "My now girlfriend." He announces proudly, making your heart skip a beat. He looks at you with love in his eyes and smiles. "Say hi, babe."

You wave at the camera and say hi, feeling shy but happy. You see the chat explode with comments, some congratulating you two, some expressing shock or disbelief, some asking questions or making jokes.

You feel overwhelmed by the attention, but Noah holds you tight and makes you feel safe. He answers some of the questions from the fans, what he likes about you, what you love about him.

Noah tells them about the surprise he had planned for them on the night he confessed his feelings for you: He was going to sing a song for you on the stream, which he wrote for you. He says he still wants to do it if you don't mind.

You nod, feeling touched by his gesture. He smiles and kisses your nose, making you giggle. He grabs his guitar from behind him and strums a few chords.

Clearing his throat, he starts singing about how much you mean to him and how happy you make him. Some other sappy things that you weren't expecting from him.

He looks at you as he sings, making eye contact every few seconds. You feel tears as you listen to his beautiful voice and heartfelt lyrics.

You smile and mouth, "I love you."

He smiles back and mouths, "I love you too." He finishes the song and puts down his guitar. He wraps his arms around you and hugs you tightly, kissing your cheek. He turns to the camera and says goodbye to his fans, thanking them for their support and kind words.

He says he'll see them next time, but he wants to spend some time with his girlfriend. Noah winks at the camera and ends the stream.

He turns off the computer and looks at you with a sweet expression. "How was that?"

"That was amazing." You say sincerely, holding your hands to your heart nearly melting.

"I'm glad you liked it."

You snuggle into his chest and sigh contentedly, throwing your legs over his lap. You gently grab the sides of his face and kiss him, feeling like you're living your best dream. "It was perfect."

#noahsebastian #noah sebastian bad omens #noah sebastian fanfiction #noah sebastian #noah sebastian x y/n #noah sebastian x reader #noah Sebastian x you #bad omens fanfiction #bad omens #bad omens band #bad omens cult

[shaarlslec]

The “I can see that you are lonely, and I don’t know how to fix that.” Prompt with Charles pls

don't tell me to write charles only if you want long-ass drabbles, i cannot help myself; thank you so much for your request, let me know if you liked it; prompt list and masterlist here;

safety nets

short summary: in which you break-up with your boyfriend and charles tries to help in the aftermath;

words: 5658 & warnings: angst, depression, alcohol, arguing with charles;

The last couple of months have not treated you great – not even a bit, not even at all.

You broke up with your boyfriend of three years at the beginning of the year and tried to cope with living alone ever since in the apartment you two once shared for most of your relationship as you took the risky decision of moving in together three months into your relationship claiming that you were nothing but madly in love with the dude.

Wrong, you were so wrong. “In love” was not exactly what you were back then, infatuated with the hopes of what is about to come in an unrealistic scenario that you played in the back of your head, yes.

And yet, who does not have a screwed-up story about a relationship up the age of twenty-five?

Moving too fast together and thinking that you were the one to change the man’s toxic behaviors was yours. Now, you had to cope with your learnings that people do not change just because you put in the efforts to help them to do so, and that being madly infatuated with the idea of love was not as great as it has first seemed to you. 

Moving back with your parents was not one of the options afterwards, as you were trying for the last five years to show them that you can be your independent little self without having to depend on their wealth and connections.

After the break-up you have tried to switch the narrative and to focus on your work instead of malicious habits, but working non-stop in the sales world in such a place as Monaco took a tool on you fast, and without you even noticing that all you were doing were meeting after meetings after meetings with pretentious customers that wanted the best real-estate assets with little money just to keep their names well-known and well-renowned, your mental state became heavily affected by the higher ambitions you had and all the pressure on your shoulders.  

In between trying to make a name for yourself in the industry, keeping your mental and physical state in check as tight as you managed, being as out-going as you were once when your boyfriend played music in the clubs you two enjoyed spending countless nights at, you slowly yet surely lost your spark as the bubbly-loving-warm daughter, friend and lover that everyone around you knew and admired for her free-spirited personality.

Your laughs were all faked, your giggles barely heard within your group of friends, and your enthusiasm for life taken away by the fact that you found yourself in a place you were not yet so familiar with – utter and complete loneliness. 

“I am fine, guys.” You nervously lied once one of your friends popped the question that you had heard all year being addressed to you, brushing the soft air of autumn with one of your hands that held a cigarette in between your fingers as you were taking a break outside the club during one of your “drinking until I pass out” weekends. 

Those happened a lot lately as your newfound mechanism of coping after months of pretending to be fine in front of everyone, considering that alcohol at least made you funny to be around people – trying to get back at least one thing about you that you loved.  

“You are sure, Y/N?” They continued, showing you the same worried eyes that you got from everybody lately and that you despised from without your soul, “Take it easy with the drinks, we barely arrived here.” They emphasized, pointing to the half-empty gin and tonic that you held in your other already shaky hand. 

Oh, fuck off and let me be, you would have wanted to shout straight into their worried little blurred faces. 

You were fine, completely fine. That was what you kept telling yourself not to go insane every single time when you watched the mirror and saw a completely far different person that the one you were during the same period last year when two shots would have been enough for you to get you tipsy and ready for bed in the arms of a man you thought was loving you back as much as you loved him.

Instead of letting your outrage shine bright, you just laughed it off with a silly huff as you threw the cigarette’s butt in the ashtray with a loud hit, “Come on, let’s go back in.” You added, already on your way to the door and down to the bar to get you another gin and tonic. 

Your friends stood perplexed for a short while behind you, watching you getting through the crowd of people drunkenly so on your already stumbled feet, “Charles is back for good in three weeks, he will know what to do with that. That is if they met.” One of them told to the group in a soft tone, grabbing one of your shoulders not to accidentally spill your drink on one random stranger that was questionably looking at you, “Let’s get her home for now, I will let Charles know that the situation has not improved since the last time he asked about Y/N, Charles will not be happy about it.” They uttered to each other in mumbles for the words not to reach your ears, pulling you closer to the group amid your loud rejections of not wanting to go home so early in the night. 

Your friends meant well – they really did, letting aside the critiques of your new-found drinking improved game. Besides your parents that you visited once or twice every other month since your break-up, they were your safety net in the absence of Charles.

No one was able to save you from your own personal hell that you have created, and no one was willing to go through the pits of that hell as much as Charles has done in the beginning of all that was happening with you, even though the man was not obliged to do so.

And yet, being your closest friend that knew you the best amongst the bunch – Charles took that duty upon himself and was not going to give up that easily no matter how much you resisted him. Your own personal safety net, always there to catch you.

That was what Charles has been to you since a long time ago, and what you liked to think you were for Charles too. Not just friends like you were all friends within the same group, but something much more than that. You knew him since you were children, your parents living nearby and always organizing brunches together and some other pretentious neighborhood events such as shiny parties, charities and all that jazz that all adults around you liked to attend to keep their network busy and growing while you were playing hide-and-seek with the Leclerc brothers. 

At some point during high school years after your last serious hide-and-seek game, the parties had stopped and yet you and Charles were already tightly bonded for your meetings outside your houses to stop. You watched yourselves grow together being that much of a constant presence into the other’s life. Even when Charles got severe about the whole racing thing, and he was gone most of the times away from home, weekly calls were still on the table, and attending his races became a tradition as well as him attending most of your important life events such as graduation from college, getting your first pay-check, and getting your heart broken for the very first time – although Charles would have preferred to not be a witness to all the pain it caused you, troubling your mind in such a way that you even fought with Charles due to that. 

Right after Charles found out that your boyfriend moved for good from your apartment, the man tried anything within his efforts to keep your mind busy with anything else but not the break-up. Charles was rarely home still as the season begun, but every single time he came back even for two or three days, Charles went out of his ways to plan something for you two to do with or without your other friends.

Movies, plays, camping, road-trips, finishing, laser-tag, dinners, breakfasts – Charles done everything for you to light up a little and to not feel empty and alone all the time. For most of the times, Charles succeeded at first. At least, that was what your best friend thought.

You were faking your smiles in front of Charles to as you did with many of the people back then, trying to enjoy the time you knew your friend planned just for the sake of his own good rather than yours – upsetting Charles was the last thing you wanted to do, yet another person about whom you cared and loved deeply pushed by your behavior was the last thing you intended. You went to whatever Charles booked you tickets for and attended all the mentioned above goings, trying not to upset Charles by not appreciating the man’s efforts, wanting to keep him close. 

That was until the boiling point.

You needed time to get over what was happening and to clear your head on your own pace, and although being around Charles managed to ease the pain – you wanted nothing else right after the break-up rather than to be alone in a caged mind full of what you could have done differently, while Charles’ intentions were to break you completely out of that. 

“You know what you are to Y/N, Charles?” One of your friends was brave and drunk enough once to ask him as they noticed the Monegasque glaring at you across the campfire during one of the times in which Charles booked an entire cabin somewhere far away from the city to get you spending time with your closest friends instead of locking yourself in your apartment as you often did when Charles was away racing, hopping that you will show up at one of his races this season – always having a pass ready for you.  

Without taking his eyes out of you, Charles huffed a short “What exactly?”

“The boyfriend without the rewards.” They spoke, clicking yet another glass of liquor with Charles who now turned to look at his friend with an ironic side-eye, “Don’t look at me like that, man.” They loudly panted back before placing their lips on the edges of the glass and then pulled Charles close to him by one of his shoulders so they can make sure that you and your other friends next to them gathered around the fire were not hearing what it was spoken, “Everyone here knows that it is true – even you two.” They added with a short sigh and an arched eyebrow that questioned Charles on what he was going to do about that.  

“Oh, shut up, asshole.” Charles commented while visibly rolling his eyes even in the dim light of the windy spring summer you were having aside of the cabin, “She just broke up with that dick of a boyfriend of hers, and you are out here talking about boyfriend rewards to me.” He then added, glare now on the one mocking him at his side rather than at you who were attentive enough at the orange sparks that light up the air rather than at the conversation across from them, “I know her since we were like ten – I cannot just stand by and watch her close herself. I am her friend, friends help each other.” Charles added with a loud sigh, knowing that has happened before in the past and knowing how hard it for you was to open again after feeling blue for larger periods of time, “I do not want any rewards.” Charles then stated, drinking part of the liquor in his glass as well before standing up to find a better seat rather than one in which he was questioned regarding his feelings for you. 

Charles’ defensive mode that was just activated by your common friends’ statement was not random. He has been in love with you for years, long before you met your ex-boyfriend, and long before Charles had even realized that is how love was supposed to feel like. That aching yet calming throb of his chest when you glanced at him, and that twist in his stomach when you smiled into his direction. Charles felt them all, and yet there was never the right or enough time to confess them to you.

Racing has always been a priority for Charles to which he fully dedicated first and putting all his other feelings rather than the thirst for winning second, thinking that you will always be there next to him and that maybe, just maybe, you will be the one to make the first step when the right moment will come. Charles thought that you and he had enough time, and when you first told him about that little crush of yours three years ago, that was when he figured out that the assumptions was wrong – you were not willing enough to wait for him until he decides what to prioritize best. 

Fast-forward three years and a couple of weeks later you were standing next to Charles still, but with a broken heart and with the idea that no one, not even him, will have access to your soul ever again. Charles went behind you, placing one of his hands on your right shoulder to tightly squeeze you, announcing that it was him behind to guard you from the wind and no one else – as you were not allowing any man to touch you since your break-up.

You looked up to him as your fingers pressed against Charles’ on your shoulder, “What?” You had asked, watching Charles’ eyes reflect the orange sparks of the fire as he was looking down at you with somewhat of a poignant smile and yet with warmness within the irises of the man’s eyes, “Has anything happened?” 

Charles declined with a nod and then scooped in the chair next to you that was now emptied by one of your friends leaving, everyone knew that the one who could talk you out of your mood was Charles, “Just wanted to check on you.” He then smiled, taking both of your hands to warm in between his own.

Your heart sunk seeing how Charles blew hot air on them to make sure that you were all comfortable, and then it ached again when your friend refused to let them go back into your lap as Charles guarded them with his. You would have wished for him to do that sooner, three years and a couple of weeks sooner to be exact.

As complicated as Charles’ feelings were for you, so were yours.

You were in love with Charles too, or to be more specific you had been in love with him too in the past when you were able to feel something, anything at all. And yet, Charles was never home – not like you would have craved him to be. 

You were not to blame him for that, you were very much very aware of how important racing was for him and you had done nothing but support him through all of it. Still, you would have secretly wished for him to carry a type of lifestyle that selfishly permitted you too to be more than just friends. You were way too needy in the beginning of your twenties and trying to make a move with someone who was barely home was none of your options.

You were in this constant need of attention, need that was fully satisfied by dicks who were from there and who were more than willing to spend every single minute of their day with you having no other things to do rather than drive you completely and utterly crazy over meaningless stupidest things. 

Now that you had lived that kind of a burning love where all you did was fight and make-up, you were mentally kicking yourself in the joint for refusing a calm and soft love that you knew Charles has been always capable of giving you. You wanted that now, and yet you were not ready to open yourself again – not even in front of Charles.  

“I am fine Charles,” You muttered as you glared away from him, millions of thoughts of what could have been pricing your mind, “I am not a child, you don’t have to check on me every five other minutes.” You added with a short roll of eyes, also letting the sarcasm within your bitter tone to go through Charles’ ears. 

“Y/N, I know that you are not a child, and I am not trying to baby sit you I just –” Charles then spotted, your chair loudly being pushed back by you lifting from your seat as you snatched your hands from below Charles’ – that was the tenth time somebody asked you if you were fine that day alone. 

You needed a break, a break that Charles was not willing to give it to you, “I want to sleep Charles.” You breathed, “Can I please go to sleep?” You inquired looking at Charles getting up too, “You don’t have to walk me, I am telling you for the second time – I am fine.” You sharply demanded with a nervous chuckle, and yet it was already too late to play pretend in front of Charles who had figured all your fake laughs and giggles.  

Charles’ already walking up in front of you giving you a glance over his shoulder, challenging you to move and follow him to the cabin meaning that you two had to have a talk alone in between closed doors, leaving your other friends behind to watch the fire still burning up to the sky. 

You huffed as the door to your room closed behind Charles, “Look, Charles – I love you,” You paused, both of your hands resting on the man’s chest as you were looking up at him, “I appreciate all the things you are doing for me, and all the things that you had done for me – I just need space and time for my own stuff now, that’s all.” You softly added, departing inches away from him only for your back to be blocked by one of Charles’ palms that sustained your body close to him. 

“I love you too, Y/N.” He then spoke, “And that’s exactly why I cannot let you out of my sight for now.” Charles muttered with a heavy chest, “I know what you do to yourself once I am gone, they told me everything – the bars, the guys, the alcohol, the loads of work.” He added, voice shaking while his eyes were fixed on you, “You will break at some point, I know you will – you have done it before, and I cannot watch you do it again.” Charles continued, feeling your back tensing beneath the man’s touch, “I can see that you are lonely, and I don’t know how to fix that.” Charles then almost sobbed, eyes softened in a nostalgic type of a sadness that you have seen him looking at you with before. 

You took a deep breath in, glancing away from the man who had eyes only for you. You took two steps back, forcing him to release you from the embrace. Taking your head in both of your hands, you ruffled your hair in nervousness as you spoke, “Why do you always think that you have to fix everything?” You answered back, “Am I that bad that I need to get fixed?” You inquired as you took as many steps as they were needed from Charles not to resist the urge of jumping straight into the man’s arms no matter how much you would have wanted for that mere touch to fix everything for you, “I am not some sort of a patient that you need to find remedies for Charles, and I have never asked you to do so in the first place.” You busted out with your voice cracking, “You don’t see how fucked up that is?” You inquired, tears slowly streaming down to your cheeks now. 

Charles took two steps ahead, and you took two steps behind you, “I am here to help Y/N, I am not trying to get you fixed or to be a prescription to you. I cannot—” 

“That’s the thing Charles.” You interrupted in between the sobs, “You are barely here.” You mumbled glancing once into the man’s direction, “You are away for most of the time, and I cannot just ask you to take care of me two days once in a blue moon when you are back home – that is not healthy for either of us.” You commented after a loud sigh, your cheeks burning and being washed by your fingers helplessly trying to wipe away the tears, “I need you to stop.” You ended, your fingers touching the edges of the widow’s sill for better stability unless you were about to break down completely. 

Heart shattered – right there. Charles’ heart in million pieces. You were slipping in between his fingers again. There were many things that Charles could kept his promise for when it came to you, being there for you all the time was one of the things that he was not able to pledge to you and that caused him another type of hurt. You not being alright was something, you two not being alright was something else – something that cut deep, and something that he did not know how to mend for the better in that very moment, no matter how fast he was searching for the answers in the back of his mind. 

“Don’t you talk to me about what’s healthy and what’s not.” Charles fought back, resting now his right shoulder on one of the room’s walls, “When you are the one who is using all the unhealthy ways of coping after breaking up with a fucking sore loser and rejecting all of the help from anyone who truly do love you back.” Charles uttered and there was a type of spite in the man’s tone and use of voice that you had never encountered before coming from him, “I will let you sleep.” Charles then spoke, watching you shockingly staring at him back, “We will talk about this tomorrow.” He then nodded, putting an even greater distance in between your bodies by completely leaving the room and silently shut the door behind him, leaning on the other side for a minute holding his breath at the top of his lungs before a long release of a sigh, maybe you were right and what you needed was space and time, Charles thought then. 

Tomorrow’s talk never came as Charles got a call the first thing in the morning being announced that he had to switch for an earlier flight to Italy where he had to get ready for the Imola GP and you returned in the city with your other friends after yet another day when you spoke nothing but replayed the words of yesterday’s little clench. Pushing Charles away from you was the last thing that you wanted to do, but that was the right call in the moment – he had to focus on his races, while you had to focus on getting out of the vicious circle that you caught yourself into. After all, it was not Charles’ duty to get you out of trouble – you needed to fix that yourself. 

You thought about apologizing days after you returned to the apartment after you watched Imola’s race, and yet Charles was not picking the phone after what had happened there for him and the team. As much as Charles knew you the best, you knew him too. Watching him spinning and losing points will cause him to not want to talk about right away with you or anyone else, and that gave you part of the same treatment you gave to Charles in the last couple of weeks. 

