#it's just very realistic. not realizing it yet. he's so dazed and worried about everyone else. so focused

[bloodsbane]

dunmeshi ep 11 W: they ended it on the exact shot i was hoping for - in fact, they made it even better. im living and thriving

unfortunate but necessary dunmeshi ep 11 L: they didn't include this part...

#banebabbles #dungeon meshi #i just reeeeally love him trying to stand up on a leg that isn't there anymore... #even though HE is the one who planned on this and did it very much on purpose #it's just very realistic. not realizing it yet. he's so dazed and worried about everyone else. so focused #laios..................................... #anyway i understand why it wasnt in the ep it's fine i just also like this part a lot!! #dunmeshi spoilers

[theredconversegirl]

Sneaking Out | Ficlet 🍅🌸

Hey there,

Hope everyone is doing well! 💕

I’m sharing a little something that came into mind when I saw this au name on twitter last night. 😁 I hope some ss fluff helps warm your day/night! 💜

~Happy Reading!

Title: Sneaking Out Rated T   Summary: all the characters live in the same building au / blank period / mostly dialogue / fluff & slice of life.

Links: Fanfiction | ao3  ——————————————————————————

When the "temporary" settlements are taken down, sixteen months post-war, and most of her friends end up moving to the same apartment complex, Sakura realizes it will be a lot more difficult to sneak out for the usual late night make-out sessions. 

"We need a plan," Sasuke says after she confides her concerns to him that night.

He hasn’t noticed the changes – because a) he doesn’t care about people, b) he was away for quite some time, and c) he doesn’t really care – but she had.  Every day there’s someone moving in and every day more familiar faces greet her when she’s leaving or arriving at her apartment.

"It shouldn't be as complicated as you think it will be." He tells her as though her worry is unwarranted. “We just need to use our skills; we are shinobi.”

"And so are all tenants from the 3rd to the 10th floor."

Sasuke sits down on her secondhand couch and sighs. “I can walk up the outer wall and get to your window."

"As romantic as it sounds Sasuke-kun, you could be easily spotted." The disbelieving look in his mismatched eyes prompted her to continue. "Masked chakra or not, someone could look out of the window or get on the balcony and see you.” 

“Henge?”

Sakura snorts. “And that wouldn’t look suspicious at all.” 

He glares at her and she glares right back. She gives up first, groaning as she starts to pace the room.

“Imagine the repercussions… we’d have to explain to Tsunade-shisou what you were doing climbing up a residential building wall late at night. You, Uchiha Sasuke, ex missing nin who spent the last four years plotting revenge—” 

“Tch, I get it.” Sasuke averts his eyes, but doesn’t look fazed by the touchy subject.  “You could take the stairs up to my place.”

“And risk bumping into someone?”

“Who takes the stairs when there’s that brand new metal box that takes everyone up and down here? It’s the first elevator in a non-governmental building and everyone wants to ride it.” He rolls his eyes and Sakura mirrors the action, because yeah, it’s ridiculous. They can do magic ninja stuff and people are excited by a mechanical thing that moves vertically. 

“Well... Kakashi takes his sweet time climbing the stairs to his apartment. Lee says the additional exercise is a challenge. Tenten has to follow suit when he’s around. I saw Kiba taking the stairs with Akamaru once… I guess some people just don’t like the wait.” Sakura shrugs, not dismissing the idea entirely, just  being realistic about the risks. “Besides, you wouldn’t want me bumping into Lee late at night.” 

Sasuke frowns. “Why wouldn’t I want that?”

“Because…” Sakura trails off, the very valid reason she had vanishes at the sight of a jealous Sasuke. 

He just… he looks so, so good when he’s confused and angry at the same time. His jaw ticks, his voice turns gruff, and that little pout that goes with the sullen glower completes the hottest bad boy look one can have. Why are they wasting time talking when they could be kissing? His conceited smirk snaps her out of her daze and she berates herself for falling for his trick – he knows how to distract her very well. 

“Because he'd hog me until I allow him to walk me safely back to my door.”

Sasuke groans and lets his head fall on the pillow behind him. “I'll go down to you then, problem solved.” 

“That could work, but we’d still risk Ino or someone from the hospital walking in on us.” He doesn’t say anything to that, but Sakura sees the question on his face from where she’s standing. “You haven’t been back long, so to put it simply, I’m needed in that hospital and they have the gift to need me when I’m off.”

Sakura watches with a satisfied grin as Sasuke’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. He looks at her with respect and curiosity... And damn, forget about the bad boy thing because this makes her tremble with anticipation. That look is everything she’s ever wanted.

“You're my teammate.” 

“Your female teammate, the one who has had a, uh, crush on you since forever. Stop smirking! The entire village knows.”

Sasuke cocks an eyebrow. “I thought you loved me.” 

Did he just… goad her on? The bastard has the nerve to puff up his chest and look smug while saying that.

“That’s too personal!” Sakura hides her pink cheeks when she twirls around and resumes her pacing. When she completes a full circle, their eyes meet and she sighs. “Yeah, yeah, they know.”

Three circles later, Sakura has an a-ha moment and asks, “Are you good at teleporting yet?” 

After Sasuke’s recovery and his brief trial that led to the end of the council, the Hokage authorized the Rinnegan research. Kakashi and Sasuke have been training together every other day since. Sasuke’s stamina is building up to a point he’s not completely exhausted after using his new ocular powers.

Sasuke’s mood changes immediately. The scowl on his face is telling and Sakura almost winces – he’s too proud to admit that he’s probably not quite there yet. Teleporting back and forth after training hours could drain him.

“What if,” Sakura says quickly, changing the subject. “What if we just don’t sneak out.”

“Then we won’t be spending time together?”

“But we do.”

“How so?”

“I mean what if we just don’t care if someone sees us going to each other’s apartments? We are two consenting adults and it’s none of their business anyway.” Sakura explains, chewing her bottom lip as she mulls over the various outcomes of not keeping their relationship a secret anymore.

It was not a premeditated decision to hide it in the first place. But when they have two loud-mouthed best friends, the news would blow up within hours and they just want some privacy.

It’s not like they’d be advertising their relationship or anything. And who cares if nosy people gossip about it? The only thing that matters is that they are together (and ridiculously in love). 

“You know what, this won’t keep me away from you.”

“Oh yeah? You're going to forgo any social etiquette just to have your way with me, huh?”

“As if you'd complain!” Sakura scoffs and crosses her arms. “If I don’t do that, you will. And you know why? Because you’d miss me.”

Sasuke snorts but she pays no heed to it; she knows he would never admit to that if asked. And, she can see the blush creeping up the side of his neck and the tip of his ears. Adorable.

“You’d miss me and these sugar lips.” She swipes her tongue across her mouth and notices how his eyes darken, following the movement. “Tell me I’m lying.” 

When he stands up, rather abruptly for a human but not for a shinobi, she’s forced to take a step back and crank her neck up to look at him. Sakura’s still not used to this Sasuke, tall and broad, who towers over her. 

“Come here, sugar lips.” 

He speaks with a rough, low voice, and what’s supposed to be seductive and hot-hot-hot, makes her giggle instead. Even though Sasuke’s just repeating her own words to annoy her, that’s something she’s never expected to hear.

“I can’t believe you said that. Uchiha Sasuke—”

“Shut up.” 

—called me-mmph!”

He kisses her silly that night – and all the other nights that follow – putting to rest all her doubts and worries, because he does miss her and no neighborhood gossip will keep them apart.

#theredconversegirl writes #SasuSaku #ss fic #sneaking out #all the characters live in the same building au #some fluff

[marshmallowprotection]

[Previous Post]

By his calculation, it was no real surprise that she couldn't remember anything that she'd said to him. 

She had been floating on the edge of elixir and the aftershocks it left in her system, most of what left her lips was nonsensical, at worst. She had far more clarity with her ability to speak but she had been easily distracted and confused if he let her talk without some kind of motivation. 

Ray hadn't even had to pry. It was as if she were a Goddess who truly knew everything. She knew things that Ray had to double check for their authenticity but found she was right every step of the way there. There were things that he would have otherwise had no way to know, but she was right enough for him to put every word to thought. 

She had firm thoughts and opinions, and it was precious to see her get upset over nothing. She would get so inflamed over this or that, but she spoke of the stories of himself and those around him like it was her livelihood. As if the world around them was her everything. 

However, some of her tone needed to be corrected. She spoke highly of much of the RFA, even if she was able to easily proclaim what she saw as a perceived fear or hesitance. He didn't care if she pitied the most of them… he just didn't want her to feel anything for the liar and the traitor. It's why he didn't ask about them. 

But, the rest of the members? 

He had enough information to draw out anything he wanted from them. She even had her own suggestions for what could work on them. He noted it in her phone, where she had been trying to figure out what may bring the RFA to Mint Eye. It was amusing to think she had considered it before meeting him. It was just another reminder that she was meant to be a saint to Mint Eye. 