You thought that will pass, and that Charles will undoubtedly so phone you when he calms down, and when everything goes back to the normal flow of things. And yet, from then on nothing was considered a normal flow of things for Charles. You texted from time to time, but neither of you were ready for a phone call or to meet in flash and bones, you both needed space and time to deal with your own personal things on your own instead of searching for your safety nets. 

Time passed in this matter, and as much as you would have loved to not grow cold with Charles as much as you did with everyone else around you – it happened. Life got busy for the both of you, and days have passed without texts, calls or seeing each other. It was for the very first time in years when you two took a break from your friendship, and maybe that was exactly what was needed. 

You found excuses not to see him when he was back in town, and you even booked a whole entire holiday away from Monaco during his summer break to clean your head from all the working that you have done since the last time you saw him. You were deliberately avoiding Charles, knowing that you two meeting in those fragile states of yours will only do both of you worse than good. And yet, you knew that you cannot avoid Charles for the rest of your lifetime, and neither of you wanted that to happen. 

After the season ended, Charles was home for good for a couple of months that were enough to get his mind off a hell of a season that was, and that was when he found out that you were still out there having not-so-much a lovely time being alone just as you wished back after your break-up. Charles was not the type to give up, especially on you. You were given the space and time you needed from him, and now he was back to take what was his. That is when Charles ambushed you during one of the weekends when you decided to paint the town red with your friends, tagging along too without letting you or anyone know that he will be there. 

Your eyes widened in surprise as you spotted him on the dance floor having the time of his life with a couple of girls, all of them wanting to impress him in all ways known: dancing, flirting, touching. 

“Look who’s back.” One friend spoke, elbowing you as they were already ahead of you to greet Charles and join the group of girls. 

“And in what a fashion.” The other friend laughed, giving you a glance over your shoulder as they joined too, Charles’ arms spread widely to welcome them in a hug. 

“Oh fuck.” You muttered underneath your short breath, Charles’ eyes catching yours in an instant as the man’s attention was switched from the girls to his friends, and then to you – completely and utterly looking astonishing in your little black dress. 

Charles came to you moments after as you stood there perplexed watching him approaching you. Your heart raced, and there was no point in trying to escape the man’s glare on you as he was passing through the crowed with two beers into his hands already to hand you one as a greet. 

“You look great.” Charles spoke, opening one of the beers for you as he took a quick look at you from head to toes. 

“Thanks.” You muttered, taking the beer from his hand to make it your first drink of the night, “You look drunk.” You commented, watching the man’s already ruffled hair and white unbuttoned shirt that you guessed it was not his doing but one of the girls he was dancing with earlier.

Charles’ eyes rolled in annoyance, “Oh come on now Y/N, don’t critique me on this matter – I have heard that you had loads of fun without me here.” He added, bottle on his lips now as he was head bumping on the played song’s rhythm that blasted your ears, “Have fun with me too, come on.” Charles spoke, grabbing you by one of your wrists so you could join the middle of the group too. 

You shortly sighed, and yet you knew that Charles was right. You were in no right or position to tell him to stop drinking, you were the one who has been indulging in this type of behavior for the last couple of weekends. One single beer was enough for you that night to stop as your eyes were curiously searching for Charles each time that your friend left the group to go and fetch another drink for himself. 

Charles was not the type to drink, and you knew this based on all the previous encounters you two had at a party or in a club, or even during casual dinners. Your friend was not the type to hold his alcohol, and Charles stumbling on his feet with one arm around a random girl’s neck while looking at you with lazy sleepy eyes and the start of a hiccup confirmed you once again what you had already known. 

“It was such a fuckery – this season.” Charles drunkenly shouted when you were back to your booth surrounded by only your friends now and no random girls, “I want to forget all about that. So, cheers to that.” He then nodded before taking yet another shot down his throat, being accompanied by all your friends but you, “What’s going on Y/N, not in the mood for drinking tonight?” Charles teased with both eyebrows up and a sly grin, “Everybody in here told me that you are a big fan of it now.” 

You leaned back into your chair with your arms crossed at your chest as you were eyeing him, “Someone has to be sober enough to take you home, Charles.” You replied, giving a sharp look afterwards to all your friends present at the table for spilling the beans to Charles about your recent behavior. 

Charles laughed at your words, “So thoughtful of you, Y/N.” He then replied, chin rested on one of his palms now as he was looking at you with a slight tilt head, “Taking care of me, when you were the one to tell me to stop when I was trying to do the same.” He bittersweetly continued, cueing all your friends that it was time for them to leave you two alone at the booth – everyone knew that you had things to talk about, and none of you wanted to be in the middle of your fight. 

“Charles I—” You began, but your words being cut short right away by one of his fingers waving “no” in the air in front of you after you two were left alone, everyone else suddenly wanting to dance again. 

“Don’t “Charles” me with those eyes of yours, Y/N.” Your friend spoke next to you now as he switched seats so you could hear him better, “I have been nothing but a good friend to you, and all you did was pushing me away when you needed me the most.” Charles helplessly breathed, “And then again, when I needed you the most.” He then added, head resting on your shoulder as Charles’ eyes closed in the comfort of your body being again so close with his, “I have missed you.” 

You closed your eyes too, one of your hands catching his into yours to squeeze it tightly as a sign of even more comfort, “I have missed you too, Charles.” You added after a short breath which Charles’ felt on his forehead, sending shivers down the man’s spine in an instant, “Let’s get you home, and we will talk all about it somewhere where we can actually hear the words.” You chuckled, cupping the man’s face into your hands for him to be attentive at you inches away from your face, “Let’s get it fixed together.” You added, getting the man’s hair out of his eyes with a short brush of fingers, “Whatever we both have to fix.” You laughed, thinking about the many things that has been going sideways in both of your lives lately and the methods in which you could help each other to mend them. 

Charles nodded, but not before placing a short peak on the top of your lips as you two were too close for him not to resist the urge to do so as the man struggled to contest the need of your lips on him too many times in the past. You were taken aback by his sudden move, and yet so deeply happy that he was the one to make the first step.

"I don't want to be the boyfriend without the rewards anymore, Y/N." Charles muttered as you were confused by the words not making any sense to you, "I want all the rewards, love." Charles then mumbled, forehead glued on yours now, waiting for your lips to be back on his to confirm that indeed he will get all the rewards.

You chuckled, nuzzling your nose with him and putting yet another short peak on the man's lips, "You will get them all."

You took him out of the booth with one shoulder across your neck stabilizing the man’s unbalance due to the alcohol, guiding him in a cab and going home together that night with an understatement that everything was going to be alright for the both of you if you were together in this, accepting and returning the soft kisses, warm embraces, forehead kisses and strong clasps of hands.

#f1 x you #f1 imagine #f1 x reader #f1 one shot #f1 fanfic #formula one x reader #formula one x y/n #formula one x you #f1 fic #charles leclerc x y/n #charles leclerc fluff #charles leclerc x you #charles leclerc x reader #charles leclerc angst #i don't really like this one as much #but let's roll with it #charles leclerc drabble #f1 drabble

[withlovefromsimtown]

Lifa's Life Update (+Sims Progress)

Well it's been a minute, but We're still here & I don't mind.

Things roughly in order:

I fully remapped onto a custom SC4 terrain & rebuilt an entire Sims 2 BG neighborhood to update it to UC (any guesses?), started working on clothing defaults for the aforementioned neighborhood.

Started 2 huge TS2 projects that I may someday finish, completely unrelated to all of that, because I was in Milkshape & I can't control myself.

Had my partner's friends over A LOT, like it seemed like every couple weeks for awhile someone would be crashing in the guest room. (They're my friends too they just... started off as partner's friends lol.)

Barbecued & grilled a lot, because friends & food.

Went to a VNV Nation show with my friend (things that are on the Elder Goth Bucket List lol), made a whole Yeet Weekend outta it & also went to Ikea, Fivebelow, Spirit Halloween, a local outdoor market, & a snowcone stand.

The fucking holidays.

Got sick, part 1.

Surprise, my cat has diabetes & needs 2x daily insulin shots!

More of the fucking holidays.

Got sick, part 2.

2x/month cat checkups to check blood sugar & adjust the dose, for like 3 months.

TX freezes, local friend doesn't have sufficient insulation or central heating in their home to deal with the temps, because TX, & comes to stay with me (with their cat) for a week because I have central heating.

During that week that my friend was here, Mr Diabetes Cat decided to a) eat all the dry kibble out of every bowl, b) refuse wet food at shots time because he was full of dry kibble, & then c) throw up kibble & turn around & pee all over my carpet right after throwing up, which resulted in him not getting his shots that night--they have to be given with food---& getting scheduled an urgent vet visit in the morning. (He's fine, just expensive.)

On the day it actually warmed up outside before it went back to 20 degrees, friend & I did a mini-hike together. We also had food from the Generic Asian Cuisine place (yeah I know, it's Texas though) where we got Pho, Lumpia, & a tofu stir-fry.

I regret having to work during the freezy times, unfortunately.

Partner obtained me a uhh... knockoff Steamdeck handheld? Rog Ally? so I can keep Win7 on my monster computer & also play my dumb ancient murder-aliens 4x RTS game on Steam that I like, but I haven't fixed my mods for it to play it, because I...

Got sick, part 3.

While sick, took Mr Diabetes Cat to his very last 2-week checkup; we're on 3-month checkup schedules now! Because he's stable! Yay!

The entire house is a disaster & I'm still not 100% but I'm back to cooking/cleaning a bit between work at least.

Working on more of the necessary clothing defaults for the TS2 neighborhood I redid.

Planning for March when the entire zoo needs to be vetted again for vaxxing, just gonna wrap the diabetes checkup into that & do everyone's bloodwork at that time also unless something drastic happens. (We do like 2-3 cats at a time over the course of 2 weeks, & then the dog on her own, we're not like... hauling a van of animals to the vet all at once...)

Need to get some of the soft mesh transportation prisons for the cats before then, because the big crate with the lid is about to disintegrate.

#sort of sims related #life update

[quirkthieves]

Will you kill me if I ask you to do all of the bulletpoints in IN-DEPTH HEADCANON QUESTIONS for Hii. I need to know everything about my wife at the earliest convenience

how does your muse get local news and updates on current events? are they up to date with all the latest goings-on or do they prefer to avoid it altogether?

I think Hinata probably spends a lot of time casually browsing her phone or watching TV, but I wouldn't say she's super "in the know". A lot of it is stuff that requires more than 30 seconds of attention, too, so she's prone to brushing it off as unimportant or boring.

did your muse grow up with any particular television shows? do they have a favorite, or a memory tied to these shows?

Kemono Jihen takes place in 2016, so... we can reverse engineer her childhood shows as coming from the early 2000s...

I think she would've REALLY liked Inuyasha. She loves historical dramas, romance, action, and it involves yokai-- the perfect blend of attention grabbers for a little girl who liked being cool.

how much effort does your muse put into their costume for halloween parties and other dress-up events? do they have any go-to costumes?

She doesn't really go to parties, on account of the leech. That being said, given the opportunity, Hinata's more the type to be vaguely-thematic and hot than a full on costume.

does your muse stay up to date with the latest fashion trends? describe their style. where do they typically buy their clothes?

She does! Hinata enjoys fashion and keeping up with trends a lot, and as described by Aimoto, she leans more on the "punk/rocker" end of the spectrum. Heavy leather influence. I don't think she'd buy from shops that are on the "mall goth/baby bat" end of the spectrum like Hot Topic, though. There's also definitely some sporty influence; im sure her casual clothing contains plenty of athleisure.

who was their first celebrity crush?

...Inuyasha, naturally

what would your muse's bio say if they were on a dating app?

name, age, and probably something like "can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen"

what kind of phone does your muse have, and how customized is it? does it have a basic case or something more unique? is the screen cracked? do they have a popsocket or other accessories on it?

probably a two or three year old smartphone. Definitely cracked screen, but she probably replaces the case when it gets scuffed. The phone case has a pattern like a yakuza tattoo, and a broken loop for a charm.

smartphones and other tech along those lines can be pretty sensitive to heat, so I have a feeling she has to replace it more than most.

who was the one family member your muse always looked up to, if any?

Hinata is the second youngest of 5. Her eldest sister was the coolest person in the world to her, and she emulated a lot of her rough-and-tumble attitude. Although, like with the rest of her family, they no longer speak.

if your muse drives a car, have they personalized it in any way (bumper stickers, things hanging from the rearview mirror, etc.)?

...Can I say she has a motorcycle? The saddlebags are just as leather and studded as the rest of her. Somewhere, there's a bumper sticker that's been worn off over the years, that used to read something not braking for pedestrians.

if given a choice between having a night in or spending the night out on the town, which would they most likely choose and why?

A night in. A night out means making sure Robara behaves, which is just stressful.

In her post canon, she's a bit of a homebody, just due to circumstance.

what are your muse's favorite scents, and what do they associate them with?

Leather, charcoal, and whatever the fuck the inside of an ULTA smells like. You know the smell, though. Makeup fragrances.

I don't think she likes many organic smells, though.

what kind of shopper is your muse? are they a slow, methodical shopper, a list-maker, or a grab the items and go kind of person? how long do they usually spend getting their groceries? how long do they spend clothes shopping? do they use changing rooms?

Grab shit and GOOOOOOOOOO she has an awful habit of just throwing shit in the cart, or if she doesn't want it, sticking it on the nearest shelf. Cuts in line. Haggles with coupons. Leaves the changing room a disaster.

if something bad happens, who will your muse call first?

:)

what social cause is your muse most passionate about and why?

Hinata doesn't.... really care about society outside of the personal goals she has. Social causes are pretty meaningless drivel to her. That being said, she's passionate about the treatment of children, so... that? Don't ask her about theory, she doesn't know. What she knows is she'll kick your ass.

if your muse was made into an action figure, what would their five catchphrases be?

"I'll be a demon or the devil!"

"Suck in those balls!"

"Fightin's what I'm made for!"

"Whether vegetables or people, with an expert, people say you can line the cuts back up like it never happened."

"It's crunch time!"

what are your muse's biggest fears, and what caused them?

Hinata is terrified of losing those closest to her, a fear cultivated by Robara's constant threats towards anyone who got close-- and the perceived inability he had to take care of himself, putting his and others' lives in her hands.

She's also terrified of getting pregnant and giving birth to a "monster". She believes that no matter what, she's somehow become "tainted" and any child she has will turn out like him.

what's the one thing your muse constantly does and wishes they could stop doing?

Hinata's got an awful habit of breaking shit when she's mad, and that's really not conducive to owning things, typically. Phones and TV's can be expensive! And she's mad quite often.

does your muse know how to fight? describe their fighting style. if someone was threatening them and about to attack, how would they respond?

Fighting's what she's made for, right?

Hinata is a powerful combatant, both barehanded and with a weapon. She doesn't play defensively, and her onslaught is only made more dangerous by the flames she wields. If you fuck around, you will find out when you get football tackled to the ground and have your face rearranged in a non-euclidean manner.

Her haste and irritability isn't the same kind of weakness it is for Kaede-- Hinata clearly can be a discerning combatant and is willing to levy strategy to her advantage. It's just that there's a reason so many big predators relentlessly pursue and wear down their prey.

will your muse eat at fast food restaurants? if they're on a time crunch, what type of food will they grab?

She's not opposed to fast food at all! In fact, working for Inari and being on their own so early has made Hinata and Robara quite used to grabbing a quick bite. Hinata prefers things that are high in protein and can easily be eaten with one hand, so things like burgers are pretty set for her food choices.

did your muse's parents pass down any quirks or habits that your muse now does? what are they?

Believe it or not, but Hinata is a strong proponent of telling people to eat their veggies. And she doesn't eat until everyone else does, because her parents only ate after the kids did.

While not from her parents, Hinata's swaggy walk is the result of falling in with some yakuza after leaving home.

does you muse like road trips, or would they prefer to fly in a plane?

Plane, 100%. Longer trips that you can't just sleep off? No way! Plus, driving sucks.

what are their thoughts on roadside attractions and tourist traps? when visiting new cities, do they prefer to see the most popular sites, or pretend to be a local and blend in?

Hinata is the type to do the most popular sites, if only because she wants to appear like a normal couple and do normal couple things, which means buying in to the illusion of popularity as far as activities go. Again, though, her attention span is short and her patience is shorter, and even when Robara isn't a worry, her manners are just godawful and prone to getting her kicked out.

what does your muse's bedroom look like? is it cluttered or clean? do they use the overhead lighting, or use lamps and other things to provide a better ambience? do they make their bed every morning or leave it unmade?

Hinata's bedroom is surprisingly well-decorated, with lots of trendy and thematic elements-- but it's usually in a state of disarray, since she's not the type to get too hung up on organizing things. Not always messy, though. The cleaning tends to be a cycle of missing a few days, doing it all in one big burst, etc, etc. She's not the type to let anything become particularly unsanitary conditions-wise.

The bed gets made, but she complains the whole time about how pointless it is.

is your muse a 'this is a really nice box, i should save it' kind of person, or do they tend to throw things out no matter what?

It's pretty evenly 50/50. Being on her own instilled a bit of resourcefulness, but once things start getting cluttered, Hinata's the type to chuck things out with reckless abandon, regardless of if they've actually been kinda useful.

#give me the life of my dreams++ ;hinata hc

[useless-bi-otch]

Cookies'n Cream - Chapter 6

Last chapter / MasterList / art by @aneenasevla

Chapter 6 - Rice Balls and Coincidences

"Alright then, what are the most essential items on the list?

"Soy sauce, snacks, a load of beer, condoms-"

"I'm talking about the list of essential ingredients for the rice balls!

"Welp, no matter how you look at it, my list at least is manly."

"Our goal was to come here to buy ingredients to start a more balanced diet, but you guys are already wanting to go astray like this…" Himuro rolls his eyes while the automatic doors open for their passage with a characteristic musical sound "Looks like every day is garbage day now."

"Come on, guys, don’t go astray!" Okubo says imperiously, taking the lead of the group as if he were the leader of an expeditionary team, and the great Kinokuniya market, the lost temple that they should explore "Let's take this seriously and go grocery shopping like the group of mature and responsible adults that we are!"