Setting aside his feelings in knowing that her information had been given to her because of a game, he knew it didn’t matter how she got it. She wielded it with grace and luxury in her hands. She built upon the backs of what she had been handed and made it stronger... she found holes in stories and mended them by her hands. 

"Princess, relax for me," he was as gentle as he could be but she simply hadn't had the time to learn how to sit still. She was coming more and more out of her gaze so she was having such a hard time with her tremors. "I know it's hard. But I need you to look your best today." 

Either way, Ray had what he needed and plans could begin. But, right now, he had something even more important to think of. His Savior wanted to meet the person who would save Paradise with ease, his precious one. He tutted when he felt her squirm underneath his hand, smoothing out the brush against her messy curls as he did. 

Kaitlyn blinked a few times and then looked at the reflection in the mirror. She would see Ray fretting over little things as he did but she hadn’t quite realized how much work he was doing. He had taken great care to make her look exactly as radiant as she was. If they didn't see it before, they would see it in front of the Savior.

He caught her hand before it could touch her hand, and he lowered it back down onto her lap with a tight smile. He spent an awfully long time making her messy curls tighter and consistent. He didn’t want her to mess any of it up because she wasn’t in the state of mind to look at herself just yet. 

She was easily placated, though.

All it’d taken to make her listen to him in the first place was to wrap his coat around her shoulders. She stopped shivering and shaking when he did. It was almost adorable. Compared to the acidic mint and undertones of alcohol within the potion, he imagined the floral scent calmed her down. Aromatherapy was a good idea! If he could’ve taken her back to the garden... 

As the clarity was slowly returning, she seemed like in a daze and more of a frenzy. Her eyes darted all over the place as she strained to figure out where she was and why she was there. He knew that feeling, it happened often as he came out of the buzz that elixir warranted to those that survived the first trial. 

"Why…?" 

"You're meeting with my Savior, remember?" 

He frowned. What did she have to be afraid of? Did she misunderstand how lucky she was? Or, was the elixir still making her fearful to be alone with other people except for him? She would cry out with names that he couldn’t recall or know, after all. She might’ve been scared to make a fool of herself in front of his Savior. 

Something akin to fear flashed in her eyes, “I thought... I thought you said she was okay with us being together, Ray.” 

“Of course! My Savior promised that we’ll be together, but she wants to meet you so our mission can begin. After all, she wants to formally greet you as a true member of paradise! You took the elixir so well, too. It’s amazing. So, she wants you to see our paradise now that you’re able to function properly.” 

She’d seen worse. 

—

“I’m...” 

“A member of paradise,” Rika spoke with resolution. Her emerald eyes flickered over the newcomer, as if sizing her up and trying to figure out the best way to be able to pick her mind apart. “It’s a pleasure to welcome you to Magenta, for the first time, officially. While you must be surprised to be here with you, I must thank you for offering your wisdom and insight to ensure our success.” 

To put it plainly, Rika was searching for something in between the lines. Ray had said over and over that her information knew no bounds but there were parts of it that he couldn’t gain access to quite yet. She knew everything about them and yet, she was devoted to the cause. She had no doubt in her mind after what he’d shown her on that phone. 

She always imagined that she would have to tether Ray with a string to keep him to obey but now she had two tools to use at her disposal. She not only had Ray who worked himself like a dog for the smallest grain of affection, and now, this girl who would do anything for Ray and the paradise that he wanted to hold so badly. 

Photos that couldn’t exist in this world as they existed in quality unlike their own. Information about everything and everyone that nobody was ever meant to get into their hands. Reports and essays that could rival anyone in their terms of control and clarity. Her devotion to Ray was something else, and it could readily be used and manipulated. 

An idealistic young woman who believed in empathy and shining love. She was a realist but her romantic heart could sway her to be bent easily. It reminded her much of herself before she realized her true potential. A shining light was easy to capture as long as you had the right tools. 

Then, she would finally feel the light of salvation. 

This could be a useful love. 

Love built upon obsession that came from sincere bonds. Unlike the way that her former flame had done. His love had burned and devoured every part of her heart and now... she could take back her precious family from his clutches and wave this love in his face. She could use it, she could use them, and she was going to do so.

Though, Ray seemed to have dosed her with more than she expected. Her eyes still looked glossy even though she had enough clarity to realize the situation at hand. Her hand nervously fiddled with the fabric of the borrowed coat she wore, as her eyes darted left to right, not wanting to meet Rika’s gaze. 

No matter, it was a delight either way to see things working. 

Though this girl was taller than she was, she paid no mind, resting her hand against her shoulder to catch her attention. “You don’t need to worry about a thing. You’ve proven your capability already with your charming perspective, I must say, you’re a delightful read when you tear people down. You’ve seen the things I’ve always overlooked.” 

“Ah, I...” Kaitlyn murmured. It was a small nod to indicate that she’d heard what Rika said. “I... I like to study people, it’s a hobby... I’m not that great for what it's worth.” 

Oh. 

An insecurity. 

“Ray has shown me otherwise. Your words will be the very thing that save my precious mistreated family. I’m interested to hear more about what you think we should do. After all, someone as devoted as you can only know talent. Trust me, I know skill when I see it. I welcome it to our paradise because we need people like you.”

“...Thank you, Savior,” the words seemed foreign against her lips but she had managed to catch herself in time. She seemed to be good in print but in need with her actual words. “I... I’m thankful you see it that way. I’m...  I’m happy you have welcomed me.”

Rika’s attention shifted back to Ray. He seemed to be eyeing his plaything with a serious fever in his eyes. It could’ve been a problem, but... as long as she knew that this infatuation was going to secure paradise, she would allow it. It wasn’t as if they would be able to turn away from their promised future. It was a given, and Ray would never let go of it, now. 

She smiled. 

What a frightened little rabbit. 

“Ray, be a dear and see to it that she’s comfortable. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us if we want to achieve our goals within the next few months... aren’t you pleased it won’t take years to succeed now? All you’ve ever wanted, you’ve got it in your grasps. Don’t lose sight of that,” her voice was clear. “To get what you want, you must never look away from what’s ahead. No matter how ugly it seems. After all, I have a strong feeling that our dear Kaitlyn will have them on their knees soon enough.” 

His expression changed with that. His lips curled upward and he nodded, his way of saying he understood. The bloodlust in his eyes... now, that was what she wanted to hold onto. As long as he behaved, as long as he kept his dream ahead, paradise would thrive, and she would have what she wanted. Jihyun on his hands and knees, begging for mercy. 

And she’d snap him like a twig for thinking she’d given him a chance after what he did. 

Rika stepped back and Ray stepped forward. He took her by the hand and let her gaze into his eyes, that cloudy look leaving him as he played the role that he wanted. Pity, he wanted to be a prince when he was better suited for something else. Well, in due time, she thought. 

“I’ll begin preparations, my Savior. For eternal paradise.” 

“For eternal paradise, my children.”

#self insert #danger ray #drabble #mod kait

[pleaseleavemetowrite]

All my troubles on the burning pile | Tomas Shelby

warning! I don’t know all that much about the show, I’ve seen a total of 1 season so if anything is wrong please just ignore it for the sake of the fic

this also takes place before the events of the show, like significantly before. Also Tommy is probably ooc but idk i like it 

Also if (Y/n) is annoying at some points just please keep in mind that during some parts she’s literally a six year old 

———————————————————————

Small Heath remembered the day the men got sent away for war vividly. Boys were swept away from their families arms far too young, Fathers were dragged away from their children, and lovers were ripped away from each other some old and some young. It's hard to forget a day like that. But that is only increased when a roaring fire illuminated for what seemed to be miles from the old field where it originated.  Some would tell you it seemed like hellfire, nothing but retaliation from a stupid teenager who felt too much and didn't have enough discipline. Others would tell you it was a heartbreaking scene, a pitiful display of how everyone felt to some capacity. But only (Y/n) would be able to tell you how it really was, an explosion of too much yet not enough. Like being in a limbo where nothing feels real but the consequences do. 

She remembered her friends telling her to go as it looked dreadful but she told them to simply get lost if they didn't like it, then telling her youngest brother to just go home and tell mum that she'll be back soon. Then as pitch black settled in the sky, she remembers Ada Shelby approaching her, the fire building in intensity and height, and simply pulling her close. Hugging her. And (Y/n) broke. All the rage bubbling up became still and transformed to immense despair, tying her insides into knots and clouding everything. She felt cold despite the building heat of the flames that danced in the air. 

Ada rubbed circles in the older girls skin, soothing her slightly. Ada already missed her brothers dearly and couldn't imagine how (Y/n) was feeling. With the idea of marriage going from a realistic event to something that couldn't even be guaranteed, (Y/n) was going to have a few rough years ahead of her if she carried on the way she was. 

"Always the firebug, eh?" The nickname easily slipped out the younger girl's mouth. (Y/n)'s mouth slightly uplifted at the familiar nickname. (Y/n) had known the Shelby family ever since she was young with her being the same age as Tommy and seemingly clinging to the boy like glue it was inevitable she would grow attached to the rest of the family like they did to her in return. However, that doesn't mean that they were exempt from the surprise that was her impromptu fire starting but after knowing (Y/n) for a while to became easy for them to guess when a fire was upon them. And because of this, the nickname of firebug seemed to be obvious. 

The Shelby family remembers the day that (Y/n) started her first fire in the abandoned field. She was no older 6. Having grabbed a hold of a lighter from god knows where and gathering as many sticks as she could and setting them aflame. However, it also turns out that children don't know a lot about how lighters or how fast a fire can spread. So, (Y/n) accidently sprung the lighter to life again and burned her hand, dropping the lighter and setting the dead grass alight a long with it. And while (Y/n) couldn't stop the screams that escaped her she also couldn't stop the excitement she felt from seeing the flames lick at the ground. And coincidently, Tommy had gone looking for the girl as she had been gone for around an hour which wouldn't have been strange for other people their age, but (Y/n) wasn't normal. She practically wouldn't leave him be until the sunset and they were called to their respective houses, so her sudden absence was a little worrying for the young boy. And he ran as fast he could once he heard the familiar shriek he had grown to know in the short time he had known her. 

There she was, the lighter on the burning floor as she backed away from the flames that seemed to follow her until she bumped into someone. She was startled and feared being in trouble so she quickly turned around and seemed relived to find Tommy, her new best friend. She quickly hugged the shorter boy, "My hero! It's too bad I'm taller then you." Tommy rolled his eyes, "What is that!?" He nodded at the fire.

Despite her previous comment, (Y/n) suddenly felt quite small. The fear of losing her new friend gripped at her, making her small limbs lock up. "It doesn't matter ok! It's alwayyys rainy so it will be gone soon anyway, so stop being stupid." (Y/n) suddenly became defensive, gripping her burned hand but stopping once she remembered how much it hurt. And suddenly, (Y/n) began to cry as she realized it may not rain and she will in fact get in trouble and damn did her hand hurt. Tommy became alarmed at her sudden tears, and noticed her hand. "You don't need to cry! Can't your mum just help your hand." "But Tommy! What if it doesn't rain." Tommy was now confused he didn't see what the rain had to do with the burn on her hand. 

But that didn't matter either, as with seeming perfect timing, it began to rain. Heavily. This relieved the girl, seeming to not care about her injury anymore. Tommy however, did still care and insisted on walking her to her house despite his house being on the other end of the street. This then lead to (Y/n) having a bandage on her hand and Tommy having a cold for a week. It was then that the Shelby's and (L/n)'s knew it wouldn't be the last time something like that happened. 

One incident that not everyone knew about was yet another fire that was caused by (Y/n) at around 15. She had once again decided she wanted fire but this time Tommy was by her side, holding a box of broken items. Some of them belonging to the pair some it being something neither of them seemed to fully recognize. "You can't keep at this you know, someone will catch you one day and doubt they will forgive you so easily." Tommy said, his voice even, he wasn't mad at her. He just knew of what may happen if she is caught by someone other then him or his brothers. (Y/n) nodded as the fire sprung to life, and gestured for Tommy to throw the box in. Wordlessly, Tommy threw it in.

However, due to the density of some of the times, not everything in the box was catching fire. So carefully, Tommy began to kick the box trying to make it catch. But he didn't seem to see that it worked and that the flames were growing. (Y/n) panicking, pulled Tommy back and watched as the fire grew right where he was previously. Tommy looked down at her in gratitude as she looked away, as although she would never say it aloud she had been harboring feelings for Tommy for some time now. And before she could say anything, Tommy said, "My hero! too bad I'm taller then you." A grin tugging at his lips as he saw (Y/n) begin to laugh in disbelief at the vaguely familiar statement. "Thomas Shelby! you tosser." She gently pushed him, laughing lightly.  

"Well there goes all my troubles on the burning pile." (Y/n) said smiling, as Tommy wrapped his arm around her shoulder, tugging her body towards his. "And if you catch fire?" Tommy asked, despite the statement being extremely hypocritical from him because of what had just had happened. "Then I'll change my aim and throw my woes at the world instead." (Y/n) said gazing into the flames in front of her. "I wouldn't expect anything less." Silence followed Tommy's statement. It was comforting, as the cool summers evening began to start its slow conclusion, the warmth of the fire fought any possible cold breeze and the two teenagers stayed close and unaware the other was trying to ignore their feelings. 

However, it seems that their feelings were too much to simply move aside as that very night the pair confessed, much to their friends and families' relief. 

(Y/n) was pulled out of her reminiscent daze when Ada asked, "What are you burning?" "My troubles." Ada seemed to understand the vague statement. "I assume soon you'll be burning letters that "aren't quite right" soon?" Ada asked a light teasing tone in her voice in a hope to lighten the mood. It seemed to work as (Y/n) replied, "And you expected anything less?" Ada lightly shook her head as she smiled at the woman she'd grown to see as a sister. "He'll be back one day (Y/n)" "Well I sure hope so the tosser still has to make me his wife." 

The two young women laughed, still worried for the future but feeling better then they did before. 

#tommy shelby #tommy shelby x reader #peaky blinders x reader #thomas shelby #thomas shelby x reader

[themadauthorshatter]

SOOOOOOO... I just wrote this in my Group Chat and someone told me to write a fanfic based on it. I'll try to keep everyone as realistic as possible, but who am I kidding, only the creator and fellow fans are the judges here. Thomas, if you happen to read this, I'm sorry if it's a little to fanfiction-y!!!!!😫😫😫😫😫

A quick diaclaimer: this is how I THINK Sanders Sides will end, like the last minute or so. Orange will not be mentioned, as he is total speculation and we haven't even met him yet I will also be leaving a character unnamed, because it feels weird to me, please don't judge😫.

With that out of the way, buckle in because it's going to be a feels roller coaster:

The sun was higher than usual during the time in year, the humidity low and heat more forgiving than usual. It was more crowded than usual, but the hustle and bustle of town goers was worth every step taken with the man beside him.

Thomas tried to hide the silly grin playing across his face, though stupid was more or less the more appropriate word.

He couldn't help himself, not when his hand was nestled in another's.

The male that strode beside him was an angel fallen from grace, as Thomas had said the day they'd met, his words as clumsy as his footing and posture in the moment.

It was fortunate that the male was single and oriented the same way as him; who knows what would've been had this man been another's, or even straight? What if he had merely faked it, an act to win Thomas's heart and expose him and call him a sinner? Or a fool? What if it was like the films and books where the character everyone had fallen in love with was ultimately too good to be true? A wolf in sheep's clothing? A snake?

Thomas snickered quietly at the memory, a simple effort to shrug off the anxiety rising in his chest. Get it together, Sanders. You two have known each other for almost a year now.

And what a quiet year it had been.

The anxiety bled into a heavy ache, pulling his lips down.

Without them.

"Thomas? Thomas?"

Thomas snapped out of his thoughts.

"S-sorry, what were we talking about?"

"Joan, remember? They're wedding to Talyn?"

Joan and Talyn.

Despite his prior experience, the ceremony had been one of celebration and excitement for all that had attended, especially Thomas, who nearly cried at the sight of his two best friends exchanging their vows and placing rings on each other's fingers.

It had been one of few times Joan was without their beanie, where they'd smiled for more than a mere joke.

It had been the few times Talyn had been so jumpy, when their eyes watered at the sight of Joan as they wept, "I do."

It had also been where Thomas had completely fallen over himself introducing himself to his now partner, to the man he loved so dearly.

"Oh, yeah," realized Thomas. "Where we met."

He hadn't meant to bring up the subject; it had been a spur of the moment, a consequence of reminiscing.

"Would you believe me if I said I almost died when I saw you?"

I don't know. I'm the one who called you an angel. "You...You did?"

"Yeah." A cat-like smile grew on the other's face. "Because you stole my heart."

A laugh rushed out of Thomas's mouth. "That is not how the joke goes!" He yipped through gasps of air and chuckles.

"I'm being dead serious, Thomas. You took my breathe away."

"In that case, I better get a place in heaven."

"Only if the man upstairs allows me, which he obviously will."

That's right, a voice called, a slight octave higher than Thomas's. You had best believe you have a spot beyond the pearly gates, kiddo.

Thomas peered over his partner's shoulder, letting his fingers slip out of the others.