“Look, I don't know what group you're talking about, man, but it's definitely not this one."

"And who the hell made you the head of the operation, huh?" Lihito pushes him aside, looking unimpressed. Okubo shakes the shopping list in his face in response.

"I'm the one who wrote the list!"

"At whose behest? Oooh..." He seems to understand something, opening a very naughty smile "Would you look at that! Already following orders from your lady boss, eh? Look, guys, what a gifted housewife we have among us!"

"Go suck a bag of dicks", Okubo grunts low, turning his eyes to the list in an attempt to hide a slight blush "She simply recommended the best brands for ingredients, and with her being a professional cook, I'll trust her word. That's it."

"Well, my friend, that is the big difference between you and me. I never let a woman tell me what to do" Rihito declares, raising his chin "And it doesn't matter how professional she is. A man has to know how to impose himself and express his authority clearly. For example, I don't need a girl to tell me this parsley here isn't all that fresh from the looks of the leaves.” He picks up a random tray from the vegetable and legume shelves, showing it off haughtily.

“Yeah, Rihito, but you'd probably need a girl to tell you that that's cilantro, not parsley,” Himuro comments calmly, and Okubo and Kaneda laugh heartily when Rihito's face reddens. He returns the tray to the shelf with an irritated huff.

"They look too similar! Leave me alone!"

"Similar or not, there can be no confusion," Kaneda decrees while heading to a discreet corner, where shopping carts were lined up, available to customers. He chooses one and goes back to his friends, happy as he comments: 

"Wow, I think this is the first time we're all going shopping together, isn't it? This will be fun!"

"Bro, let go of that shopping cart, for fuck's sake. Only old hags and moms with their snot-nosed brats use these things," Lihito moans, and Himuro arches an eyebrow at him.

"That wasn't what you seemed to think at that time, when you and Okubo got drunk and decided to bet who could go downhill the fastest in carts like this one..."

"Yeah, they only forgot that the carts are small and didn't think they would get their butts stuck like that-"

"Oookay, that's enough reminiscence for now!" Okubo quickly interrupts Kaneda "The cart will help a lot, so let's not get all prissy because of it, okay? Let's just buy what we need and go back to my apartment soon, because I can't wait to eat these umeboshi-filled rice balls" He takes his phone out of his pocket, opening a specific contact with a happy smile "Miss Uta said we can pair them great with turnip and green tea-"

"Green Tea? Who's getting prissy now?! I want beer!"

"Beer defeats the whole purpose of this pre-workout snack, dumbass! Now no more complaining, 'let's look for these ingredients before it gets too late for us to cook."

“Roger that, Commander Buzz Lightyear of the Star Command. Come on, I want everyone doing a conga line behind Okubo!" Lihito raises a right fist in the air while holding his friend's shoulder with his left.

"Stop dicking around, man. And fuck off with that Buzz Lightyear shit!"

“Train-Train, rushing forward! Train-train, and it never stooooops!”

"I swear if anyone asks, I'll pretend I don't know you" Himuro mutters, while Kaneda just laughs, the four of them following together through the various aisles of the supermarket.

But in fact, now that Okubo stopped to think about it, this was the first time since they had known each other that all four of them went shopping together. They had argued hours before in the apartment over who would be in charge of buying the ingredients, even trying to escape the task through drawing straws. 

The binge they'd had on takoyaki, cheesecake, booze and his precious cookies the night before (these motherfuckers got him drunk to convince him to share everything in the box with them, there wasn't a crumb left to tell the tale) had left him a little lazy, and he hadn't been in the mood to wander around a cold, noisy supermarket... until he woke up to some texts from Tomori, when the sun was already starting to go down in the sky.

Uta_Tomori:

good afternoon mt okubo

Today is grocery shopping day, right?

I hope your friends and you can find everything I suggested

tip: avoid these industrialized ready-to-eat foods

your stomachs will thank you, trust me haha

Do you want me to give you the names of the brands I usually buy?

I'll love to see the photos later

He had jumped up from the sofa, disoriented and very guilty, and the only reason he didn't immediately run out of the apartment was because Rihito, Himuro and Kaneda had stopped him.

"Calm down, man, going out on a rampage won't make you get those ingredients any faster" Himuro tried to calm him down "You're even risking buying low-quality stuff, because you're not paying enough attention."

"And anyway, we don't need to make these rice balls today" Lihito had shrugged "She doesn't even need to know that we didn't cook them."

"But I promised to send her pictures! And she pointed me to a lot of quality ingredients, wanting to help me and you guys..." He had lamented "I don't want to give the impression that I'm uninterested in the things that excite her."

The other three had stared at him, Lihito and Himuro exchanging confused looks afterwards. They understood wanting to get in a pretty girl's good side, but wasn't Okubo overreacting a bit?

Kaneda, on the other hand, had just smiled and said: 

"Then let's all go grocery shopping together!"

"Huh? All of us together?"

"Yeah, why not? That way shopping will be much faster, and we'll also ensure that Okubo follows Miss Uta's tips to the letter. I know better than anyone how bad you guys are at following instructions, so it'll be a guarantee" He gave a friendly pat on Okubo-s arm, who closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Thanks, guys..."

And the sincere thanks were enough to convince Rihito and Himuro as well. Holy shit, the things they'd put themselves through to help a friend increase their chances of scoring with a girl…

And now there were the four of them, an extremely unlikely group to see walking through a supermarket, searching the aisles and shelves for the best ingredients to cook rice balls with umeboshi filling. Kaneda was the most knowledgeable about cooking, so Okubo ends up leaving the shopping list with him, focusing on reviewing the tips Tomori had sent him by text.

"No, seriously, do we really need to spend so much buying ingredients when we can very well buy ready-made rice balls?" Lihito asks, picking up a tray on another shelf "It's way cheaper and tastes just as good."

"It’s not that cheap if you consider that, if we buy ready-made rice balls for every pre-workout, we’ll spend more than we would if we bought a good amount of ingredients at once and made rice balls with them over the weeks," Himuro replies while checking the lower shelves. Kaneda nods.

"Yep. Not to mention that Miss Uta could very well notice that the rice balls in the photos that Okubo will send were bought off the shelf, rather than freshly made. Right?" He smiles at Okubo "She must have the sharp eyes of a professional cook, after all."

"Exactly! Come on, guys, no buying ready-to-eat food. I don't want her to think I'm a cheater" He shudders just from considering that possibility "And it's good that we learn something new too."

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Holy shit, all this production just to get laid... Will you guys make a movie out of it or something?"

"Shut up, Rihito," Okubo mutters, but Rihito's words caused him some embarrassment, as well as raising pertinent questions. He was right, in a way. Why was he going to all that extravagant effort just to impress a girl? A nice, funny, beautiful girl, that was for sure, but he'd had several crushes on other women before he met her, and none of them resulted in a trip to the supermarket on a Saturday afternoon that could have been better spent playing video games, gambling and drinking their asses off…

He opens her contact in his messages, mouth twisting a little in discomfort. The truth is, he already knew the answer. The memory of that crappy poster and her confession of her unwavering devotion to fighters other than himself was still very fresh in his mind. And ever since the texts she'd sent him earlier that afternoon, he'd been gripped by an almost visceral need to show her how much better, more caring and more devoted he was than any other idol she could have. Mostly he wanted to show that he was better than that kid on the poster, who had such a pretty, punchable face.

It was ridiculous. It was pathetic. And he just couldn't help feeling that way. If those three had known, he would probably never have a peaceful day in his life again. So it was better to keep quiet and let them think what they wanted.

"Yeah, shut up, Rihito. What are the ingredients on the list, Kaneda?" Himuro asks, looking over the shoulder of the shorter one.

"The basics for making rice balls. Rice, seaweed, vinegar, granulated sugar, kosher salt... and of course, umeboshi. And to think that there are even specific brands to make the best possible rice balls... only they aren't very cheap," He makes a face as he checks the list more closely.

"No shit. They seem to be professional brands. Hell, I don't have that much money to spend, even if we share the costs..."

"No worries, she recommended some more affordable brands. Let's start with them first" Okubo suggests, and Kaneda redirects the cart, the four of them heading to another wing of the supermarket "Then we tell her how the experience went."

"Dude, you're really counting on her to have the last word in this whole affair, aren't you? What, are you going to bring some rice balls for her to eat at lunch break?" Lihito asks, smirking, but then he widens his eyes when Okubo frowns, thinking.

"I don't know, sounds kinda invasive. But it would also be retribution for the cookies and her fan affection, wouldn't it? If they turn out good enough I might even consider..."

"Holy fuck, man, it was a joke! Guys, we are witnessing an unprecedented transformation here!" He says in a dramatic tone, albeit low, indicating Okubo with a wide gesture of his arms, to which he cringes "Okubo Naoya has become the female protagonist of a soap opera! Stay tuned for the next episode, where our hero with too much muscle and too little brain will try to win the affection of a muscle-lover cook with rice balls stuffed with salted plum!"

"Shut up, you idiot, people will hear you…!"

"You will see all this and much more on this same channel, at this same time, in the thrilling drama The Misadventures of the Pussy Pleas-"

"Shut the fuck up already!" Okubo hisses, furious and mortified, while Himuro, Kaneda and he put their hands ove Lihito's mouth, who had tears of laughter in his eyes “What's your problem, dude? I swear, there's something wrong with you!"

"And I'm serious, I'll pretend I've never seen you before if security comes to throw you out of the market," Himuro hisses too, and Lihito just laughs harder.

"I'm kidding, guys, jezz!" He gasps after brushing their hands away "How was I supposed to react after hearing something like that? You're talking about taking a lunchbox to this girl's work, bro. Exactly like the gifted housewife I said you're becoming."

"It's not like that! I already told you that I'd be only returning her kindness!"

"Yeah, and I also think that Miss Uta would like to try these onigiris," Kaneda comments "Even if it's just to evaluate your first attempt. We can take some to her as a treat from all of us, how about that?"

"Yeah, not a bad idea. It'd be a way to thank her for the tips given. Nothing more than that, right?" Himuro arches an eyebrow at Okubo, who looks to the side, fearing that his friend saw something in his eyes that betrayed his thoughts.

"Yeah, that 's all."

"Alright, alright, you can let go of me now, I only want girls squeezing me like this," Rihito grumbles, and they take a step back, composing themselves "But yeah, when you put it that way... she will be very grateful for your ‘kindness’," He makes quotation marks with his fingers "That might even be the cue you need!"

"Cue?"

"Yeah! A treat like that would leave any woman swooning! Asking her on a date after that would be a piece of cake. And then..." He lowers and raises his eyebrows "Well, you would see how my ‘manly shopping list’ was a good idea."

"Aaand apparently, what I said last Saturday fell on deaf ears..." Kaneda sighs, to which Okubo shakes his head quickly.

"Not for me, I've still been thinking about what you said! It's just that- oh boy, she's texting me! Hang on..." He immediately turns all attention to the phone, moving a little away from his friends to have some privacy. He could still hear them though.

"There goes that traitor, ignoring the pals in favor of a pair of tits..."

"You are the one ignoring someone here. I can't believe you didn't absorb any of the things I said last Saturday."

"Chill out, Kaneda, I remember every word you said. And Okubo is following each of the steps you've suggested and taking things easy... too easy, actually."

"But you were already suggesting that he should use the rice balls as a pretext!"

"It's not a pretext, it is an obvious and inevitable consequence! Since cave times men have taken food to women as proof of their virility and efficiency as providers. It's in their instinct to get hooked on these things."

"Welp, now we know what you majored in when you attended Teito University. Fuckboy Anthropology."

“Fuck off, Himuro!”

The three continued to bicker further back, but Okubo tried not to listen to them, all his attention turning to the texts Tomori was sending him.

Tomori_Uta:

hi again!

how was grocery day?

mine is in full swing lol

He smiles, already typing his reply. With or without the disturbing poster to gnaw at his subconscious, chatting with her via text was still a pleasure.

Okubo_Naoya:

haha I'm happy for ya

I wish we were this lucky

we don't know much about picking ingredients and stuff

Uta_Tomori:

I can help if you want!

you're struggling with what exactly?

Okubo_Naoya:

... everything

sorry lol

Uta_Tomori:

men

lmao jk

that's why I'm here

you can count on your self-proclaimed nutritionist!

“Damn, she's so cute!” he squeals in thought, the fit of cuteness making him want to punch something in a burst of gleeful violence.

Okubo_Naoya:

hell yeah i'm saved!

LMAO

so, we were going to start with the rice brands

Tomori_Uta:

oh that’s the easiest part!

wait, I’m getting a call

brb

Okubo_Naoya:

sure!

He closes the phone, smiling to himself, finally feeling that the grocery day would pay off…

Until he started to hear the distinct sound of a phone ringing, moving closer and closer to the hallway where he and his friends were, until it stopped a second later.

He frowns, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up as if in warning. What bizarre feeling was that? As if something inside him was warning him, some primal instinct... that's what made him stick his head out from behind one of the shelves in the hall, peering, searching…

"Hi Mom! No, I'm not busy, we can talk."

And the squeaky sound of desperation that came out of his mouth was something that probably never came from anyone else's.

"IZZATH!!!" He screeches, almost at a frequency that only dogs could hear, running past Rihito, Himuro and Kaneda, who stared at him in astonishment.

"Dude, what the fuck was that noise?!"

"What's wrong, Okubo? You look like you saw a ghost or-"

"It's her!," He hisses, his back flat against a shelf, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he swallows "Miss Uta's here at the market!"

" Say what?!," The other three shriek a little too and immediately stick their heads out from behind the shelf, peering down the hall and widening their eyes.

"Holy shit, it's really her! What is she doing here?," Lihito whispers.

"Saturday shopping, perhaps? She was also out grocery shopping last Saturday when Okubo called her, right?," Himuro ponders, to which Kaneda smiles.

"Wow, what a coincidence! Let's go say hi-"

"No!," Okubo gives Kaneda an armbar to bring him to him, to which the shorter one lets out a squeaky little scream "She can't see us here!"

"Wha- why not?!"

"Because she might get the completely wrong idea! Don't you hear those stories on television about women being stalked by crazy freaks?," He asks in a low growl, his eyes bugging out "Crazy, obsessed men who follow them absolutely anywhere?"

"What are you getting at?"

"She might think I'm doing the same!"

The other three looked at each other, unimpressed, Kaneda still clutching his friend's arm pressed against his neck.

"Or maybe. Like, just maybe...," Himuro speaks slowly, as if he was explaining arithmetic problems to someone particularly slow "She might think it’s just a coincidence. Y'know? Like a normal, sane person."

"That's the problem, it's too much of a coincidence! We were talking about trips to the supermarket just yesterday, and now we bump into each other here, just like that?! No, I'd rather not risk it," He also peeks from behind the shelf, still holding Kaneda, almost lifting him off the ground "I don't want her to think I'm a stalker."

"She- she won't think that if she sees you with us," Kaneda gasps, still trying to push his friend's arm away "Stalkers don't walk in groups."

"She might think they started to, precisely because of that preconceived concept! She might think we're... I dunno, super stalkers or something."

"Super stalkers? Sounds like an indie band name..."

"Seriously, Okubo, I think you took so long to drink your booze yesterday that it actually fermented. You're not making any sense..."

"Shut up, she might hear you!," Okubo finally lets go of Kaneda, who takes a deep breath, almost losing his balance. He pushes Rihito and Himuro aside, peeking with his hands gripping one of the shelves "Please, Miss Uta, go to another aisle, please...!"

Tomori, as expected, didn't hear him. She was laughing into her phone, looking very relaxed as she pushed her already full shopping cart forward. He wore simple, casual clothes: a pink shirt with short, puffy sleeves and blue jeans. It was the first time he saw her without an apron and with her hair loose, which went down in waves over her shoulders.

"Oh, Mom, I don't even know why you still insist on that," She was saying in affectionate exasperation "You know Dad, he's stubborn like all hell. If he won't even listen to you, why’d he listen to the doctor? ... Yes, I can help by talking to him, but I'll do that on my next visit. It's better to talk about these things in person than over the phone. I haven’t even had time for this, actually..."

"We better take advantage of her being distracted  and just shag ass," Okubo whispers to the others "Let's leave while there's still time."

"Damn, dude, you sound like someone running away from an ex they cheated on," Lihito grumbles, sounding bored "You were all over this girl's sweetness a few minutes ago, and now you don't even want to risk bumping into her in a supermarket aisle? What, you're getting more bipolar than Agito or something?"

"Screw you, man, it's not like that! I just don't want her to think I'm spying on her, 'cause that's definitely not what I'm doing here and- wooow, would you look at that!," He whistles suddenly, widening his eyes when Tomori leans over to support an arm on the bar of the shopping cart, the movement making the fabric of her clothes adhere more to hetr body. And from that angle, he could see everything: the curves of her waist and hips, the cleavage that exposed part of her breasts, her legs and... holy shit, that ass…

“Wha- oooh, boy, that's what I'm talkin' about!,” Rihito leans over to be able to peek too, almost salivating with the view "Seeing her away from a counter, without that apron, is something else, isn't it?"

"Hell yeah! Man, I never noticed how she's all soft and curvy... I want to squeeze her sides so bad...!"

"I'm so fucking envious of you! That's some quality meat there."

"I know, right! She's gorgeous, holy shit..."

"Aaand now you're behaving like stalkers," Kaneda grumbles disapprovingly, crossing his arms and shaking his head.

"Yep. Get a grip, man, even if you only want something casual, you should respect her a little more," Himuro warns, to which Okubo makes a dismissive gesture over his shoulder, without even turning his head.

"I respect her a lot, dude! But what's wrong with looking at, appreciating and complimenting a pretty thang?"

"Exactly! Especially considering he's going to bed her later. That's quality assurance for ya," Rihito raises a thumb.

“I swear, you guys can be really gross when you want to."