There, in the dark, slightly blurred glass of the window to the store, stood a spectacled figure clad in a powder blue outfit meant more for golf than a leisurely walk, even with the grey cardigan slung over his shoulders and tied loosely around his neck, the white embroidered paws showing clear as day.

Thomas's vision blurred as his eyes began to sting.

He stood with a gentle smile on his face, proud as the father he always had been, even when it wasn't necessary. His smile widened, holding two thumbs up. Don't worry about a thing, kiddo. You're doing great!

"Thomas?"

"Coming," Thomas blurted as he rubbed his eyes and jogged to his partner. "Sorry, just saw something for a moment." Think of something, he cursed to himself. "We're almost at the restaurant, by the way."

Thomas nearly yelped when a hand pressed against his shoulder.

"This one?" The other inquired as he jerked his thumb to the building beside them.

"Wait." Thomas turned and moved two paces forward before pivoting and returning to his partner's side, gazing at the establishment. "Yep," he said with a nod. "Guess I lost track of where it was." It was further away, last time.

His partner chuckled quietly. "Come on. I need to make sure this food you're always going on about isn't another one of your jokes."

"You'll pull strings to get me in heaven, we're even," Thomas snickered back.

Not the most ideal response, as this is your fifth outing together and you keep undermining a certain feeling of affection and your potential desire to... let out how this desire is making you feel.

He didn't see in as easily as Patton, if anything he couldn't see him at all, but he heard him all the same, low and blunt as if he'd been abruptly awoken.

"You're really dead set on making me like this place, aren't you?" asked the other as the pair took theor seats.

"It's the best, guaranteed, or I'll stay here when I die, no tricks."

"Very well, Mister Sanders," his partner said with a wink.

Thomas fought a grin.

Very good. Remember, he wants to spend his leisurely time with you as much as you want to spend said time with him. Keep a healthy balance with how you talk to him, and don't get ahead of yourself with how this is going.

Got it. His eyes darted to the corner of the menu, a warped figure adjusting his tie, the blue, purple, and grey starkly contrasting the black of his short sleeved shirt. Thanks, Logan.

The ache from earlier returned, its bite harsher now.

"Thomas, what's wrong?"

"What?"

His partner leaned his elbows on the table, an eyebrow cocked upward.

Thomas bit his lip, bracing himself for inevitable interrogation. How is he this good at seeing through me?

Because you need to keep practicing, Thomas.

Thomas gulped as he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. You, too?

"You've been acting wierd since we got into town. What's wrong?" The other reached across the table and locked Thomas's fingers in his hand. "Whatever's bothering you, just tell me. I'm here for, Thomas."

The words stuck in Thomas's throat, a big lump that situated itself precisely at his Adam's apple and dug in to keep the words from pouring out.

It didn't help that a snake was whispering into his ear.

You can't tell him about us, Thomas. Joan, maybe, you've know them for years, but him? You'll be spending Christmas in a straight jacket, not his arms.

The image was vivid enough to be another of Remus's antics.

"I'm fine. Really," Thomas assured as he returned his partner's gesture, holding his hand tightly to ensure he had heard what he had said. "I've just been a little spacey, that's all."

The answer was rash at best, but it soothed the other all the same as he smiled and gave a nod. "If you say so."

Happy, Janus?

Are you happy, Thomas?

Thomas bit his tongue.

He wasn't happy with lying to his friend, his most trusted confidant, but it was better he didn't know about the personified aspects that had aided Thomas through his worst moments and made his best moments even better.

Thomas barely read the menu, the words blurry and dazed.

Was it possible to miss people so much when they hardly existed in the first place? A book or movie, maybe, but even those were different.

Their names and faces flashed through Thomas's mind.

Patton.

Stop it, he snapped to himself.

Logan.

Stop.

His eyes stung once more, urging him to turn away and unwittingly meet a harsher sight:

Across the street, a gentle smirk across his face as he sauntered down the sidewalk, long hair flowing behind him in a stream of brown-black.

The salt on the wound was his paramour, a bleached blonde with crimnson lips and magenta tinted eyelids, her cheeks artificially flushed rouge. Her outfit was typical for the warm weather, even if it was still indecent. Denim shorts, a crop top, and a pair of beach scandals.

She clung to his arm like he was a purse, her laugh high and screechy.

Don't look, a voice cautioned. Turn around.

It was hard to obey the third voice; the sight was like a knife to the back.

If this was Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, this was the moment the emperor was stabbed in the back.

Look away, the third voice demanded, growling like a lion or any other ferocious beast. You're hurting yourself more, now look away!

"Thomas?"

Don't look, Thomas willed. Please don't look. Just keep walking.

His eyes left the woman's, his smile dropped, the carefree bravado had fallen away like grains of sand in water.

The lump in Thomas's throat swelled further as his cheeks became heated and wet.

Run.

"I-I'm sorry," Thomas choked. "I need to-to go to the bathroom!"

His feet moved faster than his mind, more nimbly than he thought, stepping passed any waitors, waitresses, and other customers to the bathroom.

Why now!? Thomas cursed as he leaned against the sink. Of all times you could've come back, why right now!?

Because he's getting a little freaked out, don't you think?

Thomas nearly drove his fist into the mirror, if only to avoid having to look at himself or the him donned in black and purple with half mooned shadows under his eyes, the shade matching the outfit.

I don't want to scare you or anything, but-

"SHUT UP!" Thomas roared as he clutched his head. "SHUT UP, DAMN IT!"

Half of him prayed no one would entered, but the other begged for his partner, begged for the other to hold him close and not let go.

He quickly turned the sink on, throwing water on his face.

"I was having a good day, too. How can it get worse?" Thomas muttered as he let the water drip off his face and hair.

His question was answered when the door slammed open and his partner rushed in.

The clouds opened up and God said, "I hate you, Thomas Sanders."

"Just shut up," Thomas wept as quietly as he could.

"Thomas, stop lying. Tell me what's wrong."

The words caught in his throat once more, only strained syllables barely escaping his lips. "I-...I-"

The other pulled Thomas off the sink and held him at arm's length by his flushed face, now soaked with tears and tap water.

"Thomas, please. You mean worlds to me and I cannot see you beat yourself up over something. Tell me what's going on, and tell the truth."

#sanders sides #first fanfic #part 1

[ariannjs]

HAPPY | A SasuSaku Short FanFic (1/4)

For Day 4 (City Lights) of SasuSaku Month 2019 - @sasuxsakumonth

This fic was inspired by the Filipino celebrity pair/loveteam called “AlDub” (based from their screen names: Alden & Yaya Dub) or “MaiChard” (their real names: Maine Mendoza & Richard Faulkerson, Jr.). The plot and content have nothing to do with the said actors, but I based the idea for this fic from the themes of Maine’s two most controversial blog posts.

Rating: K+

Summary: The truth was loud and clear, that the combination of pink and green wasn’t meant to be with black and blue – both professionally and realistically.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and AlDub.

Warning: Get some tissues.

Enjoy reading!

...or not.

---

[sakuraharunotes.com/official-blogs]

Hey, Blossoms! It’s been a while! I know I haven’t touched this blog since my open letter half a year ago, but I have important things to share with you – finally – as you read this.

First, I want to thank everyone who has been tweeting me or commenting on my posts to ask about how I am doing every now and then. I may not be able to reply but I’m really grateful to know that there are still some of you guys who care so much about me (despite the amount of fans-turned-to-bashers that came out since the last time I opened up through this blog). 

To answer your queries – I’ve been very fine, really. 

I’ve been a lot happier. 

I’ve been a lot me. 

It took some time, but when I posted that open letter about me feeling like I was losing myself within the whirlwind that is show business – because of all the overwhelming requests (demands) of our loveteam’s fandom – it helped me to be more genuine with myself.

For once, I’m living and working as I should, not as I’m told. And I’m doing things as Sakura, not as any other role.

So yes, I’ve been very fine even though you guys haven’t seen me much on social media. And I’ll always be grateful for all of you who have stayed, respecting me and caring for me as a person, and not just as a celebrity that you often see onscreen.

Second, I know there had been lots of speculations about this but I never answered yet because I know that there would be another uproar that could cause unnecessary hate to a special person in my life. 

That’s what I want to avoid, honestly. I’ve already received tons of hate after I voiced out my thoughts through my open letter that eventually led to the needed separation of my former loveteam. And having a special person receiving hate as well – just because people prefer someone else as the one I should love – is something that I wouldn’t tolerate anymore.

But yes, I want the truth to come from me: I’m officially confirming that I’m happily dating Sasori Akasuna. 

Since when? I’m not gonna tell. 

How? I don’t think I’m required to divulge that. 

Why? Wait a sec—are you kidding me? Cos my answer to that is: Why not?

Although I am deeply flattered with your love for me and my leading man for four years, I have already mentioned in my open letter that Sasuke and I are only friends and workmates in the industry. Up until now. And just because you’re supporting our loveteam, and you’re paying for our movies, or you’re managing fan accounts for us, doesn’t mean that you could dictate us about the matters of our hearts.