Okubo clicks his tongue impatiently. They weren't gross just for taking a harmless peek! Pretty things should really be appreciated. And Uta Tomori was more than pretty. She was beautiful. Hot, even. He couldn't believe what a lucky son of a bitch he was, goddamn it-

"Yeah, I've been busy lately. Remember how I told you I was helping a friend with nutrition issues?," She says suddenly, turning around so that her face is more visible. She was smiling, cheeks rosy, brown eyes twinkling "I was doing ecxactly that a few minutes before you called! I almost got distracted and forgot to answer you…,” She is silent for a few more seconds, listening. And then she laughs "Ahaha, stop it, Mom! It's a friendship that came at just the right time, simply. But yeah, he's so cute! He makes me laugh, treats me with respect, compliments my cooking... guys like that are hard to find these days, you know? I think I got lucky..."

...

Okubo had never hated himself as much as he did at that moment.

He goes back to hiding behind the shelf, his expression devastated, while Himuro and Kaneda stare at him with embarrassment. Even Rihito stopped peeking, grimacing in discomfort.

"Uuh… can we just forget we had this conversation?"

"Damn it…" Okubo moans, running his hands over his scalp "She's right there, speaking highly of me to her mother, and I'm here just… just… fuck, I'm such a piece of shit!"

"Yes, you are," Himuro and Kaneda say at the same time.

"You don't have to agree so quickly!"

"Just accept your shitty status and move on, man, it's the best thing you can do."

"You were peeping at her too, you asshole!"

“If you keep yelling like that, she'll hear you,” Himuro warns, to which Okubo shuts up at once, his shoulders shrugging. 

He lets out a slightly shaky breath before turning back to peeking out from behind the shelf. Tomori kept talking on the phone calmly, having no idea that she had just been the object of scrutiny by two good-for-nothing perverts, one of them being her precious idol.

He feels remorse churning in his stomach again. Why was he like this? Why couldn't he behave like a functioning, grown man around a beautiful woman, let alone one who seemed to have a mutual interest in him? The memories of those humiliating minutes in that bistro came flooding back, the college girls' expressions of embarrassed discomfort vivid in his mind.

“That's exactly why you're thirty-six and still single.”

He lowers his eyes in sadness. Yeah, she definitely wouldn't like the real Okubo Naoya if she met him…

"Hey, man…" He hears Rihito call suddenly, sounding worried "Come on, don't get all bummed… there's time to fix this mess, just stop peeping on her."

"I'm not peeping anymore. Just…," He doesn't quite know how to continue, gesturing uncertainly with one hand "Just thinking about what to do now. Is it okay to go talk to her?"

"Of course it is. We told you, she'll just see it as a coincidence," Kaneda assures him.

"And she'll certainly be happy, if we consider all your interactions so far," Himuro comments "Just have some decency and try not to stare at her cleavage or anything like that."

"Yeah, that's very wrong!"

"If you're going to peek, don't be too obvious. Discretion is key."

"Himuro! Uugh, sometimes I forget that you're also a hopeless womanizer..."

“I'm a saint compared to these two."

"That's funny coming from the biggest man-whore this side of Tokyo!"

Okubo leaves the three bickering, still watching Tomori. She looked very happy, making small talk with her mother, her expression placid... it made him want to smile too. And to be the cause of more of those smiles coming from her. He takes a deep breath.

"Okay, I... I think we can go over to her, just to say hi-"

"Yes, I can go see you guys tomorrow, I'll have Sunday off," Tomori says suddenly, redirecting the shopping cart "Now I have to hang up, mom, I already bought almost everything, and I need to talk to my friend too. No, I'm not ditching you for a man, don't be dramatic..."

And Okubo jumps back in sudden panic when he realizes that she was coming straight into the aisle where they were standing.

"AAIEEEE!" 

He bumps into Rihito when he practically throws himself behind the shelf, which in return bumps into Himuro, who, as in a perfect domino effect, also bumps into Kaneda, the four of them ending up on the floor in a mess of arms, legs and wheels of a shopping cart being wheeled along with them, along with several packages from the shelves.

"ARGH! Fucking hell, Okubo!"

"Get off of me, dammit!"

"Rihito! Get your knee off my belly!"

"And you get your foot off my balls, that shit hurts!"

"She's coming this way!" He screeches in terror as the four of them try to straighten up, the other two people besides them in the aisle staring at them "​​We have to get the hell outta here!"

"What? Weren't you saying just now that we could say hi?!"

"No! I changed my mind! She definitely heard us and she'll think we're stalking her!"

"Argh, go get your head examined, you paranoid fuck!," Rihito yells impatiently while an extremely red Kaneda collected the dropped packages. Himuro patts his hands on his pants to clean them, grinding his teeth.

"Stop acting like a moron, no sane person comes to such a conclusion like that! She'll probably just- what the hell are you doing?" He asks stunned when Okubo runs behind him, grabbing his shoulders.

"I don't know, trying to hide! Hold still!"

"Behind me? You're almost seven feet tall, dumbass! How am I supposed to hide you behind me?!"

"Stop yelling, everyone is watching us," Kaneda asks scandalized, turning quickly to the other people in the corridor, still astonished "Sorry about that, guys! We- We just tripped a little, it's nothing serious...!"

"No it is serious! Come on, lift that cart, we have to go!," Okubo hurries them, grabbing the shopping cart and putting it on its feet, which made Rihito squeal:

"You already did that yourself!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Okubo," Kaneda, still holding some of the packages that fell, walks past his friends in decided strides "We've already been embarrassed enough for one weekend. Let's get this over with, shall we? I'm going to go talk to her right now."

"No, Kaneda, don't do that!"

"Miss Uta!" He calls, waving "Hellooo- AIEEEEEE!" and then he screeched when Okubo grabbed him and put him inside the shopping cart "Okubo! What are you doing?!"

"Oh- I don't know, I'm not thinking straight and- shit, shit, she's coming!," Okubo grabs the bar of the shopping cart and Kaneda screams in fright, having to grab the sides of the cart to not fall, when he redirects it in a 180 degree turn and shoots out of the aisle with it. Rihito and Himuro follow quickly, without much choice, mortified to see all the astonished stares from the other supermarket customers following them.

"Dude, are you crazy?!"

"Are we going to take Kaneda to the self-checkout or the normal checkout?

"Rihito, you're not helping! Okubo, stop, I'm going to fall off the cart!"

"Hold on, let me just get a good distance!"

"I swear, that was the first and last time I go grocery shopping with you!," He yells again as the cart makes another sharp turn, almost tipping over to the side and knocking him off. They enter another aisle, panting hard from their rush, Kaneda shivering a little in the cart.

"Okay… Okay… I think we're safe now…," Okubo looks over his shoulder "Coast is clear, guys."

"Don't give me that 'coast is clear' nonsense! Let me get off the cart!"

"Sorry, man, but desperate situations call for desperate measures..."

'There was nothing desperate about this, you lunatic! Ugh, security must've seen us on the cameras by now," Himuro grunts, putting a hand on his sweaty face "We'll never be able to enter this place again..."

“Eh, it's not like this is the first market I've been kicked out of.” Rihito shrugs, and Kaneda stares at him in amazement.

"Oh my god, I'm afraid to even ask..."

"Anyway! I'm really sorry, guys...," Okubo seemed to have calmed down enough to realize what he had done, and now his face was furiously red "I- I guess those rice balls will have to wait another day..."

"And we still don't know why! What's gotten into you, man? Are you twelve again, running away from your crush like you're still a virgin?!"

"It's not that! Dammit, you don't understand my situation..."

"The only thing we could understand is that you're a fucking pansy!," Lihito grunts, pointing to his friend's nose.

"I'm not!"

"Yes, you are! The biggest pansy I've seen in my whole life! One that acts all manly during his matches, but then turns around and shits his pants when it's time to talk to a girl!"

"Fuck you, I explained my reasons! The situation isn’t favorable-"

"For who? What could be more favorable than a casual and relaxed encounter in a public place?," Himuro gestures, now more perplexed than actually angry "Seriously, man, what's going on with you? You've never acted like that over a girl before! It's like you're traumatized or something, I don't know."

They see how Okubo tenses every muscle, teeth clenching, eyes straying from theirs for a second, but that was enough to make them conclude that, perhaps, Himuro had hit the nail on the head. They were about to inquire further, but are interrupted by a song that was very familiar to them.

“Dame da neeee! Dame yo, Dame na no yoooo…”

They start a little, Okubo already taking his phone out of his pocket. He lets out a hiss through his teeth, his eyes widening when he sees that it was Tomori. He looks at the other three, whereupon Himuro and Kaneda make sharp, irritated gestures, and Lihito hisses an “answer that shit!” between his teeth. He does just that, stomach doing somersaults.

"Uuh... Miss Uta?"

"I knew I heard a familiar voice just now!"

The voice that answered him did not come from the phone. It came from behind him. They turned, startled, and found Tomori coming towards them, coming out from behind the shelves of a aisle and pushing her cart with her left hand, her right hand holding her phone. She smiled with the power of a ray of sunlight.

"Mr. Okubo! I can't believe we ended up going shopping at the same market! And you're with your friends too... uuh... did I come at a bad time?," she asks suddenly, hesitant as she analyzes the situation ahead. And then they remembered that Kaneda was still inside the shopping cart when it toppled to the side with a crash, driven by his frustrated attempts to get out of it.

"Ouch! Oow, my leg...!"

"Kaneda! You okay there?" Rihito and Himuro recover faster from their astonishment, immediately going to help their friend. Okubo remains with his feet locked in place, torn between the instinct to run to Kaneda's aid and the mixture of extreme embarrassment and elation at seeing Tomori in front of him. Holy shit, he had nowhere else to run now! What was he going to do, what was he going to-

"Hey, are you okay?," And she runs past him, Okubo catching a glimpse of her worried expression. He turned, blinking, and watched as she reached down along with a very surprised Rihito and Himuro to help Kaneda to his feet.

"Oh... I-I'm fine, Miss, don't bother..."

"No, it's fine. You might have landed on your leg," She quickly looks for something inside her purse "I stopped by the pharmacy before I went shopping and bought some ointment. Want me to help you with that?"

"What- no, you don't have to! I'm fine, I swear," Kaneda assures, now a little flushed while shaking a hand "I'm tougher than I look, haha."

"That's right, Miss Uta. Kaneda's size is a bit deceiving," Himuro hastens to say, squeezing his friend's shoulder, and Rihito nods, pointing to the smaller one with a wide smile.

"Yeah, we've seen him take down guys twice his size, like the little ninja he is!"

"Come on now, Rihito...," Kaneda blushes even more, but ends up smiling when Tomori laughs.

"If you say so, hahaha. But... why are you inside a shopping cart, if I may ask?"

"Uh... it's- it's because..."

"It's because we made a bet!," Rihito hurried to say, at the same time pointing to Okubo, who was still paralyzed like a deer caught in the headlights "Okubo and I, that is. He bet Kaneda couldn't fit in the shopping cart, and I bet he did. Do you see, man? Don't underestimate the flexibility of a Kujyn Style master at an impressive five feet seven inches tall.”

"You could've claimed victory without throwing my short stature in my face like that..." Kaneda sighs, and Tomori laughs again.

"Hahaha, why am I not surprised? Apparently this happens often when you hang out together, right?," She turns to Okubo, smiling amused "I'm glad we met like this, by chance. Because I think these purchases would take longer if it were otherwise, hehe."

Okubo blinks, expression almost looking blank. And then he breaks into a huge smile and scratches the back of his head happily as he says, “Yeah! You fell from heaven for us, Miss Uta, hahaha!"

“Idiot changed his tune in the blink of an eye...”, The three of them thought together, as if they shared a telepathic link. Tomori, on the other hand, was flushed with happiness, squeezing her face between her hands, that adorable smile that made Okubo's heart skip a beat breaking out on her face.

"Oh, stop it, you..."

"It's the truth! I said in the texts, we were lost in this search for ingredients. You couldn't have arrived at a better time. Isn't it, guys,?" He smiles at his friends; that same sharp smile that hid a murderous intent that they knew too well.

"Say anything about what happened and I'll beat the shit outta you all!"

The urge to rat him out to Uta Tomori was almost irresistible, but for the sake of that thankless friendship, they decided in silent agreement that they would go with the flow. After all, you can't walk in the rain without getting wet, right?

"Yep! We had a lot of doubts about brands, prices...," Himuro sighs, and Rihito nods.

"There's just so much to choose from, so many possibilities to consider! Brands of rice, salt, vinegar... too many little details for our manly, combat-focused minds, you know?"

Tomori laughs again, while Okubo huffs, "Stop it, dude, or she'll think we're nothing but a bunch of musclebrains..."

"Oh no, I promise I won't. It can be complicated for those who don't work in the industry or simply aren't in the habit of comparing brands and prices."

"That's the problem, Miss Uta, Rihito here is, sometimes. He owns a fridge."

"Really? That's nice!," Tomori smiles at Rihito, who gives a surprisingly shy smile while scratching the back of his head "Who knows, maybe you're one of our suppliers. What's the name of your company?"

"SF Cold Storage. Who knows, maybe we'll find some of the products I stock here!," He points to himself with his thumb, smiling confidently. Tomori nods excitedly, but then seems to realize something. The four of them frown as she flinches a little, suddenly shy.

"I… I won't be bothering you if I walk with you, will I?"

"What? Why would you think something like that?," Okubo asks, confused, and she blushes more, rubbing her right arm.

"It's just that you're together here, having fun as a group while shopping, basically a men's day… I don't want you to feel obliged to accept the presence of a girl, you know…"

"Obliged? Missa Uta, one of the things that piss me off the most about this group here is how it's only made up of sausages of all different sizes! A woman is a welcomed adition!" Lihito exclaims, to which Himuro puts his hand on his face with an exasperated grunt, Kaneda blushes again and Okubo growls: 

"Have some respect, man, you're talking to a lady!"

Tomori, on the other hand, seemed to take the comment in stride. She laughs, visibly more relaxed.

"No, it's okay, really. I'm glad to know I won't bother."

"Sure you won't! Especially because you made our pal here very happy, appearing out of the blue like that," Rihito, with a devilish smile, slaps Okubo on the shoulder, making him lose his balance for a second "He didn't let go of that phone the whole trip!"

"Dude, shut up!"

"But it's true. He even left me in charge of the shopping list, just so he could continue texting you," Kaneda takes part in the psychological torture, apparently wanting revenge for the shopping cart incident. Okubo glared at him with a look that was somewhere between furious and desperate.

"Damn, even you, you little-"

"And he didn't stop commenting on your tips regarding ingredients" Himuro completes, his light eyes showing a shine that was cruel "You've found a very devoted student, miss, haha."

"Ugh, I hate you guys...," Okubo moans, hiding his furiously red face in one hand. Tomori was blushing too, but the happiness in her eyes was so blatant that is was embarrassing. He even felt a little suffocated when he looked at her.

"I'm so happy to hear that! Many people stop listening to what I say after a while. They say that I chatter too much when I get excited, that I never shut up..."

"Wha- whoever said that is one hell of an idiot!" He says on impulse, suddenly indignant "The way you talk passionately about your interests is one of the best parts of talking to you."

She stares at him, looking too stunned to speak, and only then does he realize what he's just said. Holy shit, why didn't one of those three start knocking him out with a coup de grace every time he opened his mouth, at least until he learned not to let his tongue walk two steps in front of his head?!

But Tomori didn't seem to share his thoughts, if the goofy smirk that took over her face was any indication.

"Please, stop, Mr. Okubo...! You- You're going to make me faint in the middle of the market...!"

"Oh- ahaha, but it's the truth! Okay, okay, sorry...," He laughs, deeply relieved. His ears pick up the unmistakable sound of snickering, and he immediately casts a scowl at his friends. Kaneda hid his mouth behind his right hand, while Himuro laughed more openly. Rihito simply gives him a thumbs-up, whispering so only he can hear: 

“You're fucking welcome, asshole."

Okubo would've flipped him the bird if Tomori hadn't been right in his field of vision. She takes a deep breath, trying to compose herself, and lifts her head, running her hands through her wavy, shiny hair (damn, he'd love to run his fingers through those locks when he had the chance) before decreeing: 

"Very well... you need my help, right? So that's what you'll get. You're the one with the shopping list... Kaneda, isn't it?"

"Precisely. Kaneda Suekichi, at your service," He does a small bow, to which Tomori nods with an adorable little smile.

"Nice to meet you. Oh, now I want to see if I remember all your names! Himuro, right?" She points to Himuro, who nods politely.

"Himuro Ryo. It's a pleasure too."

"Likewise, Himuro! And... Rihito?," She turns to Rihito, turning her head a little to the side "Is that a nickname?"

"Oh, it's much more than a simple nickname, lady," He points to his own chest with his thumb, smiling haughtily "It's an identity! Like the identities that comic book superheroes forge for themselves, you know? Renowned public figures who maintain that air of mystery, never revealing who they really are behind the mask and awakening fascination in all the-”

"His name is Nakata Ichiro, but he prefers the nickname."

"Come on, Okubo, don't ruin the magic! And I already said that it's not just a nickname! Come on, stop laughing!," He complains loudly, being summarily ignored. Okubo already felt quite satisfied with that little private revenge. Especially since he managed to make Tomori laugh.

"Ahahaha! Oh, god... anyway, thanks for having me, Kaneda, Himuro, Nakata-"

“Rihito! Call me Rihito, please!”

"Okay, okay. I know that for you I am, first and foremost, a fan of Mr. Okubo. But I hope I can get along with you too!," She does a small bow, eyes closed, so she doesn't see the way Okubo looked at her, his face flushed and his eyes sparkling with fierce affection.

And she also doesn't see how Rihito, Himuro and Kaneda tensed, caught by surprise. Hell... that chick really was cute, wasn't she? The monumental crush that Okubo had developed for her in such a short time no longer seemed so absurd to them.

"Uh… don't worry, Miss Uta. After we eat your sugar cookies for the first time, getting along with you became one of our life goals," Himuro jokes, and Tomori laughs heartily.

"Show up whenever you want at the Heavy Bakery and they will always be available! Now, the shopping list. Where is it?"

“Uuh… I think I dropped it back there. When I was in the cart..." Kaneda casts an accusing look at Okubo, who has to try very hard not to show his discomfort and keep smiling. They look to the ground, searching, until Rihito exclaims:

"Hey, I found our spare list! It was in my pocket, I ended up forgetting..."