Even though we love you, we have our personal lives and individual decisions that need some respect too. After all, whatever you see onscreen doesn’t necessarily reflect our real lives. 

So really, to ask me why I’m dating Sasori is as if you’re asking me why I’m making decisions for my own life.

To give you some sort of peace, Sasori makes me incredibly happy in ways I have never imagined. He cares for me even better than I care for myself. And my family adores him, probably even more than they adore me! Haha. 

What I want to say is that (for my true supporters), you guys don’t have to worry if I have chosen the wrong guy. And (for my former supporters), I understand that there are things (or a person) that you think is the best for me but honestly, at the end of the day, the decision is still mine. 

And now that the truth is out in the open, I truly can’t wait for everything else that is in store for us throughout this year. But what I can assure you all is this: I’m feeling a lot better than I’ve ever been since I’ve entered showbiz, and one of the reasons that contributed to this is my newly found freedom to finally be true to myself without being afraid of what people would say. 

I hope all my fans would respect this.

So thank you, really. For sticking around. It really means a lot to me that you’re supporting not just the Sakura or other roles of me that you see onscreen, but also the real Sakura behind the scenes.

All the things that you’ve done for us as SasuSaku will always be a part of my sweetest memories. But I hope you would continue to support me, and Sasuke, despite going our separate endeavours as artists. I am pretty sure that he’s meant for greater things, even without me as his leading lady. And I can’t wait to see that from afar.

Til next time, Blossoms! Continue blooming where you’re planted! 

— Sakura H.

-

He shut his macbook, albeit with a little more force, as his other hand pinched the bridge of his nose. He remembered reading another post from the same website months ago, and the way he felt after reading it wasn’t like this.

Back then, he felt proud of her. For standing up for herself in a world that tried to manipulate her just because she’s the best leading lady for Sasuke Uchiha, realizing that she has a life of her own and she wasn’t meant to please people even if the fans were basically the ones who made them the most sought-after loveteam of their generation. Amidst the sea of facade, she decided to choose to be real. That personality development that was vivid in her open letter posted six months prior was enough to make him so proud of her.

His head whipped around his bachelor pad, seeing black and blue here and there. His mind traced back to seeing a tinge of pink and green in this same place every once in a while, but as his gaze landed on his macbook once again, it hit him like a tsunami that seeing pink and green here will never happen again. 

That’s why the feeling was different now. 

The truth was loud and clear, that the combination of pink and green wasn’t meant to be with black and blue – both professionally and realistically.

A week after her open letter, they found themselves seated in front of their main manager, setting a new arrangement for the two of them so as to lessen the uproar of fans’ expectations on the world’s sensational loveteam SasuSaku – as their fans called them – with the projects that they were a part of. 

The Music Show that they were hosting alongside another love team – NaruHina – had a drastic adjustment in terms of who would report on the field and in the studio. It wasn’t VJ Sasuke and VJ Sakura together in the studio or on the field anymore. But it was VJ Sasuke in the studio, and VJ Sakura on the field.

They also didn’t have commercials or magazine shoots together anymore, let alone movie projects even after their worldwide blockbuster hit movie entitled “The First,” which was ironically their last.

Although he was discreetly uncomfortable with the idea, considering the fact that this was totally new to their four-year status quo, Sasuke complied and adapted to the changes.

At first, he thought it was just the adjustments that made it difficult. But it suddenly dawned on him when he was offered a project with a new redhead leading lady that it wasn’t just about missing his old routines anymore.

He missed her.

Damn. He totally missed her.

There’s no more continuous chatter from his passenger seat on their way home after shoots.

No more pink strands on his shoulder during long flights.

No more lazy good mornings and good night hugs in their offsite tents. 

No more Sakura.

It was on times that Sasuke was very worn out after coming from the gym or a commercial shoot that the reality of this sank further in his mind. Parked in front of his condo one night, he unconsciously glanced at his passenger seat and blinked as a blurred pink suddenly clouded his vision, or so he thought.

He drove her to her place like the usual, but tonight, he wasn’t able to stop himself from staring at her after turning off the engine of his car. 

Gladly, she stared back as if it was the most normal thing to do at a time like that, which only urged him to slowly lean in, pausing slightly as if to ask her permission, before capturing her lips with his.

It wasn’t their first kiss. But it was their first without a number of cameras recording every angle of the contact. 

And Sasuke liked it. He liked how slow and achingly beautiful the moment was, until they both pulled away, breathless and flushed.

A part of him wished this was how his every night ends and how his every morning starts. But for now, he could only continue to stare at those green pools that never failed to draw him in, whether it’s filmed or not.

As he lifted a hand to tuck a few strands of her hair behind her ear, she then chuckled. “That was one heck of a good practice for our next scene, huh?”

And just like that, he was suddenly out of his daze as if a blue electric current coursed through his veins.

“Thanks for the ride. Goodnight...Zeke.”

The next thing he knew, she was already out the door of his car, leaving him blinking once, twice, as his brain slowly processed what had happened. His hand then collided with the steering wheel. “Damn it!”

What he didn’t realize was that their little moment was quite similar to the one on their recent script. 

Groaning, his face fell on his hands. Did she really think he was still on work mode?! He wasn’t being Zeke! He was being Sasuke! 

That night, he went home without touching the said script even though he had some lines that he needed to memorize for the next day.

Just thinking about it now, he wished he didn’t become complacent. Heck, when he entered the show business he was already aware of the fact that nothing is constant in it. He had seen how the ones before him and even those that started alongside him didn’t really have careers that remained skyrocketing. 

He was only one of the fortunate ones and it all began when an undeniable chemistry was seen between him and Sakura on a TV series that aired five years ago. 

While he was still paired up with her, he realized he should’ve made the most out of the time they had. He should’ve told her that his feelings weren’t that of Landon’s, nor Zeke’s, nor Marq’s anymore. 

Instead, his feelings were – are – of Sasuke’s.

But like what people always say, regret comes in the end.

And indeed, it came. Like a wildfire.

---

(Happy - PART 2)

---

This was done weeks ago but I posted it days late for Day 4 because a lot of things had happened lately, hahahuhu. Let me know what you guys think! This is my very first SS angst so I’d love to know your feedback on my writing! <3

Check out my other works here! It you like what I do, kindly consider supporting me on ko-fi or patreon. I’m also saving up for a special post-birthday trip this November so your support would mean a lot to me!♥️

---

June 2019 | AriannJS

#SasuSaku #SSM19 #SSM19D4 #SasuSaku angst #Happy Part 1 #ariannjfics #SasuSaku Month 2019

[bubble-tea-bunny]

down for the count 

[steve harrington x reader]

author’s note: i always enjoy writing fics like this one, w/ a more fun, sort of sarcastic tone but i find it kinda difficult. i can’t force it; just gotta let it happen. listened to this on repeat which def helped get me in the right mood. hope y’all enjoy fanboy steve lol

word count: 2,103

Steve has kind of… sort of… always been a fan. But then again, who wasn’t? The Hawkins High School girls volleyball team is one of the strongest, if not the strongest, in the league, and has gone undefeated this season. There had been some close calls, neck-and-neck games with a rival team who was also vying for the number one spot. One doesn’t have to ask who ended up winning the whole shebang this year, because there’s a shiny new trophy sitting in the glass case in the hallway, behind which rests a picture of this year’s team. You’re in the front, balancing yourself on one bent knee and atop the other you keep the volleyball, holding it in place with your hand.

The team owes a lot of its success to you, as captain, and in more ways than one. Perhaps the most obvious reason is the skill you exhibit. You play club, meaning you live and breathe the sport. Everyone’s pretty sure that’s your full-ride ticket into college. But you neither confirm nor deny that, not wanting to show off (admittedly all the attention does make you a tad uncomfortable). The second reason you seem to be the source of the team’s undefeated season is that you’re the glue that holds everyone together. During the more intense games, the stress on your teammates’ faces isn’t difficult to miss, and you’re there in an instant, just as high-strung, but pushing them on, pushing you all on. You believe in every single one of them, in their ability to do so much more, and maybe it’s a bit melodramatic to say these things in the context of high school volleyball, but it goes beyond that. Your encouragement follows them off the court, and they know they will always find a friend in you.

All these things taken into consideration, perhaps it’s not so hard to tell why Steve is as big a fan as he is. And if someone asked him to admit it, what he thought of you, he might not do so out loud, but whenever you walk past him and he catches a whiff of your lavender shampoo and his eyes follow you, unabashedly staring as you continue down the hall, and his friend has to tap on his shoulder to let him know he’s bordering on the creepy side, well, that’s how he confesses the way he feels. He thinks you’re perfect. Too perfect for him, in fact.

Which seems ass-backwards, as he has been told multiple times by close friends when they catch him giving you heart-eyes, thank you very much. He’s Steve fucking Harrington—he could have any girl he wanted! (Their words, not his.) But it’s only met with a roll of his eyes so hard he’s surprised they don’t detach from the sockets. And he scoffs and tells them you’re [Name] fucking [Last Name], star athlete (this is accompanied by a sarcastic sweeping motion of his hand) and there’s no way you’d be interested in the likes of him, Harrington charm (“—and hair!” he adds quickly, because he can see one of them is about to say it) or no.

He’d like to consider himself your number one cheerleader, showing up to all the home games, cheering whenever Hawkins gets a point and cheering just a little louder when it’s you who’s made the shot. You glance over at the bleachers during those moments, smiling at what he would like to think is him, but it’s most likely aimed at your friends sitting a few rows behind him. Sometimes he wonders if you remember his name. Being in the same PE class and all, it’s a name you’ll have heard daily during roll call. Then the next thing to cross his mind is if you could pair the name to his face. Hearing it is one thing, but matching it to him is a whole different matter. He doubts you’ve so much as glanced his way, the longest you ever have being during dodgeball and with your sights trained on him, you’d chucked the ball in your lithe hands straight at him so hard he could swear it whistled through the air. (It nailed him in the stomach and he clutched at his torso the whole shameful walk over to the bench.)

When the teacher announces that today you’ll all be playing volleyball, Steve automatically glances over at you on the other side of the bleachers, where all of you sit for roll call. You don’t look overly excited or anything, just a small smile on your face, but that smile always seems to be there. He can hear some people around him muttering they hope they’re on your team. But this is followed by groans when the teacher draws an imaginary line down the center of the class with an outstretched hand, splitting the teams that way. That puts Steve on the opposite side of you, and while he doesn’t voice it, he can’t help but silently agree with the others on his team that they’ll most definitely be losing by a landslide.

“Maybe she’ll go easy,” someone says.

It’s met with a laugh. “I bet you we’ll still lose.”

You definitely don’t play with the same force as you do during games, but even your casual pace is hard to keep up with. There’s a gap between your scores (your team in the lead) but nothing huge. It’s a realistic gap they can close. The current point has you and Steve in the center spot of the front row. You both stand with feet apart and all Steve can think is how pretty you are. You’re smiling at him, for it’s easy to spot his staring when he’s right across from you, and you don’t break eye contact. Your team has the serve, and when you hear your teammate bouncing the ball in preparation, you bend your knees slightly, keeping your back straight—textbook ready position. And because Steve has been watching you all the while, he mirrors it subconsciously, but he’s sure his form doesn’t look nearly as good (and he does not—does not—mean that in a perverted way. No siree).

The subsequent rally is probably the longest one yet. For most of the game thus far you’ve tried to open up opportunities for others on your team to hit the ball, setting up shots for them, and that’s no different for this point. But when someone sets the ball up high, it lines up right in front of you, which pretty much means it’s your shot. The whole time you’ve avoided spiking (at least not hard), but when the ball is falling back down in a perfectly straight line, instinct kicks in, and you meet it with a jump, wrist snapping down to drive the ball into the glossy gym floor. Except it doesn’t hit the glossy gym floor. It hits Steve in the face.

All he can think when it makes impact and he’s falling to the ground in a crumpled heap is that this is most definitely his fault. He’d been too distracted watching you that he hadn’t even processed the ball was coming straight for him, and he’d failed to even put up his arms to block it. The ball rolls away but no one is paying it any mind as they all look at him worriedly—you most of all. You cover your mouth with your hands, eyes wide in concern and guilt quickly festering. You duck beneath the net and approach him, sitting on your knees next to him where he lays on the ground.

“Oh my gosh, Steve, are you okay?” you ask. His nose has started bleeding and you feel even worse. He’s looking up at you with squinted eyes, clearly dazed.

The light shining in from the windows behind you makes you look like an angel and Steve wonders if he’s died because that’s the only way he thinks he’d be graced with such a sight. He’s owing his use of overly poetic (and cheesy as hell) language typically absent from his vocabulary to his maybe-concussion. And immediately after considering he might actually be concussed, he realizes you said his name. You remember it. You know who he is. He’d be more excited if the blood from his nose hadn’t just reached his lips and if his head weren’t pounding like a motherfucker.

Upon the teacher’s instruction, a fellow classmate leads Steve to the restroom. You watch them walk off with a small frown on your face, and when the game continues, you avoid anymore spikes. Truthfully, you’re not paying much attention anymore. All you’re thinking about is Steve and how you really hope it’s not anything too bad. You’ll need to find him later to apologize. Profusely.

Luckily it’s not a concussion. Just a killer headache. Steve emerges from the nurse’s office and sighs heavily, pausing a moment in front of the door to set a hand on his temple, waiting for the throbbing to ease up so he can walk without feeling like he’s about to tip over. That’s where you find him, and you rush up to him, cringing slightly as you watch him rub his forehead.

“Hey, not too bad I hope?” you inquire softly so as not to startle him.

Steve opens his eyes to find you standing before him in normal clothes once again, your brows furrowed. Your cheeks are flustered as well, an obvious sign you’d just been in PE. He smiles and nods, appreciative of your concern. “No concussion.”

“That’s good.” You smile back, more at ease now but not any less guilty. “I’m really, really sorry about that. I wasn’t aiming for your face, I promise.”

At this, Steve can’t help but laugh. “Don’t worry about it. I should’ve been paying more attention.”

“Still… I shouldn’t have gotten carried away like that.” You sigh.

“You know, this might just be the almost-concussion talking, but I feel sort of honored that you spiked me in the face.”

This elicits a laugh from you, and Steve likes the way it sounds. A lot. A part of him can’t really believe he’s having a conversation with you, even if it is due to you having injured him, and it’s one that’s a lot easier to carry than he thought it would be. You’re just so friendly. It makes him wonder why he was so scared in the first place. And when he tells himself this, he can’t help the way he continues speaking, and before he realizes just what he’s saying, the words are already out in the open, as if he’d momentarily been possessed by someone else. It’s like even otherworldly forces are rooting for him and when he didn’t have the balls to do it himself, they ran out of patience and did it for him.

“But if you really wanted to make it up to me, maybe you could let me take you to the café downtown?”

You almost don’t think you heard Steve right, but he’s smiling nervously and there’s hope flittering in his eyes and you know you’d heard him perfectly fine. At least you can owe the flush of your cheeks to the fact you’d just been in the gym for PE. But it’s difficult to excuse your goofy smile, which you try to keep down by biting your lip. (You’re failing.)

“Sure.” You nod. “What time did you have in mind?”

Steve doesn’t answer right away, mostly because he’s transfixed on your cute grin. He wants to tell you he likes when you smile and he doesn’t want you to hide it, but he figures he can always bring that up later. “Is after school today all right with you?”

“That’s perfect.”

“Great.”

“Great.” You purse your lips and your smile is the tiniest bit shyer, if Steve isn’t imagining anything. He’s fairly certain he’s not, but at the same time he can’t be too sure since that ball to the face is still making him a little woozy. “I’ll see you later then.”

“You will.” Steve smiles and watches as you proceed to walk down the hall, and at one point you glance over your shoulder at him, pink lips curled up slightly in a smile almost feline and pink cheeks making you glow. The end of the school day can’t come fast enough, and all he’s seeing in his mind’s eye as he goes from class to class is your dimpled beam, bright and beautiful as the sun.  

#steve harrington x reader #steve harrington imagine #stranger things #stranger things imagine #steve harrington #queue #bubble-tea-bunny

[the-jade-cross]

Journey to Middle Earth - Chapter 5

Summary – What if JRR Tolkien never gave Thorin a love story… because the person that was meant to be Thorin’s was not yet born when he wrote the Hobbit? Sara journeys from her world to Middle Earth after an accident, with a mission. To change something about the Hobbit story… but she is not sure what. What she does not know is that while trying to prevent something from happening, something new might arise between her and the dwarf prince….even if it is not on the agenda!

Warnings – None, no explicit scenes, some kissing, violence, frightening creatures, mentions of abuse.

Pairings – Thorin Oakenshield x OC

When they stopped later that afternoon, the rain had long stopped and the whole company had dried off from the rain.

Thorin chose a small clearing in the woods for the night but Sara didn’t recognize the place. She was about to voice out her opinion when suddenly she remembered that they had no idea that she knew what was supposed to happen. What’s more, she had to remind herself that the books and movies didn’t follow the journey day by day after all.

Sighing heavily with exhaustion, she dismounted and lifted Mason from the saddle. The puppy stretched before scampering off to chase squirrels. Sara laid her head in the saddle and closed her eyes as she began to unbuckle the girth of the saddle. Why did she feel so lightheaded…. And weak? She felt so heavy.