"That's great! Excuse me...", She picks up the list he held out to her "Let's see... oh...," She suddenly frowns, confused and a little embarrassed "Uuh... soy sauce, snacks, a load of beer, condoms-"

"Whoa! Wrong list! Ahaha, sorry about that!," Okubo immediately snatches the piece of paper from her hands, crumpling it into a ball and immediately giving it back to Rihito, who almost drops it in his embarrassed haste "Rihito always brings his own list for group shopping, but always ends up forgetting about it. Would you believe that, Miss Uta? He would forget his head if it weren't glued to his neck, wouldn't he?", He brings his friend close with an arm around his shoulders, flashing him the most furious smile either of them had ever seen someone flash. Himuro and Kaneda could even see beads of sweat forming on Rihito's forehead as he smiled nervously.

“Haha, yeah, I sure would! My bad…”

"Oh… it's alright, don't worry," Tomori ends up relaxing "I'm shopping with men, I should've expected that, haha. But it's not like I really need a list. I have all the ingredients memorized. So?," She smiles excitedly at them "Are we going to brave this concrete jungle while we complain about inflation?"

And with an invitation like that, they saw no reason to refuse to accompany her.

The five of them follow through the aisles of the supermarket, now with two carts in hand. And this time, Rihito couldn't complain too much about the fact that it was a woman who was leading the group, guiding them through that labyrinth of jars and packages with the assurance of someone who did this often. But they soon concluded that Tomori was the right person for the job, because she was teaching them like, a real teacher, how to choose the best ingredients for rice balls.

"Alright, let's start with the rice. See the differences between these two brands here?," She shows them the two packages, whereupon the four men huddle together to watch, curious. She offers them, and Himuro takes one, while Kaneda takes another.

"Hnnn… the weight is almost the same. It must be standardized...," Himuro commented, to which Kaneda, raising his head after observing the package closely, said:

"Oh, I think I understand. The grains on this one are longer than those on the package Himuro is holding, right?"

"Yes! It may seem like a silly detail, but noticing it makes all the difference, because short-grain rice has more starch," She nods smiling "Thanks to that, it sticks together after cooking. Which means…” She urges them on, making an encouraging gesture with one hand. She laughs when Kaneda raises his hand, as if they were in a classroom.

“Yes, Kaneda?”

"It means that short-grain rice is the best for making rice balls, because the grains will stick together, which is ideal for keeping the rice balls in the right shape."

"Very good!," She claps her hands, to which Kaneda responds with a playful little bow. Lihito snorts:

"Not fair! This smartass here already knows how to make rice balls! He's the best cook of all of us!"

"That's right! Let us get some praise for a change, Kaneda!," Okubo nudges the smaller one's shoulder, who pushes his hand away, saying:

"The fact that I can cook doesn't mean I don't like to hear a few compliments from time to time too."

"It's no fun when you already have mastered the art. Let the teacher pay attention to those who really need to learn."

Tomori looks thrilled to be called a ‘teacher’, to which Himuro comments with a sharp smile:

"Do you want to monopolize the teacher's attention now, Okubo? We really went back to middle school and I didn't even notice..."

"Leave me alone, Himuro! Anyway...," He clears his throat, a little flushed "For the rice to keep its shape after being cooked, we're going to need those little molds, right? The ones for rice balls."

"Well, I recommend it, especially for those of you who have never made rice balls before. But for those who have experience, it's easy to do it with their hands. I can show you if you want!"

"Nah, Kaneda can teach us, no problem-"

Lihito is immediately silenced by Himuro and Kaneda, who again place their hands over his mouth, making low hisses. And the three of them see the exact moment when Okubo seems to finally get some courage, sticking out his chest a little, straightening his shoulders and saying in a loud and clear voice while holding out his hands:

"Please show me!"

"Okay, you'll be the first to learn then!," She exclaims, happy as a clam, as she reaches out and holds his hands. Her hands were very tiny compared to his, delicate and soft, her fingers barely able to close around his wrists. He imagined intertwining his fingers with hers, imagined those hands caressing the line of his jaw. And he imagined them clinging to his shoulders, nails digging between his shoulder blades, scratching hard as they-

“Alright, that's enough! Pay attention to what she's saying, you good-for-nothing pervert!"

"The secret is to place your hands like this, as if it were in an L shape, and then press down on the rice very lightly, turning it clockwise with your right hand... that's right!," She approves when he correctly imitates the movement she described "You're good with your hands, Mr. Okubo."

"Thanks! And I have to be, haha. Just like you, I knead a lot. But not exactly bread dough," he teases, and is elated when she laughs heartily.

"I know! I've been following your career as a kneader for over a decade!"

"And so you managed to realize that I still have things to learn! You're doing better than any manager I've ever had, you know? Hehe!"

They laugh together, seeming half-forgotten that they weren't alone.

"Holy shit, I feel like I'm in one of those really bad chick-flicks…", Himuro comments with an air of laughter as they watch those unusual interactions "Only that it's missing the mellow soundtrack in the background."

“And them being on the banks of Shingashi River, with cherry blossom petals floating around them,” Kaneda jokes, and Rihito snickers.

"For my pal's sake, I hope it's a bad chick-flick with a sex scene at the end."

Okubo and Tomori weren't even aware of the spectacle they were providing. He particularly felt perfectly happy staying that way, just learning from her how to be a minimally decent cook, without dwelling too much on things like perverted incidents and his past traumas involving the opposite sex. It was all too easy to forget those details when he was with her.

"You got the hang of it quite fast! Do you still want to buy a mold or do you prefer to try your luck?," she asks suddenly, to which he looks over his shoulder.

"I wouldn't mind trying, but Rihito and Himuro might mess it up a little. They don't have such dexterity with their fingers, haha."

"Dexterity? I'm on a level way above that and you know it! Did Okubo tell you what I can do, Miss Uta?", Rihito asks, going up to the two of them and showing them a coin. Tomori blinks, a little confused.

"Uh... it's some kind of magic trick?"

"Much better than that! Mainly because it's real," He winks before pressing down on the coin with the thumb and forefinger of his right hand, making a quick incisive motion. And Tomori gasps, clapping her hands over her mouth, as the coin snaps in half right before his eyes.

"Wow! H-How did you...!"

"Pretty cool, right? That's exactly why I created another identity. I'm the real-life Superman,” He sticks out his chin, smiling smugly, at which Okubo shakes his head in amused exasperation.

"Never missing a chance to show off, huh."

"Oh no, I can't believe it! I want to see it again with another coin!," She sticks her hand inside her purse, searching, at the same time that she turns to Kaneda and Himuro, half amazed "Do you all know how to do something absurd like that too?"

"Not the way Lihito does, but they say my drinks are absurd too," Himuro jokes, and Kaneda completes: 

"The truth is that we are all martial artists, just like Okubo! So yes, Miss Uta, we can do some pretty amazing things, each in our own unique ways."

"Ah, that's so cool! But what promotion are you from?," She asks curiously "A martial arts  promotion, I mean. I know many fighters, but it always happens that I miss some names..."

Okubo tenses, eyeing the other three with concern, to which Rihito, Himuro, and Kaneda exchange quick, almost imperceptibly nervous glances before Himuro finally responds, “We're not exactly professional fighters, you know. Not like Okubo, at least."

"Yes. We're kind of in a 'backstage' league, so to speak.” Kaneda nods.

"Yes! That's how I met them, wanting to fight in a slightly more private setting," Okubo nods quickly "They prefer to leave the professional  spotlights to me, 'cause they know I'm by far the most photogenic, haha."

"Yup. Photogenic like my big toe, which has chilblains."

"Too many details, Rihito! Tone it waaay down."

Tomori laughs, shaking her head.

"That's okay, fighting without the intention of being known for it is valid too. The important thing is to keep the fighting spirit alive!," She raises a fist in the air "And I already know how incredible Mr. Okubo is, so I say that I would love to see you three in action one of these days, in that 'backstage' league."

They had to work hard to keep their smiles from turning too nervous. But the girl's innate cuteness was a tremendous help. And honestly, it had been worth risking revealing more about the entire world of underground fights they were part of just to see Okubo almost float off the ground like the world's heaviest air balloon, inflated with joy by Tomori's praise. They couldn't wait to be alone, only the four of them again. That bald fuck had one coming, that was for sure.

They continued on their search for ingredients, with Tomori giving detailed explanations of the best brands of vinegar, salt and seaweed, showing how to compare prices and also how to make the products yield more. Overall, their little shopping spree turned out to be a more fun event than either of them could've anticipated. It wasn't exactly the kind of date Okubo imagined having with her (they were always alone in their fantasies, without a third, a forth and a fift whells following them around), but he found himself unable to complain. Seeing her getting along with his three best friends gave him that same funny, tachycardia-like feeling after all.

The afternoon went on like this, until all of them were finally satisfied with their little trip to the market.

“… and then Rihito and Okubo thought it would be an excellent idea to bet who could eat shrimp with wasabi without needing milk afterwards. It was the first time that Kaneda and I stayed overnight in an emergency room because these two needed a stomach pump, not a drip, haha.”

"Yeah, salt my game some more until it's completely inedible, you jerk!," Okubo yells at Himuro amid loud laughter, while the five finished passing their purchases at the ATMs, putting them in bags afterwards. Tomori shakes her head, a little red with laughter.

"N-No... seriously, it's okay, Mr. Okubo! I have so much fun hearing about these adventures of yours. I swear I'll tell you more about mine too, one of these days."

"Eh, and what could a cute and well-behaved girl have lived through that would be more interesting than frequent trips to the emergency room, caused by an excess of testosterone?," Rihito asks with a cheeky smile. Okubo was about to open his mouth to warn him, but Tomori is faster than him. She smiles back in kind, her eyelids drooping over her brown eyes, her long lashes casting shadows on her cheekbones.

"You wouldn't believe it, trust me."

"Oooh, really? If you say so...," He laughs, not seeming to take her remark seriously. But something in her expression aroused a strong curiosity in Okubo. He wasn't exactly the world champion at reading facial expressions and interpreting insinuations, but something told him Tomori wasn't just rambling. What could such an adorable girl be up to that would surprise even a freak like Rihito?

"Hey, don't leave us wondering, Miss Uta..."

"Ahaha, my bad. I would love to be able to remedy this, but it's getting late. I need to go home and make dinner," She smiles a little sadly when the five of them finally leave the market, going out to the parking lot, the sky starting to darken "It's a shame. I was really enjoying myself."

"Oh... yes, it's a shame," Okubo nods, trying to appear nonchalant and almost failing. Jeez, their shopping spree seemed to have flown by since she'd joined them! Why did they always find themselves in situations where they couldn't be in each other's company for more than a measly hour? That was so unfair... "But anyway, Miss Uta, it was a really nice surprise to find you here."

"Likewise! I really enjoyed spending this last hour with you guys. So much so that... can I... can I ask for something?," She's suddenly shy, looking to the side and pouting. Damn, how could he say no to her when she made that face?!

"Sure, go ahead!"

“I… I'd like to take a photo. You know? With... with you. And all of you too!," She hastens to add, a little flushed "As a souvenir, you know? I won't post it on social media if you don't want exposure or anything. I just wish to have something to keep with me... besides an autograph."

She swallows hard, biting her bottom lip, waiting with some anticipation.

He would probably never know how he was able to keep an expression of neutral satisfaction, instead of rushing towards her and kissing her passionately, as he wanted to do.

“Danm, she’s so cute!”

"Of course!"

“Oh- really?” She widens her eyes, hopeful, and he nods, smiling.

"Yeah, why not? Who are we to deny our teacher a souvenir of this day?," He turns to his friends "It'll be our way of saying thanks. Right, guys?"

"Yes! Then you can send the photo to Okubo, because we'll want to have it too," Kaneda nods, and Himuro agrees with an expression of someone who was holding laughter back.

"Yup! This isn't a day to be forgotten, haha..."

"Enough talking then! ‘Let’s strike a pose, guys," Rihito puts his arms around Okubo and Himuro's shoulders, opening a crooked smile "You have our permission to post this photo wherever you want, Miss Uta. Make your friends jealous of you being surrounded by all these hunks. And tell them we're all single and available!"

"You really want her loosing a ton of followers in all her social media, don't you, Rihito?"

"Screw you, Himuro!"

Tomori laughs again as she takes her phone out of his purse, turning on the camera and placing it horizontally.

"Can you take the picture, Mr. Okubo? You're the tallest, so...," She hands the phone to Okubo, approaching from the side in short steps, smiling shyly. He understands at once, and suppressing the urge to laugh, reaches out a hand to touch her shoulder, bringing her closer to him. She gasps softly, her breath catching momentarily in her chest, and he would have found that absolutely adorable if he hadn't also been desperately trying to maintain his composure and not blush like a teenager who's sat too close to his crush.

Taking selfies with fans was something he was more or less used to. But this was different. It felt more intimate, even...

"C'mooon, dude, we want to take this pic today!"

And as expected, Lihito insisted on reminding him of his presence by shouting in his ear, almost making him drop Tomori's phone. He pushes him away with a grunt, eliciting general laughter.

"Give it a rest, dumbass! Okay, everyone...," He puts a hand on Tomori's shoulder, again hearing her make a cute little sound of happiness "Say 'rice balls'!"

"Rice balls!," The five of them exclaim together, raising two fingers in a V, the sound of the phone indicating that the photo was taken. They relax their poses and contemplate the results.

"Oh, it came out great- hey, Rihito, you made horns on the back of my head!," Kaneda complains, and Rihito defends himself by replying:

"It's not horns, it's a V for Victory! It's not my fault you're so short that the gesture gives that impression.”

"I made a weird face. Look, I'm almost blinking…," Himuro frowns, to which Tomori, still laughing at the discussion between Rihito and Kaneda, guarantees:

"Don't say that, Himuro, you looked great! If I post this photo on my networks, some of my friends will definitely ask if they can slide into your DMs, haha."

"Oh, then in that case, post it wherever you want!"

"Another one who doesn't beat around the bush...," Okubo snorts, the twinge of jealousy in his chest making him feel angry with himself. It was so unfair that not even Tomori was immune to that conceited bastard's charm…

"But yeah, the photo turned out great! Thank you so much, Kaneda, Himuro, Nakata-"

"Rihito! Seriously, it's not that hard of a name to remember!"

"Okay, okay, sorry, haha. But seriously, thank you. And you, Mr. Okubo!"

He almost knocks some of the bags to the floor when she hugs his arm, her face lit up with a happiness so intense it almost made his eyes hurt.

"Not only do I have your autograph, I now also have a photo of you! This has been one of the happiest months of my entire life, and it's not even halfway through! I don't even know how to thank you..."

"Thank me by going on a date with me and letting me please you in every way I can think of, in and out of a bed!,” he almost pleads, which would have been the most desperate and pathetic invitation to a date in human history, and something which Rihito, Himuro and Kaneda would not let him forget for all the days he had left. He tries to compose himself, straightening his shoulders and saying with a half smile: 

"You can thank me by sending this photo to me, 'cause it's something I'd like to have as a souvenir too. And of course, I will reciprocate. Later today, when the rice balls are ready."

She clasps her hands to her chest, delighted.

"Of course! And I'll look forward to the pictures of the rice balls! It's a pity I won't be able to try them..."

"Oh, but we can arrange that. What do you guys think?," Okubo arches an eyebrow at the other three. They look surprised for a split second, but recover relatively quickly.

"We're going to have a busy week, but we can try to show up at the bakery on the next garbage day. In the meantime, let's take the opportunity to make rice balls whenever we can as a pre-workout snack," Himuro looks sideways at Kaneda, who adds:

"What would you think of us taking advantage of this day to bring some of the rice balls we’ll make? You know, as a thank you for the free home economics class and the cookies, haha."

"Then you can eat them during your lunch break! And if we got it wrong, at least the bathroom at your workplace will be a short run away," Lihito jokes, prompting grunts from his friends and more laughter from Tomori.

"I'll trust that things don't get to that point, if Kaneda is a good cook like you guys said. And yes, I will love it!," She claps her hands in excitement "Kanny, Hiro, Tomoyo and Paikon will love to try it too. Anyway...," She bows politely "Thank you so much for your company! I really hope I didn't bother you."

“You wouldn't bother us even if you wanted to, Miss Uta. We're the ones who should thank you for your help," He smiles, and then scratches the back of his head "Uh… Do you need help with your bags? We can take them to your car."

"Thanks, but no need. I came by train."

"You sure? It's a long walk, even more so carrying weight.

“Oh no, not so much. And I'm tougher than I look, believe me," She flexes her biceps with a playful smile, and while the other three try to stifle a colective laugh, Okubo tries to stifle a burst of cuteness "I have to exercise, anyway. Weight gain is pretty common in my work field, haha."

"With a body like that, you can tell the extra weight goes to all the right places!”, he allows himself to think, like the closeted pervert he was. 

“Okay, if you say so. See you next garbage day?"

"I'll look forward to it! Good night, Kaneda, Himuro, Nakata- I mean, Rihito."

"Attagirl!," Lihito raises a fist in celebration "Good night to you too, Miss Uta."

"Have a safe trip!"

"And let Okubo know if you arrived safely, so he doesn't get too worried."

"Himuro...," Okubo grunts, embarrassed, to which Tomori lets out a happy laugh.

"I will, I promise. Good night, Mr. Okubo," She again makes that gesture of tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, smiling sweetly, and he allows himself a few seconds of self-indulgent daydreaming, imagining himself doing that for her.

"Good night, Miss Uta."

She waves to the four of them before picking up her bags and turning her back on them, walking out of the parking lot. They follow her with their eyes until her silhouette disappears on the sidewalk in the distance, in the middle of the late afternoon shadows that were getting bigger. It is then that Rihito, Himuro and Kaneda allow themselves to let out huge collective sighs.

"Maaaan, that’s what I call a hard time…," Rihito grunts, scratching his scalp "All that hullabaloo and in the end, the girl still ran into us anyway…"

"But everything worked out in the end, despite all the embarrassment... and I still haven't forgotten, Okubo!," Kaneda points to him, huffing "That nonsense with the shopping cart will not go unpunished!”

Okubo didn't even seem to have heard him. He was still staring fixedly at the spot where Tomori had disappeared, his eyes distant. They stared at him, somewhat exasperated, until Himuro walked up to him and snapped his fingers right in front of his face, making him jump.

"Argh! Don't scare me like that, damn it!"

"It's time to de-orbit, Buzz Lightyear. Despite your efforts to make the opposite happen, the afternoon turned out better than expected," He crosses his arms “But enough of that. If you act like a virgin brat again, we’re gonna beat the shit out of you. And not even you can deal with the three of us at the same time. You've been warned."

"Ugh, okay, okay! Sorry for my freak out earlier," Okubo grunts, rubbing his eyes "I just didn't want her to get the wrong impression of me…"

"But that's not what happened. She looked like she couldn't wait to get busy with you in the near future. You're fucking welcome," Rihito does a mocking bow "I even forced myself to play the part of the nice, 'friend to all women' guy so as not to rain on your parade..."

"Come on, Rihito, don't pretend that you didn't like that we had a girl in our group, even if only for an hour."

"One hour is my limit! I came into this world to love women, not to be their friend. And don't go thinking that, after you do her, I'm going to accept her presence in our night outs or something!," He warns, pointing to Okubo "Unless, of course, she brings some girlfriends along. In that case, we can negotiate."

"You're gonna die single, man, I swear…," Himuro sighs, while Okubo, shaking his head, picks up some of the bags on the parking lot floor. He smiles tiredly at his friends.

"I'll try to remember that. Now let's go back to the apartment, for the love of god. I... I think I can feel my blood pressure drop... the adrenaline peak is going down...," He groans, getting a little pale, to which Lihito went to help him with a laugh, passing his right arm over his shoulders.

"Fuckin' drama queen... c’mon, guys, we have a bloodstream in need of some salt."

They walk across the parking lot towards Okubo's car, finally getting hit with late afternoon fatigue. And to think they still had a batch of rice balls to cook...

"Hey, Himuro."

Himuro turns around, a little surprised, when Kaneda calls out to him in a low tone, his face slightly pink.

"What is it?"

"I need to confess to someone… but I don't think I would complain about taking another ride in a shopping cart like that. You know? Nyooonh…"

And neither Okubo nor Rihito understood why Himuro had a fit of laughter that lasted all the way back to the apartment. And neither way he kept repeating that bizarre noise.

What the fuck did 'nyooonh' even mean anyway?

NEXT CHAPTER

#Kengan Ashura #Kengan Omega #kenganverse #fanfiction #Okubo Naoya #Naoya Okubo #okubo x oc #kengan oc #Rihito #Himuro Ryo #Kaneda Suekichi #cookies'n cream #the heavy bakery series

[nebula-drcams]

@emptypassicn asked: @emptypassicn // for [ x ]

Send me your URL and I'll tell you || No longer accepting

Gonna do this for Mole and Bradley. No I'm not Bias shut up.

My Opinion on;

Character in general: With them being both minor characters, we get very minimal of both, though Bradley gets a little more screentime than Mole before he fucks off. Starting with Mole of course, we see the generic personality of "Angry. Smokes. French." but one thing I don't know if people notice is that he sure likes to say the weirdest shit with a straight face, or rather a joke, considering it took me rewatching the movie like three fucking times to realize he was making a joke because he was so god damn serious about it I thought it was an actual item the kids needed to bring. Then there's .. Bradley. Just a goofy lil guy, I never really thought much of him when I first saw him but eventually { because of hound } he grew on me. Really wasn't thrilled with Matt and Trey basically making that one joke with him in the game though ,, It was a little.. jarring honestly, and felt out of place for a character like Bradley. Like please, follow your own canon.

How they play them: ​​​​​​​ God I fucking LOVE Hound's portrayal of Mole ?? I love the details and things they've thought about, even including Mole's view on the whole death thing / who's fault he sees it as / etc etc. His personality is spot on and I absolutely adore talking about the stupid shit between him and Damien. I just { Grabs Hound's Mole and shakes }. Please I LOVE when they talk about him. And then there's Bradley. I've seen a few takes on Bradley from others and I've been... skeptical, but Hound's feels more in character for him ?? Def like the idea of him occasionally going into space every so often for obvious reasons but also do like the fact that he doesn't act alien and also comes back to his friends as well since I don't see him personally just ditching those he cares about to stay in space but also he was raised on earth so the idea of him acting like he's alien and doesn't understand human customs is weird to me ?? so A+ to Hound for quality portrayal of this funky little dude. 

The Mun: Hound and I have been mutuals for what ?? almost a year now? I can't remember. But I do remember being terrified of them when I first met them. Now we're like besties or s.t. They're one of the few people that I talk to on the regular and actively let drag me to watch stuff. I can't list the things this mf has gotten me into, but they're the reason I listened to the audiobook of Great Expectations, watched the newest one with them { that i disliked, thanks }, watched several different plays of Les Mis, why I watched Sam and Max along with Felix the Cat, and of course more recently, DWD and Ducktales 2017. But that's okay because I've dragged them to watch stuff, and I still need to drag them to watch other things -- ANYWAY.

Do I:

RP with them: Yes Want to RP with them: Sweats, looks at the fact that we probably have a TON of threads and I have a few things sent to their inbox. y..yeah?

What is my;

Overall Opinion: Hound's one of the few people I can genuinely call a close friend. They've been pleasant to talk to, even if I was scared of them at first. Def glad I didn't like, bounce when I felt intimidated like I usually do. They also have several muses, all which they portray very well. Also they're stuck with me forever, sorry Hound.

#emptypassicn #★ ► ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ ꜱᴘᴇᴀᴋ. ◄ ⌠ Out Of Character ⌡ #★ ► ʟᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ♥◄ ⌠ Ask Answered ⌡

[matfinishfuckstheworld]

im feeling a way so i saw these nsft questions and thought they looked fun, but we are all about fucking fictional characters here so i am just going to. answer how i think hugo would answer them for me. god. i am so cringe. but i am free.

maybe this can become a trend if it isn't one already. i'd love to start a trend.

[1] How would you breed me?

"a futile question. i already removed those parts for you, don't you remember, my dear? of course, i suppose you're fertile in other ways... your mind is fertile soil in which to plant my commands. especially when paired with some positive stimuli... like my seed inside you."

[2] You've got me on a leash, what do you make me do?

"a leash would be more a tool for the early stages of your captivity -- apologies, not so much captivity, but acclimatisation -- than a late one. i would need to ensure you would not stray far from me, and those at the start do tend to act more like wild animals. you are nothing but adrenaline and have not yet figured out that fighting is so much harder than succumbing. so you require taming. training.

"one thing i enjoyed from your collaring was being able to tug on the leash as a sort of addition to language. you always knew when you needed to sit, or kneel, or follow. but your conditioning outgrew the need for such primitive tools."

[3] What monster(s) would you hire/conjure to fuck me? How would they do it?

"hm. a tempting offer. i have never tested the sexual prowess of my own creations. but, something about it stirs rancor in me. perhaps it's that your holes are my privilege, and it feels wrong to waste them on creatures who will barely enjoy them, or understand their significance."

[4] Routine! What's something you'd want me to do every day to keep me addicted to pleasure?

"oh, your training will never end. you may not believe it, because after all being brainwashed into submission makes you feel so good, but the mind requires continual maintenance to remain so docile and open to command. so, there will be lessons to repeat, morning and evening. and of course the sleep tapes, the personal sessions, the aphrodisiacs and sedatives to regulate your body. doesn't that sound nice, to have it all planned out for you? never needing to worry about things getting off-track... i will take care of it all for you."

[5] You have me in a custom locked room. What does it look like? What are we doing?

"it's a padded cell in grey, with low light to avoid agitating you. you're strapped into an examination chair with a headset displaying some... important messages for you to internalise. my voice echoes around the cell, through speakers, reminding you of your place beneath me. something will buzz between your legs - we will try a few in the first few hours, and select the one which produces my desired results. a camera in the walls feeds through to my office so i can see how your conditioning is progressing, and of course, occasionally i will come to check on you personally - take your pulse, ask you some questions, such as:

what is your name?

how do you feel about me?

are you enjoying being brainwashed?"

[6] Which of the kink's on the yes list in my pinned are you most curious about? I'll share my thoughts and why I'm into it.

"i hope you don't expect me to ignore that you enjoy the prospect of your mind being split in two and reshaped. you will never find a better or more qualified man to enact the reshaping."

[7] If there's a kink not on the list you're interested about, ask if I'm into it!

"now, how would you feel about becoming my doll?"

[8] Would you keep me all to yourself, pass me around or put me on display?

"i cannot afford to become too attached to an object, even one so... endearingly easy to manipulate. if a situation arises in which you would be most useful as someone else's plaything for the night, i would of course put you to use in that way. but it would be with the knowledge that you are my toy, and by serving them you would ultimately be serving me."

[9] Free use: you can put me in a glory hole. What kind is it: one with holes for cocks to come through, one where I'm bent at the hips for anyone? Is it private or public?

"it would be a shame to hide your form. but it is a good suggestion. a hole at waist-height would be a useful addition to the closet doors. we'd have to also make some alterations to your 'sleeping space', to ensure you could serve me at any hour i desire. some ropes - strings for your puppet body - to keep you perpetually kneeling. and, of course, a ring gag to keep your mouth open and drooling for me."

[10] Dress me up! What would you like me to wear, how would you fuck me in it?

"i can make you wear anything i want, and i will sew you anything i want, too. of course we would have the suits tailored specially for those occasions where you must accompany me in public. but at home i will dress you in lingerie, some of my own making just for you. you are a pretty object, and you should aim to please me at all times."

[11] Do you blindfold me, bind me, gag me or block my hearing? Why?

"why not all at once? sensory deprivation and restraint is a useful tool for punishment. you will be left alone with those troublesome free thoughts of yours, and your mind may just decide to swallow them to escape the torture. even while you are, yourself, unable to swallow."

[12] Date night! Describe a date and how it leads to us fucking (cnc welcome).

"i inform you immediately before you pick up your drink of the drug i just slipped into it, and its effects. you drink it anyway, because i have asked you to, and you are incapable of resisting anything i ask of you. from then on, you are mine. incapable of higher thought or reasoning, halfway asleep, but maintaining the impression of consciousness until we return home."

[13] sub4sub, we're both feeling needy and dumb, can we get each other off? how?

"i would not say i have felt either adjective. i only submit to those who have bested me, and you, being an object, have no such luck."

[14] If I did video, what would you like to see happen to me/me do the most?

"i would love to watch you become increasingly amenable to my suggestions. to see the shifts in your microexpressions as you struggle against the binds of my mental control. of course at first i would pay you to listen to me, but that would not be necessary after a time."

[15] You can only pick one toy to use on me, what is it and why?

"whichever makes you easiest to control. yet i would not want you to think that you are somehow superior to a wand or a fleshlight. you serve the same function, after all."

[thewanderingace]

😩😩😩😩

Ignore me I need to vent

Made myself depressed again by thinking about my rapidly dwindling bank account, my current unemployment status, and the lack of job availability in my area.

I'm so tired and anxious about this. I fucking hate that I had the horribly timing of graduating with my masters literally right as covid hit which then destroyed the job field that I just got my degree in. Now the only listing I find are either for something I'm not qualified to do like finances or marketing or executive director or the position is only temporary or the position is volunteer only (that's been the most common. It's all volunteer only). Every other job I find that doesn't have anything to do with my field of study is awful. It's crap pay, customer service, awful hours, 3 hours away, shit job requirements, or all of the above.

The few jobs I have applied for I get nothing back or I get a "you're resume and qualifications look great! But we don't even want to bring you in for a meeting! Bye!".

WHY IS THIS SO HARD!!!

I keep being told that "no one wants to work! There's so many jobs available but no one wants to work anymore!" IF THERE'S SO MANY PLACES HIRING THEN WHY CAN'T I FIND A JOB!?

I'm very very lucky that my mom doesn't care that I'm completely broke, unemployed, and still living with her/off of her. Cause I'd be so fucked otherwise. But she's been 100% understanding about it all and supportive and I love her to death. And in exchange I take care of housework and stuff but I'm almost completely out of money and I don't know what to do. I'm trying to get some like side money off of my crocheting but that's so fucking hard. It's so hard.

I don't know what to do. I hate this. God bless my loving mother but I wish I could just find a stupid entry level part time job somewhere that isn't customer service/sales. Unfortunately that's all that is available right now and I swore to never go back as long as I could. I wont go back to that hell if I can avoid it.

My brain also isnt helping me. Between the introversion and social anxiety every job listing looks like hell and every potential interview makes me panic.

Why is this so hard. Why can't I jabe a normal brian and why cant I just find a way to make money. I dont even need a lot! Just let me start entry part time somewhere! God!

#delete later

[sluttymickey]

Can you write 10 or 11? You choose, it’s too difficult for me, they’re are both so sweet

How about both together, Anon? <3

@vintagelacerosette and @mickeymilkovichenthusiast hii <3

10. Happily doing everything with one hand, if it means they don't have to let go and 11. Not wanting to lose each other in a big crowd (from this prompts list)

Ian grabs Mickey’s hand, casually slipping his fingers between Mickey’s. “It’s very crowded. Don’t wanna lose your short ass.”

“Not a fuckin’ kid,” says Mickey, but makes no move to remove his hand from Ian’s.

“Uhuh? Remember when we’d come here during that big sale? You got lost because you weren’t paying full attention to me as you should have? And I didn’t have my phone with me so they had to announce--”

“Bitch don’t you fuckin’--,”Mickey starts. He’s so fucking done with that story.

But Ian clearly isn’t. “Attention, customers. Can Ian Gallagher please come to the information desk immediately? Your husband is waiting for you,” he says in an extremely fake formal voice, barely controlling his laughter.

“Yeah, yeah, fuck you very much,” grumbles Mickey, and starts to move away but is pulled back into Ian.

“It’s very cute that you think I’m gonna let your hand go. Ian smiles and presses a kiss against Mickey’s cheek. “We took vows, Mr. Gallagher. To have and hold fucking forever.”

“You’re an idiot,” says Mickey, but holds Ian’s hand tighter. He kinda hates crowds. Having Ian’s hand holding his helps. Having his hand squeezed by Ian everytime he sees something interesting and points it out to Mickey makes something warm settle in his stomach. Makes him forget that there’s even a crowd in the first place. Who the fuck cares about other people when his husband is holding his hand and smiling at him?

And so they hold hands the entire time they’re shopping.

Mickey reading off from the list and Ian picking up the items.

Mickey raising his eyebrows and saying, “Hot damn, Gallagher,” while watching Ian lift something heavy with just one hand.

Mickey rolling his eyes while looking at his husband transerferring all their bags to their one free hand because he refuses to let Mickey’s hand go.

“You’re an idiot”, Mickey says again.

“Yes, but I’m your idiot,” his husband replies, smirking and holding his left hand up, “Forever.”

“Such an idiot,” Mickey smiles against his lips before kissing him.

#aaaaaaaah hope you like it anon aj and myn 🥺🥺 #kinda torn between wow this is cute and wow this is too cheesy and ooc 😭 #idk idk you tell me 😭 #also AJ I'll write 12 as well for you <33 #can't believe I've already written like 4 of these who am i 😯 #asks #ian×mickey+hand holding #shameless #gallavich #/d #ficlets #okay okay I'm gonna go anxiously wash sone utensils now byeeee

[foodieforthoughts]

When the ball drops

Summary: It's your third year in the Big Apple and you still haven't found your midnight kiss for when the ball drops, until tonight.

Pairing: Henry x Reader

Word count: 1.7k

Warnings: Fluff!!!

A/N: Happy New Year to everyone! ✨ Watching the ball drop on New Year's Eve in Times Square is my ultimate bucket list! Also not beta read, so don't mind the errors, just had to get done in time before @infinite-shite celebrates New Year's before the rest of us! This baby deserves all the love in the world ❤️

*divider by @firefly-graphics

Title: When the ball drops

The cackle of people's laughter ringed through the pub as the hours ticked by. In contrast to the cold winter air of New York, the inside of the enclosed space felt warm. You quickly pulled on your apron and slid behind the bar, relieving your co-worker from their shift. He hugged you for the New Year that was to ring in about an hour later, happily weaving through the crowd towards the staff exit.

You sighed, grabbing the dish cloth to clean some glasses.

The excitement of coming to the Big Apple had quickly died down for you. You had dreamed of living in the city like the various shows potrayed, feeding lies that everything is magical and full of opportunities in this concrete jungle. But you could disagree with all the contradictions between facts and fictions and align them in a PowerPoint presentation. Not only were you yet to secure your dream job, you lived in a mediocre place with little to look forward to everyday.

Another sigh left your lips, your shoulders slumping despite the merriment around.

"That would be the second time you sigh." The crisp accented voice of a stranger sounded from across you. "What's the matter, love?"

You knew who he was. You ogled at his pictures on a regular basis, especially when he became Superman. But he looked nothing like the Henry Cavill you saw on the red carpets. Clad in a plain blue shirt, jaw sprinkled with the hint of a stubble and hair combed to perfection, Henry titled his head at you with a smile. You looked around at the other patrons, unsure if he was talking to you indeed.

Henry chuckled at your look of confusion. He took a seat at the barstool and grabbed the menu from the stand. With a dish cloth still inside the glass tumbler, you stared at the Hollywood heartthrob. The pub you worked at was frequented with celebs on a regular basis, the only downside being you usually worked for the day shift which meant by the time you rolled out of work, the big shots were only just waking up.

"Can I get-"

"Guinness?" You interrupted him. You meant to say it in your head but the word left your mouth before you could control your lips.

But Henry didn't flinch. He just smiled widely, the dimples in his chin dipping charmingly and his eyes shining like the brightest star under the flickering strobe lights. He slid the menu back towards you and clasped his hands together.

You blinked your eyes several times to rid yourself of the flutter in you belly as Henry smiled at you softly. He watched as you got him a glass and filled it up with his beer. Your hands trembled so much with the nervousness of serving an A list actor, who not only was doing well in industry but was exceptionally sexier in person, that you were worried the foam gathered at the top would dribbled down the sides. Noticing your struggle, Henry extended his hands and placed them over yours to secure his glass.

Electricity. In the most clichéd scenarios of romance movies, you felt a jolt of electricity when your hands touched his, the sparks travelling down your spine to your toes. Sucking in a sharp breath you handed him the glass, chiding yourself over your hyper aware mind.