“Yo Sara,” Kili called. “You alright?” “Yeah I’m fine,” Sara called back but when she first opened her mouth, it came out croaky like there was something in her throat.

Thorin’s head snapped in her direction at the sound in her voice and just managed to see her hide behind her horse from Kili’s view and cough into her shoulder. What is wrong with her? Shrugging his shoulders, he finished unsaddling his pony and set about helping Oin start a fire. Occasionally he would look up to see where his nephews, the hobbit and Sara had wandered off to. As usual, his nephews wouldn’t stop moving around and playing about. The hobbit was shyly following Gandalf around as usual… but Sara was different. Instead of talking with the others or wandering around curiously, she was seated on a rock nearby, her legs drawn to her chest and she hugged them close, resting her chin on her knees.

Thorin frowned. He felt like there was something off with her. There was no color in her cheeks and her eyes looked sunken in. She kept wobbling back and forth as if trying to either rock herself to sleep or she was dozing off every few seconds.

‘Must be tired,’ Thorin thought to himself.

He went back to setting up the fire when he was snapped out of it by a cry from Kili. He looked up, expecting Kili to be bleeding or getting chased by a rabbit. However, Kili was kneeling next to the rock where Sara had been seated… and was holding the girl in his arms. Sara’s eyes were closed, and her head lulled to the side while Kili struggled to stand up with her in his arms.

“Sara!” Fili cried, rushing to the girl’s side.

Thorin rose to his feet while all the other dwarves in the company rushed over to the two young dwarves.

“What happened?” Oin insisted.

“She just toppled over,” Kili replied. “She looked like she was falling asleep… then she just collapsed.” “She must be just overly tired,” Dwalin reasoned.

Oin shook his head, “Not so easily… she’s poisoned.” Thorin had been about to kneel back down to finish the fire when he froze. He snapped his head around and dropped the flint and steel.

“What do you mean poisoned?” he insisted, glaring.

Oin seemed a little shocked at Thorin’s outburst but was quick to recover, “the greenish hue of her skin, the way her eyes are diluted… and the fact that she is bleeding from her mouth.”

Thorin was beside the healer in an instant and sure enough, he could see a small trail of blood seeping from between Sara’s plush lips. Her skin was pale but also had an unnatural color to it and her eyes… well those were closed.

“But what poisoned her?” Fili insisted, helping his brother lay the girl down on a nearby bedroll.

“The plant,” Gloin whispered. “She must have touched it when she pushed Ori away.”

“Fool,” Thorin grumped, “Two days in and she’s already getting herself nearly killed. Is there a way we can remedy it?”

Oin nodded, “Aye. I have something here that will get rid of the poison… but it will be painful because it drains her body so as to drain the poison as well. She will be dehydrated but we cannot give her water. She cannot eat or have any nutrients. All we can do is try to get her to sleep. That will make the poison leave her body faster.”

Kili slowly raised his hand, “How exactly will the poison leave her body.” Immediately Thorin clobbered him over the head but Oin smiled fondly, “She will vomit laddie. We should keep her comfortable and someone keep an eye on her overnight. Maybe take shifts.”

“So, no drinking, no eating, she will vomit, watch her in shifts… what else?” Thorin asked.

“She will get the chills,” Oin replied, “But we cannot cover her up. That will encourage a fever. The Best thing is to make sure she is bodily warm.”

“How do you do that?” Fili insisted.

Oin shook his head, “Let her shiver. Whatever we do, we cannot cover her up.”

The dwarves all slowly nodded before Fili spoke up.

“Who should go first then?”

“I will,” Kili said immediately, “After all, she is lying on my bedroll.” Dwalin chuckled slightly before ruffling the boy’s hair, “Aye lad. I’ll take over after you, then Fili can have a go.”

It was around midnight when Thorin woke to the sound of heavy coughing. Lifting his head slightly from his bedroll, he could faintly see the outline of Kili kneeling near the edge of the camp. Rising to a sitting position, Thorin saw that Kili was kneeling beside the form of Sara. The girl was on her stomach and her body shaking with retching coughs.

Rubbing his eyes, Thorin rose to his feet and skillfully walked around the sleeping bodies of the other dwarves. He knelt down beside Kili and considered the girl. The color was still gone from her face, her eyes closed, and she was shivering. She looked terrible, sweating horribly and blood smeared around her face where Kili had tried to dry the constant flow of blood flow.

“What are we going to do uncle?” Kili asked, his voice laced with worry. “I have to force myself to not get her water every time she asks. Oin said all we can do is touch her tongue with a wet cloth… nothing more but she is craving water in her sleep.” “Has she woken up?” Thorin asked.

Kili shook his head, “But she stopped vomiting a while ago. Oin said now she’ll just sweat till morning, getting rid of the excess moisture in her body.”

Thorin looked down at the girl and sighed. He had to admit, it was hard to watch the girl shivering there, not allowed to have a covering.

“I’ll take over for a while,” Thorin replied. “What should I do?”

Kili glanced at the moon which was directly overhead, “In another hour or so, Oin said to give her heat so she doesn’t get pneumonia. She cannot have water… so just keep her warm in an hour or so.” Thorin nodded as his nephew scurried off to lay down with Fili on the other side of camp. Thorin sat down next to the sleeping girl, leaning back on his hands. He stared up at the stars, thinking of his father… his grandfather and Erabor. He slowly turned his head and looked at the girl lying next to him. She was violently shaking while clutching her hands to her chest in an attempt to keep warm.

He slowly shook his head ruefully, “What is it about you? You’ve barely been in this company for two days and already I have a thousand questions about you. Why you get so touchy about your family, your knowledge of things that we can barely fathom… how you seem so protective over everyone, especially Fili and Kili… what is it about you that I cannot seem to place? You are a puzzle to me.”

The girl continued to violently shiver in her sleep and soon, soft whimpers and whines began to leave her mouth. At first Thorin thought it was from the cold… but soon he realized that she was dreaming for her soft voice came out in soft whispers.

“Pierce… no don’t… don’t leave… you’ll die… no…no…. they need you…don’t leave…”

Thorin found it virtually impossible to not pay attention to every word she was saying. Whatever she was dreaming about was obviously very realistic… and possibly from a memory. The sweat that built up on her forehead began to pour down more and soon tears were pouring from her eyes and the small stream of blood pouring from her mouth began to pour again. Getting up, Thorin found a rag and dampened it with water. He gently wiped the sweat from the girl’s face and the tears from around her eyes. She had stopped muttering and whining but she was still shivering. Thorin carefully turned the cloth over to the clean side and wiped the blood away from the girl’s mouth. He wiped away the dried blood that had stained her cheek and had reddened her lips. Before he realized what had happened, his finger had stopped wiping the blood and was hovering millimeters from her lips. His eyes were fixed on the girl’s mouth, slightly parted…. The blood gone for now.

Snapping out of his daze, he placed the bloodied rag next to him and looked up at the moon. An hour had passed. Grabbing a nearby blanket he draped it over the girl. The sleeping girl clutched it close to her and nuzzled her face into the covers, balling into a ball to get as much warmth from the blanket as possible. However, about ten minutes later she was still violently shaking. Without even thinking about it, Thorin removed his outer cloak and draped it over the girl. Sara clutched that one close and she stopped shaking for a while…. but soon her lips began to shake and turn blue. Thorin began to worry. He didn’t know much about healing and sickness, but he knew enough that when someone’s lips are turning blue, it’s not a good sign. What’s more, the color wasn’t not yet returning to the girl’s face. He needed to get her completely warm before she got worse.

Thorin glanced over at the sleeping dwarves and huffed. Well there was nothing for it. Lifting the cloak and blanket up, Thorin slipped next to the girl and laid down next to her. Slipping one arm around her, he pulled her flush against him before covering them both up with the two layers. Sara stopped shivering almost immediately and tangled her fingers in his shirt. Thorin’s breathing hitched when she pressed her nose against his chest and let out a deep sigh.

“Don’t leave…” She whispered in her sleep. “not like mum and dad did.”

***********

When Sara woke the next morning, she found that she was neither hot, nor cold… just the right temperature and unusually comfortable. She frowned slightly. She was never this comfortable lying on the ground. Sure, she had done plenty of camping with her brothers so that she could easily fall asleep on the ground but now… it felt like she wasn’t on the ground at all. Slowly lifting her head, she felt something warm and soft flutter across her cheek which felt like a warm breeze.

Turning her head, she let out the faintest squeak when she found out that she wasn’t lying on her bedroll… but on Thorin! Now it would be one thing to wake up right next to him or with one’s head on his chest… but she was practically on him! Her legs were tangled with his, her hands lying on his chest… yep, she was practically his blanket!