"What is a pretty lady like you working in a bar at this hour?" He asked, sipping his fermented pint of alcohol.

"Coworker has plans with his girlfriend, like everyone tonight." You shrugged your shoulder, going over to another customer ordering drinks. You could feel Henry's eyes on you as you readied the customer's order. The sound of giggling girls pulled your attention just as the man left with his drink.

You walked back to where Henry sat, nursing his beer. "Anything to go with that?" you enquired, rearranging the shot glasses under the bar counter.

"I am still wondering how, in the world, a pretty woman like you, is stuck here."

You scoffed, more to yourself than him. "Because this supposed pretty woman is single as fuck." The mirth in your voice hid the sense of self pity edging at the corners of your mind. It had been three years since you had first arrived in the city with a possibility of reaching for the stars in both personal and professional life. You had been left disappointed with the jerks and assholes you ended up with, ultimately sitting at home and questioning your choices in men.

You noted the softness creasing at the corners of Henry's eyes. The last thing you wanted was to be seen as a miserable bartender at the end of the year, so you cleared your throat and smiled at him. "What is superman doing at a bar, in New York, alone?"

Henry chuckled. His gravelly thick laughter ringing louder than the music in your ears. "I was just stopping by the city, thought I'll stay to understand what the big deal is with the ball drop."

"Oh my God. Watching the ball drop and kissing at midnight is the most romantic thing you can do with your partner. You should be at Times Square!" Your excitement over the whole New Year's Eve shenanigan was flowing through in your speech.

"Too crowded." He shook his head, groaning and sipping his beer.

You rolled your eyes. "As opposed to this cramped pub?"

Henry chuckled again, throwing a wink at you. You felt the familiar flutter in your belly. You peered at him under your lashes, Henry seemed to be having his eyes only for you tonight. The giggling ladies were desperately trying to grab his attention while sipping on their Margheritas wearing their embellished dresses with low cuts and frills. You glanced down at yourself and frowned. Over the faded blue jeans and white t-shirt, you wore the black apron with the pub's insignia on the left breast. You suddenly became profoundly aware of how 'basic' you might look in comparison to the other ladies.

Self doubt clouded your mind. You politely smiled at Henry and hurried to the other side of the bar to serve the other customers. Maybe Henry only wanted someone to play the horizontal hokey-pokey with him for the night, or maybe he was bored and since you were obligated to talk nicely with him, he had pitched a conversation. Whatever the reason, you did not like how the multiple scenarios would end. You knew your feeble, fragile heart. You would get hurt, one way or another.

"Hi," Henry appeared again in front of you. He had his beer in his hand, his other elbow resting on the counter. "Did I offend you in some way?"

"No. But you are pretty much making me realize, how miserable my life is." Your voice sounded bleak against the booming voices. Tucking your hair behind your ear, you watched the couples snuggle up to each other. It had been ages since you had felt the loving embrace of a man, even longer since you had shared a meaningful kiss with someone special.

"What would you have been doing instead?" Henry's voice pulled you out of your desolated reverie.

"I would be in Times Square, with my significant other, which I don't have. We would get some drinks while standing on the outskirts of the crowd and watch the countdown."

There was a stir of activity in the pub as someone announced that there were only 90 seconds to the ball drop. You hadn't even realized that time had passed so quickly whilst you had juggled your conversation with Henry.

"Well, you have the drinks," Henry reached forward to grab a glass and poured half of his beer in the empty tumbler. "We are at the outskirts of the crowd since everyone is huddled near the TV." You nodded as you watched the couples gather near the enormous flat screen mounted on the wall. "We aren't at the Times Square, but we are in New York."

The countdown read 60 seconds with the red numbers counting backwards. Henry stood up and leaned forward on the counter. You watched with bated breath as he grabbed the strap of your apron and pulled you towards him.

His hand rested lightly on your cheek, his thumb grazing your cheekbone. The smell of beer, his perfume and musk enveloped you, bundling you in everything that signified him. You gazed into his cerulean eyes, the fleck of brown going dark against the blue ocean. Your hands hung by your side, flabbergasted by the surprising turn of events.

"I might not be your significant other," His breath washed over your heated face, his eyes transfixed on yours. "But we can perhaps change that."

"Happy New Year!"

Like the fireworks going off on the One Times Square Building, when your lips collided with his, there was a burst of colorful sparks celebrating the union of two people from across the pond. Henry pulled your face closer to his by grabbing behind your head, his fingers threading through your hair. You finally could think straight as you moaned into the kiss, holding onto the collar of his shirt as the pub erupted with loud cheers. In that moment, everything seemed perfect in the world. You felt your legs turn to jelly as Henry pulled back, breathing through his mouth, tugging at your lower lip with his teeth.

The smug smile on his face returned as he sat back on his barstool. You grabbed onto the counter for support as you gulped lungful of air.

"Did that count as something for when the ball drops?" He asked, sipping his beer and watching you from the brim of his glass.

You nodded. The heat on your cheeks traveled down to your chest, a grin spreading on your lips. Biting your lip you reached for the other glass of beer Henry had poured. "Happy new year to me." You announced before clinking your glass with Henry's.

✨HAPPY NEW YEAR GUYS✨

#henry cavill #Henry Cavill fanfic #Henry Cavill rpf #Henry Cavill x Reader #Henry Cavill x you #henry cavill fluff #Henry Cavill imagine #Foodie's new year fanfic #NYE 2020 #foodieforthoughts

[pettyvxbes]

COLSON BAKER x READER - OCEAN EYES IV

BRIAN, JIMI, JANIS, KURT, AND. . .COLSON?

"Can we get two 16oz house drips, one black with two sugars and the other with two sugars and a splash of cream?" He ordered, remembering exactly how you took your coffee, even after all the time you'd been separated. It made you smile, knowing that you still occupied some space in his mind.

"So this is your coffee shop?" You asked, leaning against the side of the counter as you waited for your drinks.

"Yeah, I opened it last year. It turned out pretty cool." He smiled as he looked around the room. You could tell he was proud of it.

"It's badass" You agreed with him.

"If you're hungry, we serve brunch." Colson handed you a menu to peruse. "This is actually why I was at the farmers market. All of our fruits and vegetables are local." You looked over the list of food, noticing all of the fresh ingredients.

"That's so cool. Everything sounds delicious." You said, flipping the menu over to continue exploring. On the opposite side, you found a cocktail menu. Some of the drink names made you chuckle. There was 'the gunner,' 'sex, dope, and cheap thrills,' 'screw me' with its counterpart, 'screw you,' and the 'you know I'm no good.' Without even seeing the ingredients, you immediately thought that the last one sounded like a drink you'd choose.

Colson exchanged the menu in your hands with a coffee cup filled with hot coffee. You looked at him and gave him a weak thank you smile which he inadvertently returned, and just like that, you were taken back to the first morning you had ever spent together.

You woke up randomly as the sun was shining through the tiny window of your dorm room. You were still wearing the same clothes from the night before. It confused you because you hadn't even remembered falling asleep. The last thing you could recollect was laying with Colson in your XL twin bed, which he noted multiple times was fantastic because his tall, lanky ass fit perfectly.

"Good morning," Colson whispered. It took you a moment to fully wake up, but you noticed how your bodies were intertwined when you did. Your head was on his chest, and his arm was holding you close to him. It was cozy.

"Good morning." You repeated, squeezing him and nuzzling your face into his neck. "How long have you been awake?" You asked sleepily, afraid that you were the only one who had dozed off.

You and Colson had agreed to stay up as long as you could talking to each other. After all, it was the first time you had seen each other since Atlanta, and even though you had basically talked every day for the last 3 months, you still had a lot to talk about.

"Not long, maybe like fifteen.. . twenty minutes" He shrugged. "I didn't want to wake you. I just wanted to lay here and hold you a little longer, watch you sleep, smell your hair." He squeezed you, placing a small kiss on the top of your head. "I wanted to memorize all of it because this weekend will be over before we know it, and then It'll be back to facetime calls and falling asleep on the phone."

"Blahhh, don't remind me." You pouted, sitting up to face him. You enjoyed every single second you got to spend with that blue-eyed boy in your bed, and you never wanted it to end. He had quickly become your best friend, your person.

"Sorry. Y'know, you're fucking cute when you're sleepy" Colson smiled at you, no makeup and hair a mess. To him, you were perfection. "Oh, I ordered coffee." He said excitedly as he sat up, reaching for the cups on the table next to your bed. "Remind me to thank your roommate later. She was not very happy when she was woken up by the Doordash driver." He chuckled.

"She'll get over it" You took the warm cup from him, sipping slowly. Careful not to burn your mouth. You immediately spit the coffee back into the cup, scrunching your nose up at the taste. The coffee was sweeter than a glazed chocolate donut filled with thousands of tiny sprinkles. You thoroughly enjoyed coffee, and you liked to be able to taste the flavor in every sip.

"Shit, did I get it wrong?" He asked worriedly. It was one of the topics you had discussed last night, and he had already forgotten.

"Yeah, but we've never had coffee together, so I'll give you a free pass." You joked. "Two sugars and a splash of cream," you reminded him with a small smile.

"I swear I will never forget again." He promised, passing you his coffee to share.

"Let's sit back here" Colson's voice pulled you from your memory. As you followed him to the back of the coffee shop, you noticed photos of different famous musicians on each table.

"What's with the pictures?" You asked, gesturing towards a table with Kurt Cobains' face on it.

"They're all a part of the 27 club." He could tell by the expression on your face that you had no idea what that meant. "a bunch of artists and entertainers that died at the age of 27." Colson explained.

"Oh." you gasped, finally understanding the name of his coffee shop.

Colson led you to a table in the back corner. It was secluded enough to offer a little privacy from the rest of the customers. You took a seat, instantly noticing the photo that was on your table. It was him. Your narrowed eyes and knitted brows caught his attention, and he followed your gaze to determine the look of confusion on your face.

"You're 31." You stated the obvious.

"Yes, but most days I feel like my life ended when I was 27." He let out a small chuckle.

You took a sip of your coffee, waiting for Colson to elaborate further. Quickly getting distracted by the liquid in your cup. When the coffee first hit your tongue, you could taste a combination of floral and fruity notes, but as you swallowed, you noticed a nutty caramel tone. It was unique and unlike any other coffee, you had ever tried.

"Mmm," You hummed quietly, approving of the noteworthy java in your hand. "You remembered how I like my coffee." You said without thinking.

You regretted it almost instantly. You didn't want to discuss your past relationship or talk to Colson like old friends. You just wanted the explanation you deserved so you could be on your way. It wasn't necessary to spend any more time with him than need be. You didn't want to conjure up old feelings any more than you already had by being in this stupid city.

"I said I would never forget, didn't I?" He looked at you like you made the whole world spin, and for a moment, it was like time stood still.

"God. I'm so stupid." His words came out as a whisper as he looked away from you. Shame and guilt wallpapered his face. "I made the biggest mistake of my life by losing you, and it's something I'm never going to forgive myself for."

"Why'd you leave Colson?" You were blunt, and your words were shaky.

"Because y/n, you deserved better." He paused, collecting his thoughts before continuing. "I was laying there with you in my arms that morning thinking to myself, 'how can I possibly love this amazing woman the way she deserves to be loved when I don't even like who I am."

The sadness in his voice was evident, and you could clearly see the pain in his glossy blue eyes. He hurt himself just as much as he had hurt you.

"I was the biggest fuck up on the planet. You sacrificed your happiness to be with me, to support my dreams, and be my biggest fan. . .I was selfish, and I took you for granted. I broke your heart, and somehow you still managed to see the best in me. It wasn't fair to you. -- Y/n, I had to go because I knew that staying would have been even more painful for you. I was a sinking ship that was burning, and I couldn't bear to be the reason you went down in flames too." A silent tear slid down his cheek.

You sat there speechless as you listened to the explanation you had waited years to hear. You hadn't even realized it, but at some point, you had started tearing up too. Colson reached over, wiping the tears from your face.

"I hate myself for fucking things up with you." He said, staring at you.

You didn't know what it was about him, but when you looked into those blue eyes, you saw a reflection of your soul staring back at you. He was your person, always had been, and always would be. You and Colson had a once-in-a-lifetime connection. The kind of connection that made you feel alive by just being near him, even the silence between you, was comfortable because you felt complete in each other's presence.

"You are worth so much more than second thoughts and maybes'. I am so sorry y/n" You could feel the emotion in Colson's words. His apology was like rain on a dehydrated garden. Grossly overdue, but miraculously just in time.

You sat in silence for a few moments before speaking. "Earlier, when you said you lost your life at 27, what did you mean?" You questioned.

"Y'know, everyone thought I was overreacting after our breakup. . ." He started. You had no idea where he was going with his response, but you let him continue." what they didn't get was how much of my life you really were. . .You were more than just another relationship down the drain. You were my past, my present, and my future. Y/n, you were my life."

At that moment, you understood why his photo sat on a table in that coffee shop. He was a part of the 27 club, not because he physically perished at 27, but because that was when he lost the only thing that ever made him feel alive, you.

TAG LIST @canyoubuymetoast @ticketstomydaydreams @mvrylee

#colson baker #colson x reader #colson baker fluff #mgk x reader #mgk #x reader #machine gun kelly x reader #machine gun kelly #memories #club 27 #ocean eyes #colson baker x reader

[doubleshotofsomething]

To Hell & Back

Part Three: “I don’t scare you and I guess that’s why”

Summary: You attempts at payback keep getting ruined. Somehow, you keep needing the same idiot you hate.

Prompt: “I don’t want to live on this planet anymore.”

Warnings: Swearing. [Also typos, probably. Which shall be repaired by tomorrow]

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x Reader

---

Series Masterlist [in case you missed the other ones]

----

"Good morning-" your customer service smile widens just a smidge, "-what can I get ya?"

Bucky narrows his eyes, lips tightening into a thin line as he looks over you. Even with the counter between you and the little fluff in his hand, he still manages to look intimidating.

You're trying your best to not show how much the sight of him, angry and inconvenienced, pleases you. It's a mission, but you keep your professional façade intact.

"I'm going to throw you off the roof." He growls, adjusting his arm as he glares at you. "Then I'm gonna dance on your grave."

"That doesn't sound familiar," you say coyly, tilting your head to the side. "Is that some kind of latte?"

There is a line forming behind him and your co-workers are you giving the both of you side-eyes. Bucky doesn't seem to care, his blue eyes flashing with what you can only hope is anger. You don't care either, you warned him and he didn't listen.

"You took my parking space-" he dumps the white fluff onto the counter between you. "-my fucking parking space."

You shrug. "You made me drink filter coffee."

He glowers. "That justifies your actions?"

"Filter," you emphasize, gently nudging the little fur ball towards him. "Filter fucking coffee, Barnes. Do you know what that shit does to a person?"

You can hear one of your co-workers mumble an "oh, here we go" and you shoot them a glare. Turning back to the mammoth in front of you, you nudge his gift back to him.

"Excuse me-" Bucky turns around, giving you a clear view of the old man behind him. "-some of us have things to do. Can you two hurry the fuck up?"

You both blink at the man, completely unfazed, then turn back to each other. He shoves the cat back to you and it lets out a disgruntled out.

"Take your cat and go home," you gently push it back to him.

"I don't have a cat." He pushes it back.

"Your parking space disagrees." You pick it up and put it in his arms.

He narrows his eyes, holding the cat. "That was just cruel, even for you, doll."

"Not a doll."

"I will be taking your parking space."

"I don't have one-" you grin. "-no car, no space. Also, you can't prove I took your parking space."

His nostrils flare. "Who else would put this-" he gestures to the furball clinging onto him, "-in a box and put it where my bike is supposed to be?!"

You blink at him. Once. Twice. Then frown. "Wait, why do you have a car and a bike?"

"Seriously?"

You nod. "Yeah, I keep forgetting to ask you about that-"

"Sweetheart, I'm going to drop you off in Australia after this-" your heart nearly plummets at the thought and you glare at him. "-and that's your concern, right now? The car and the bike?"

You don't question why or how he knows Australia is on your list of murder sites. You also don't question why the way he just called you sweetheart makes you want things you shouldn't.

You're about to respond, something snarky that will piss him off even more, when the same guy interrupts again.

"Hey!" He rounds and stands next to Bucky, glaring you both down. "Listen, I didn't beat morning traffic for some coffee only to have some gym buff flirt up the cashier."

Bucky's eyebrows shoot up. He tries to blink back the shock, but he can't.

Flirt? With you? He could never disrespect you like that. Not at your job. Never like this.

You have worked with, and for, people like that for the longest of time. So you're not surprised by the tantrum the man throws.

However, you're running low on patience at the moment.

"Sir-"you glare at the man, "-this man, right here, is a war hero. A veteran. The reason half the world is back. You owe your life to him. So if you're gonna be an asshole-"

Bucky cuts in. "Doll, it's oka-"

"Shut your trap, Barnes!" You hiss at him, before turning back to the man. "If you're gonna be an asshole and accuse him of flirting with me, then call him Sergeant - not gym buff. Now, get the fuck out of my shop before I have him throw you out!"

The man sputters, random words flying out of his mouth as he scrambles to form a sentence. Bucky grimaces at the sight and turns back to you.

"That wasn't necessary-"

"He called me a cashier."

He pauses, then nods. You were a barista first, manager second - you worked far too hard on that promotion to be demoted publicly by an asshole - and spiteful third.

You would rather let your neighbour call you Doll, than let a stranger assume your job title.

"Fair point. I'll take a coffee while I wait for you-"

You slit your eyes. "What kind of coffee, Barnes?" You grit the words out.

It's not a question, it's a warning. One he blatantly ignores as he adjusts the kitten in his arm.

He gives you a smile, the most innocent smile you've ever seen on that face of his. And that's saying a lot, you've seen all his smile and none of them are this deceiving.

A pit forms in your stomach at the glint in his eyes. Utter betrayal.

"I swear to god, if you say filter-"

"Decaf." He cuts you off, a sweet smile on his face. "I'll take decaf."

---

You had wiped down the counter three times, before finishing with your queue. Then took over making the drinks, while everyone else worked the registers.

If Bucky wasn't sure that you were making him wait on purpose, the fact that you let everyone else take their breaks first was confirmation enough.

Once you were sure he had been stewing for long enough, you took your fifteen minutes.

With a bottle of water and an empty ice cream cup, you move to the little corner booth in the back. Bucky leans back, eyeing your hands, as you approach.

"That's all you're gonna eat?" Is his question as you sit down.

"Not for me," you pour water into the cup and nudge it towards him. "It's for your new friend. Or roommate. Or whatever it is you called 'em back in the day."

He rolls his eyes, gently picking up the cat from his lap and placing it on the table. He nudges the water closer to cat.

"Now," you fold your arms on the table and rest your chin on them, watching the little thing make it's way to the water. "Tell me more about this fuzzball."

Bucky frowns and shifts slightly in his chair, slowly analysing you. You don't notice, too busy focused on the cat that shouldn't be in the shop.

For a moment, you have this wondrous look in your eye as you watch. It's there for a short moment, then it's gone. He wants it back. In your eyes, where it should always be.

You chance a look at him. "The cat?"

"Why aren't you eating?" He counters. "Isn't it your break?"

"No, it's not for another three hours." You straighten in your seat. "This is just a breather, so use it wisely."

"Okay, then what will you be eating in three hours?"

You sigh, folding your arms and leaning in your seat. "Are you asking me out for lunch, Barnes?"

He bristles. Not because of the question, but the use of his last name. He prefers Bucky, you know he does, but he's gotten so accustomed to you calling him anything other than Bucky that it worries him.

"No," he states.

Not lunch. That's not enough time, it's never enough time.

Dinner. That's a definite. Nights are longer, and you don't have to rush back to work after. It's not enough time either, but it's a gateway to breakfast. So, not lunch. Never lunch.

"Then?" You raise an eyebrow.

He retaliates by raising his. "Will you be eating lunch or working through it?"

You stare at him, eyes flicking between both blues. He stares back, something you've noticed he's good at. And knowing that stirs something inside you, something you wish you could drown.

"Yes, Barnes-" you sigh. "-I will be eating lunch."

"Good."

"I always figured Blondilocks was the mom friend of your death squad. Guess I was wrong."

Blondilocks is a nickname you reserved for Steve. It used to piss him off, but now he realises how fitting it is.

He chooses to ignore your remark. "Now, let's talk about the parking space and the cat."

"I'm innocent."

"No, you're not." He glares. "You threatened to take my parking space and now you took it."

"I plead the fifth."

"And you involved a cat. What am I supposed to do with a cat?"

"I want a lawy–" you pause, his words seeming to echo in your head. You sit up and place your hands on the table. "–wait a minute. What did I do with what cat?"

Bucky points at the kitten laying on the table. You're not seated by a window, but the rays of sunlight still reach your table – much to the furball's delight.

"The cat in my parking space." He says it like you're supposed to know what he's talking about.

Which is both amusing and upsetting, because you don't.

You blink at him. "I didn't put a cat in your parking space."

"Yes, you did."

"No, I didn't. I put something else in the parking space–" you claim, your mind flashing with the images of plates of tampon-stuffed jelly that you placed on his parking space. "–but not a living creature. I'd never abandon a living, breathing thing in a basement parking lot for payback. I'm pretty sure that's illegal."

It's Bucky's turn to be confused. The only reason he was there, at your work, was because he tried to park his car – only to find a large box in the middle of his parking spot. Inside the box, was a small pillow and bowl of milk, next to what looked like a small, white fluffy tennis ball.

He thought it was you. It made sense. The thing inconvenienced him, like something you would make sure to do. And it was added responsibility that you knew he never wanted. So, of course he thought it was you. It had to be.

"Wait, so all you found was a cat?" You frown, clearly annoyed at that little fact.

Bucky nods slowly, confused that it wasn't you. Who else could it be, if not you?

You huff. "So... You didn't get my surprise gift to you? At all?"

"There was a cat," he explains again. "In a box. That's it."

"Now that's just fucking disrespectful!" You're beyond pissed now. "I spent the entire night on those dishes."

"No need to be dramati–"

"Barnes–" you flash your eyes at him, picking up the table's salt shaker and pointing it at him. "I will use this."

His eyes narrow. "I'm not a demon–"

"I," your eyes narrow further, "will use this."

---

There's banging on your door. Loud and insistent. You don't need to ask, to know who it is.

You're also very, very aware of the fact that your mother somehow got a copy of your keys. You called her out on it, one Saturday Session, gross invasion of privacy was the term you used.

Somehow, those words twisted into something far more sinister and you left your childhood home feeling worse than you did when you walked in.

You hated those five years. Watching your mother mourn both your sister and father did things to you, things no one should ever have to go through. But watching your sister's husband –  a man you used to respect – turn into everything you hate, that had to have been the worst of it all.

You hated those five years, you hated the Avengers for not winning too. But now, with everyone back, you wish they'd lost again.

"Psst," you're on your balcony, hoping your neighbour's super serum gave him superhearing. "Barnes."

You slipped out the glass door the moment you heard a key being slipped into your front door locks. You guess your mother is either with your sister, or she gave her a copy of your keys. You made sure to close it on your way out, and hid out of sight.

"Barnes," you whisper again, "Barnes, open up. I will freeze to death out here."

A soft click sounds, followed by your neighbour's glass door opening a fraction. He sticks his head out, a frown on his face as he eyes you.

"Wha–" he inspects your attire, the only light coming from a street pole a few blocks away. "–why aren't you wearing pants?"

You stick your hand out, wiggling your fingers at him. "I will cat sit for you, if you can hide me."

The barrier, a makeshift fence, between your balconies reaches his waist in height. But you have no upper body strength so pulling yourself over it will lead to a disaster, and the amount of noise that will expose your hiding place.

Sighing, he steps out onto the balcony and gently shuts the door behind him.  It takes you moment to realise he's shirtless, and in sweatpants, then another to realise you've never seen him shirtless and in sweatpants.

You're staring. Gawking. And it's shameful, but you can't seem to pull yourself together.

It's unsettling for him, the way you're looking at him. He clears his throat but you don't seem to hear it, too far in your own mind apparently.

Your hand, the one you'd held out for him, slowly lowers to the railing and you blink. The cold air nips at your skin and you have to force yourself to look up at his eyes.

Big mistake. You think as your breath hitches, he looks like he wants to throw you off the roof, but your heart flutters a bit at the sight of his little pout.

The corner of your lips twitch. "Sorry, I didn't mean to," you begin, "you just... You do look like a gym buff in those pants."

He glares. "You gonna stare all night or what?"

You wish you could find that little part of you that wants to say yes, just so you could throw her off that balcony.

This time, you lift both your arms up and pout. "Or what."

Gentle hands grip your waist, warm and cold, and hoist you over the railing. Bucky gently sets you down, your mismatched socks barely warming your feet against the cold metal.

"This is the weirdest booty call I've ever had," you muse, trying to keep your mind off of his hands on you.

He scoffs, taking a step back. "Pretty sure that's my line, Doll–"

"–not a Doll."

"–and  I'm pretty sure this is more of a home invasion, than a booty call."

"You would know."

Sighing, he squeezed passed you to open the door. "Ladies first."

You curtsey and practically leap inside when you catch a glimpse of your glass door opening. A sharp pain slices through your arm as you land on your side.

Bucky is about to rush in, to ask if you're alright, to see if you've actually lost the remainder of your mind. Because you must have.

"Oh."

He shivers, in the worst way, at the sound of your sister's voice and is forced to abandon all thoughts of checking on you. Schooling his face takes priority now.

He turns around, grimacing slightly at her shocked expression. "Hey."

"Uh-uh–" she stammers, eyes that match yours scanning every inch of him as she does. "–uh-uh-"

Nodding, he sighs. "Yeah, sorry–" she's not the first to react like this. He's just glad that your staring didn't result in that. "–I came out for some fresh air. I should've known someone would think to do the same."

Your sister's gaping only seizes when her husband's voice echoes from your apartment. Of course she'd bring her husband.

"Oh," the asshole repeats, stepping out onto the balcony. "Hey, man. What's up?"

Bucky shrugs, forcing a smile. "I didn't know you guys were over. Woulda stopped by and said hi, if I knew."

"Oh," your sister lets a nervous laugh, waving the thought away. "No, no. We were just in the area and wanted to stop by. Ya know, check on her."

Bullshit.

They came because of the poisoned muffins.

Bucky doesn't need to force the smile anymore. "Oh, that's great. How is she?"

This is probably the first time they've managed to leave their place. Or else they would have been there earlier in the week.

The asshole shrugs. "I hope we didn't make dinner uncomfortable for you on Saturday," he adds instead. "We really enjoyed your company."

"Hmm." Bucky nods, still smiling. Near grinning now. By the third twitch of lips, he knows he has to get back inside before it's too late. "Well, goodnight."

He thought the torture was when he had to walk back, slowly, into his own place without breaking down. Then closing the door at a slow pace, as not to give anything away.

But as soon as he turned around, as soon as he saw you sitting on the floor, on his impromptu bed. Legs criss-cross, kitten by your feet, and cup of coffee in your hands. Everything changed.

"Helped myself to some coffee," you whisper, cradling the cup closer to your lips.

Torture would be the following night, and the nights after that. Where he would walk into his apartment, and not find you there – like this.

"Fuck."

----

TAGS :D : @sunflowerxbarnes , @ginger-swag-rapunzel , @arctic-duchess , @sltwins , @thewayilookatbacon , @buckyisperfect , @paryl

#Bex's 1.5K Meme Challenge #Bucky Barnes #bucky x you #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes fanfiction #reader insert #x you #x reader #neighbour!bucky #neighbours au #enemiestolovers au #marvel challenge #bucky fic #mcu x reader #to hell and back #Part 3 #bucky barnes fanfic #bucky fluff #bucky x y/n

[everyhowlmarksthedead]

❛ TWO COFFEES ❜

✨ REQUEST: Oh can I have a Nestor imagine where Miguel ends setting the pair of you up??? 💜♥️💜♥️💜

✨ MADE BY ANON.

Gif credits: to the author.

WORDS: about 1.6k.

❚❙ A/N: this writing hasn’t been edited, you may find some grammar mistakes, I’m sorry about that. If you find a description about body or a word out of place or something that makes you feel uncomfortable / unrepresented, let me know by a private message and I will change it delighted ❤ — this work also includes sentences in Spanish, as reader can speak it.

❚❙ NESTOR OCETEVA MASTERLIST.

❚❙ MASTERLIST.

❚❙ JOIN MY TAG LIST.

“Two coffees, please”.

You were with your back to him when you heard his husky voice and a soft latin tone in it. You couldn't help but raise an eyebrow with some kind of confusion at his order. Who comes to a Starbucks just asking for two coffees? Turning at the man with your lips pressed in a funny smile, you took a second to look at him behind the counter.

He is familiar to you. You know him from somewhere.

His black braids were the first thing that caught your attention, before focusing on the red and black shirt under the jacket of his suit. His hands were hidden inside the pockets of his pants, but you noticed his nervousness in the way he had closed them in two fists.

“Normal or decaf? With or without milk? Normal milk? Lactose-free? Soya milk? Almond milk? With sugar, saccharine, or mocca? With or without cream? Do you want it hot or do you want it iced?”

“Normal, no milk, no sweetener, no cream, no ice. Just two coffees”.

You were about to laugh until you heard him talking again. A tone more firm letting you know that he wasn't in the mood for jokes. You could see him gulping a little ashamed when you changed the gesture in your face, but you didn't say anything else. The order was easy and ready in less than one minute. Closing the cups and offering him, you tried to show him another gentle smile but you couldn't. Offering you ten dollars, you waved a hand between the both of you.

“It's on me… Sir”. You told him, an instant before he threw the money inside the tips jar.

Watching him leaving the cafeteria made you feel strangely bad, not knowing exactly why. Sighing as the black car, parked in front of your workplace, disappeared from your field of vision in a jiffy. You hadn't seen that man before, but you wouldn't mind seeing him again. To apologize for being so stupid, of course.

—— NESTOR POV ——

“I fucked up”.

“Yeah, we all have seen the face of that poor girl. I bet you scared her”. Miguel laughed in the back seat of his car, taking a sip from the coffee.

“What the fuck you told him, man?” Vargas stopped the vehicle at a red light, turning at his boss.

“I asked for two coffees, and she started to… give me a lot of options, like milk and sugar and I just got nervous”.

“You? Nervous?” Miguel leaned forward, placing his forearms in both seats, sticking his head out of the gap between both. “The fearless Nestor Oceteva feeling nervous?”

“Fuck off, Mickey! I've been trying to talk with her for a week”.

“Yeah, and you scared her. Did you forget you only had to scare people while you're working?” The other man raised his eyebrows, making his boss laugh behind them.

When the night came and the cafeteria had emptied of customers, you turned off most of the lights inside and locked the main door, to count the cash and write it down in the account book. Playing some soft music on your phone, you took off the green cap and the apron of the same color. It was a long day and all you can think about was in that mystery man with two braids, and who made you feel frustrated for some reason. It wasn't like you wanted to make him smile or to know his name, or maybe get his phone number. Of course not.

Knocks on the crystal door claimed your attention, turning your head towards it and interrupting your task. Gulping nervously finding two suited men with his hands tangled in a big fist, respectively, under their abdomens, you stepped out from behind the counter to lead your feet to their position.

“Are you alone?” One of them asked without any doubt in his words.

Simply nodding, the other man walked to the car parked behind them. Then, you watched Miguel Galindo coming out from it. And now, you were fucked. Of course, you knew the man who came that morning. Licking your lips, freaking out, you unlocked the door to let him walk in.

“Buenas noches”.

“Buenas noches, se—señor Galindo”.

“Are you occupied? May I come in?”

With your heart racing, you gave him enough space to pass you away to the inside.

“I'm sorry if… he tho—thought I was making… fun of him. I didn't me—mean to be disrespectful”.

Your hands were sweating, rubbing one against the other behind your back. Barely breathing. Praying anything you knew.

“Tranquila, it's okay. Do you think I came to… make you something?” His calm attitude gave you shivers. The kind of ones that put your body to tremble. The laugh that echoed all around the empty cafeteria provoked your nausea. “The truth is… you like him. He has been some days trying to encourage himself to ask you out, but my brother is a little dumb”.

Tilting your head with confusion, just like a dog would do, you narrowed your eyes not sure if he was being serious or he was teasing you to have some fun.

“I do—”.

Miguel raised a forefinger to stop you, as soon as his phone rang inside his jacket. Grabbing it from the pocket and reading the name on the screen, he answered the call with the speaker on.

“Are you fucking kidding me, Mickey? Emily just told me you went for two coffees. The fuck you have? Five fucking years old? Leave the waitress in pace!”

Feeling like shit, you bowed down your head because of his words, recognizing the voice at the instant. The man in front of you watched the gesture frowning his brow.

“Nestor, the speaker is on”.

Pi, pi, pi. He had hung up.

“List—”.

“Can you, please, leave? I think you have had enough fun. And you should be ashamed of using your position to do this kind of bullshit to someone humble, who only wants to live her life without being a target to your free time”. Trying to be polite, you pointed at the door with a hand.

“No, no, lis—”.

“If you don't leave right now, sir, I'm calling the cops”. You ruled, taking a step forward with your eyes glued to him, about to cry because of rage. The rage that helped you to lose any fears about confronting the dangerous Miguel Galindo.

In silence, he nodded only one time, turning around to leave the cafeteria. After locking the door, you let the tears fill up your eyes and run down your cheeks. Needing a little break before finishing your work and going home.

A few days have passed since then, not being able to stop thinking about it and why you. Why they decided to play that prank. It wasn't funny. At least, it wasn't funny for you. But you were sure that, later, they commented it and laughed about your gestures. Turning the filter holder of the professional coffee maker, to fit it into the gear, you can't help but look through the reflection on it over your shoulder. Your heart jumps when you find Nestor bent over the counter with both forearms, waiting to be attended to.

“What would you like, sir?” The question comes out from your mouth with a cold tone of voice, not even looking at his eyes, ready to take his order in the TPV.

“Two coffees”. He replies trying to not show any kind of emotion, taking off the sunglasses covering his dark eyes. “One like… just coffee. And another of your choice”.

Filling up the cups with the drink and securing them with the covers, you put them over the counter to grab back the money and give him the change. Holding one with his right hand, the man offers you the other with his left.

“Do you have a moment?”

“No”.

“Por favor”.

“I said no”.

“I'm going to stay here, till you say yes”. The smile curving his mouth, showing you two perfect rows of teeth, convinces you somehow.

Rolling your eyes and tapping your co-worker's shoulder, you make him a gesture to cover you to take a short break. Nestor follows you then to the back alley, not saying a word but trying to prepare a monologue to apologize. Stopping your track and facing him, having a sip from your coffee, you wave your hand waiting for something.

“I told him to not do it”.

“So… was it a bet, or what? Were you bored and thought that could be fun making me feel stupid and ashamed?”

“None of that”. His jaw tensing calls your attention, bowing his eyes to the drink between his hands. “I really wanted to ask you out, but I wasn't sure if you were going to accept. I was nervous and… Miguel thought that he could help me”.

“He didn't”.

“I know”.

“And you, shouting through the phone, either”.

“Yeah, lo siento por eso”. Looking at your eyes again, with regret, he keeps his free hand in a pocket. “If you don't want to hang out with me, it's okay. I came to apologize for what happened”.

“Thank you”. You just whisper.

He tilts his head, pressing his lips and forcing a smile. Nestor waits one second, hoping that you add something else like you would like to have a date, but you don't talk again. Giving up, he nods turning around disappointed, walking out of the alley.

But actually, you're just making him suffer a little. It's called payback.

“I'm free tomorrow night”.

With a brow raised, the man turns around, facing you some steps away.

“We can meet at Jin's chinese restaurant. At seven”.

His smile appears again, infecting you with the same gesture.

“I'll be there at six”.

“Why?” You chuckle, not understanding him.

“To not make you wait”.

“Todo un caballero…”

#lemme know what you think in a comment! ✨ #mayans mc x reader #mayans mc imagine #mayans x reader #mayans mc #nestor oceteva x reader #nestor oceteva imagine #nestor oceteva