Luckily for Sara, she had woken to strange scenes in her life of being the only girl in a houseful of boys, so she knew better than to panic. Trying to ignore her fast beating heart, she slowly moved her hands off his chest and laid them on the ground, giving herself some leverage. She was just about to push herself off of him when she found that something was holding her down.

Glancing over her shoulder, her face went as red as an apple when she saw that she had kicked off the blanket and Thorin’s cloak in her sleep, revealing that the thing that was holding her down was in fact Thorin’s arms! They were tightly wrapped around her waist, both his hands gripping her waist. It wasn’t just the fact that he was holding her, but the fact that his arms were long enough (or her waist slender enough) for his arms to completely encircle her.

Flinching, fearing that she would wake the dwarf prince, Sara reached back and slowly gripped his wrist guard of one of his arms. Slowly she lifted it and placed his hand on the ground next to him. Luckily, the dwarf didn’t make a peep. Next she peeled his other arm off of her and laid it down. Now free from any restraint, she pushed her upper body off of Thorin’s chest. She was just about to let out a sigh and stand up when she found that she had forgotten something: their legs.

When Sara meant tangled, she meant tangled. Sara’s legs were lying between Thorin’s which were slightly spread apart and his lower legs were bent and laying over her calves, pinning her legs down. Was he afraid she was going to move? Geez!

Sara was now as red as fire now and she didn’t know what to do. Carefully she sat up so that she could reach her feet with her hands. Reaching back, she gripped Thorin’s boot softly and lifted it off, doing the same with the other until she was free… but then she realized where she was.

Turning around, she felt herself go completely red from head to toe when she realized that she was sitting atop Thorin’s waist, with her legs straddling him. She reached up and covered her cheeks with her hands.

“Oh, this is so embarrassing,” She whispered. “If Thorin saw this I would be dead!”

Quietly she slowly rose up so that the movement of her body weight off of him wouldn’t rouse Thorin. When she was finally off, she didn’t waste time in tiptoeing past all other sleeping dwarves to the edge of camp. When she did reach the edge, she sighed and brushed her hair out of her face. Her face felt warm even though she was no longer blushing. She felt lightheaded and incredibly thirsty.

She headed down to the small river that ran about fifty yards from the camp. There she splashed her face with water, drank so much that she thought she was going to turn to water soon and sat down to relax, realizing that her legs felt like putty.

Meanwhile, Thorin had awoken shortly after Sara had left for the girl had forgotten to cover him with his cloak or the blanket which meant that because of the lack of heat that Sara brought to his body, he was soon chilled. Glancing to the side, he realized that Sara was no longer lying beside him like she was the last time he checked. Little did he know that both he and Sara had moved in their sleep. Sitting up, he looked about. He half expected her to be by the fire or with Fili and Kili. He noticed that half the camp was up and preparing breakfast but there was no sign of Sara.

“How was the lass last night Thorin?” Oin asked, “Did her fever go down?”

Thorin felt himself go slightly red but was glad his beard hid it, “Yeah it did. Have you seen her?”

“She’s by the river,” Fili called out.

Thorin didn’t know where it came from, but he headed to the edge of camp in the direction of the river. He stopped by a tree when he spied the red hair of the girl by the river. She was sitting by the edge of the river, gazing out at the water. Her red hair was down and billowing around her and before Thorin realized it, he had been standing there a full ten minutes just staring.

Finally, the girl rose to her feet and headed back towards the camp. Thorin headed back and began to saddle his horse, hoping that she didn’t see him staring. He was just strapping on his bedroll when he heard a slight shout that sounded like Fili. Snapping his head around, he saw Fili holding Sara’s forearms and the girl looked like she had stumbled.

“Sorry,” she whispered.

Fili helped her regain her balance but kept a hand on her arms, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, just weak,” She replied, “Riding will make it easier.”

Fili nodded, obviously content with that answer but Thorin frowned. If she was weak, there was a chance she might either fall asleep or slip off the horse. Thorin saw her head over to her pony and grip the saddle… but stop. He saw her shoulders rise and fall as she took deep breaths, preparing to force herself onto the saddle.

Thorin’s hands found her waist and the girl slightly yelped when he lifted her up and placed her on the saddle. She looked down at him in surprise and Thorin found himself smiling at her. She was trying to be strong so that no one worried about her. She didn’t want to be a burden, so she was hiding her pain.

Thorin realized he was smiling and quickly put on a scowl before walking off.

“Thank you,” a soft voice whispered.

He turned around to see Sara looking down at her lap, “Thank you Thorin.”

Thorin felt like he was frozen to the spot. Sara’s green eyes were shrouded by her long lashes and her red bangs that slightly fell over her eyes… her cheeks tinted pink. Thorin snapped out of it and cleared his throat.

“Don’t read too much into it.”

With that, he strode off. However, he didn’t fail to notice that he purposely rode behind Sara the whole day just to make sure he was there to catch her should she fall.

********

It was nearing noon and Thorin was beginning to think that Sara’s poker face wouldn’t last much longer. She had managed to stay in the saddle for three straight hours without stopping for breaks. Once or twice he saw her nodding off but just when her chin almost touched her chest, she snapped out of it.

Thorin shook his head ruefully. She was a stubborn one, he would give her that, but he knew that if she kept forcing herself to stay awake and not rest, it would take longer for her to heal.

Besides that, she wouldn’t let her exhaustion get in the way of her caring for Mason. The puppy was growing so fast that Thorin thought he was a weed in dog form literally. When they were at Baggend, Mason could easily curl up and fit perfectly in Sara’s lap when she crossed her legs and now, he was almost as long as her legs and came up past her knees. He sat in front of her on the saddle for most of the ride but other times he scampered around. Thorin was glad that he didn’t bark or bite at the horses and honestly, he had grown fond of the young dog. Once he got old enough, he would be a great asset.

Thorin urged his horse a little forward so that his horse’s neck was in line with Sara’s saddle so that should the girl topple, he could reach her. Mason was sitting on the girl’s lap, his front paws dangling over her leg while his head was rested against her waist. The puppy was sound asleep and looked so peaceful and innocent.

Sara was holding her reins in one hand and with her other, was stroking the puppy’s head between his ears gently. Thorin noticed that her eyes weren’t on the road but were staring somewhere near the middle of her pony’s neck, kind of off into space. Thorin recognized that look. He had seen it three or four times that day when she had begun to nod off. Until now, he had no reason to worry but something was off.

Sara’s arms were limp and her feet just hanging in the stirrups. She was running out of energy. Her face was pale and her eyes drooping shut.

Sara was racking her brain in an attempt to keep herself awake. If she could keep herself busy thinking or doing something, it would keep her awake. However, her repetitive rhythm of petting Mason was almost like a soothing lullaby and the horse’s soft, smooth gate, the hum of talking around her… she could barely keep her mind on anything but sleep.

She felt herself slipping and she tried to snap herself out of it like she had the past few times, but something was just not letting her. Her brain was switching off, turning off all the lights and she couldn’t stop them from turning off. Before she knew it, she felt everything around her go black and she felt herself slipping…then everything froze.

Her eyes cracked open and she found herself in a peculiar predicament. She was still on her pony…. Partially but she was leaning way too far to the side. She had no idea how she wasn’t falling off.

Slowly turning her head, she realized that the soft feeling on the side of her head was Thorin’s large hand. He was cupping the side of her head in his hand like a pillow, keeping her from slipping to the ground.

“Sorry,” She whispered.

The dwarf prince shook his head. Looking over his head, he called out to Dwalin, “Help me out?”

Dwalin urged his horse over immediately. Riding on the other side of Sara’s pony, he grasped the girl around the waist and lifted her off her pony. Riding around, he set her gently on the back of Thorin’s pony. Riding back, he picked Mason up and placed the puppy on his own pony while tying Sara’s horse to the back of the pack pony so she wouldn’t wander.

“I’m sorry,” Sara whispered, laying her cheek against Thorin’s back and looping her arms around his waist.

“Don’t worry about it,” Thorin huffed, “You need to heal anyway. Just rest and let yourself heal.”

Sara nodded against his back before closing her eyes. Within five seconds Thorin could feel her grip around his waist weaken to almost nothing and her breathing level off. Even over the horse’s hooves he could hear her gentle breathing… and he could feel her chest rise and fall against his back. Thorin felt the tip of his ears going red when he realized that, and it didn’t help that Sara’s hands had loosened around his waist and were now lying limply against his thighs.

“My brothers would have loved to meet you Thorin,” Sara whispered.

Thorin felt himself jolt inwardly. Was she asleep… or had she woken up suddenly… or had she not really been asleep? He glanced over his shoulder to see the girl sound asleep against his back. He must have imagined it… but through the rest of the day he couldn’t get those words out of his mind.

#lotr #hobbit #thorin x oc #thorin oakenshield #thorin oakenshield x oc #thorin