Tumgik
#letter on it so u know what gift is in which wrapping paper
oconswrld · 3 months
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! Merry (late) Christmas !
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Your secret santa XoXo - Kimi Raikonnen x Reader
summary: Y/n is Kimi's favorite santa.
warnings: age gap, romance, too cute🫶, Not retired Kimi!! rawdogging(not proofread)
author's 🗒️'s: i haven't had much time for writing so i did a bit of a cutesy christmas fic for the part 2 hope its good w u guyss <33 enjoy loves!!
( Seb nd Kimi arent retired, reader is at AM with Lance!!)
part 1, part 2, ...
______
It's Christmas. Secret santa with the grid and snow. Well not snow because all of us are still in Abu Dhabi. Knowing glances exchanged after the secret santa pulling. If i remember correctly i was pulled by i think Lance. Im not sure if it really was Lance, but the canadian is a pleasure to know and is just perfect at gifts.
I pulled Kimi, the legend, and my best friend. Maybe my best friend. Knowing how he and Seb are. Obviously it's not only platonic feelings with the way he acts around me.
Thinking about presents for Kimi is rather hard, seeing he doesn't really have a thing he likes but doesn't have. I'd say alcohol but do i wanna heed into his alcoholism? A bit, but only if it means i get a gift for him.
-
The tea in front of me was cold, but the weather kept me warm. Sebastian sat opposite of me, asking for advice on what he should get for Oscar.
"What about i buy him, his gift and you buy Kimi's for me." I suggest a deal thinking of all the things i could give Oscar.
"Don't know what to buy your little boyfriend, eh Y/n?" Teasing smirk pulling on his mouth, the german dared me for an answer.
Eyes rolling into the depths of the back of my head, showing clear annoyance yet he still kept talking.
"Maybe you could finally confess to him, he's all over you whenever you're near him anyway" Sassy tone pulling out his german accent, the sentence making my jaw drop lower with every word. Catching my jaw, i shook my head. Trying to act unbothered, sipping from the lemon tea in my hand.
"Are you really this bored, that you're invested in your two best friend's love life ? Old man." I look away as i hear Kimi's voice in the distance. My head turned to see him talking to Mark Webber, possibly an interview with all those cameras around. The signature straight smile from Kimi appeared. Uncomfortable aura around him.
I nodded back to Seb only to see him already looking at me. 'What?' I silently asked him, only getting a knowing look back.
"Let's just buy those gifts before i regret even sitting here."
-
Giddy feeling in my stomach affecting my hold on the wrapped object. Looking at the usual secret santa interviewer making small talk, handing over the gift.
The wrapping contained a letter and an object Seb helped me pick. I feel kind of weird, specifically the fact that i don't know if he will like it is weird.
After half an hour, the interviewer approached me again, cameramen following close by. Small talk exchanged as she got ready for the video.
"Okay! One, two, and three, it's on!" A smiley voice came from her notifying me.
I was handed a gift box and the santa hat. Placing the hat on my head i examined the box, wrapped in pink wrapping paper which had hearts written all over it. All i gathered is that it must be one of my friends. I brought it up to my ears to shake and maybe smell.
The shaking part was unsuccessful since the box made nearly no noise, however the smell was gentle yet slightly familiar. Kimi's cologne. Versace eros eau de toilette. The one you recommended to him, because you liked it. Mint and lemon are dominant over the smell of paper.
"That's Kimi." I looked up knowingly, smiling a bit.
"Smells like him. Unless it's Seb and he's again interested in my business." Rolling my eyes, earning a snicker from the woman handling the microphone.
I start opening the paper gently, since i wanna save the heart on it. As soon as i take the top off, i see what i got. Caramel chocolate and snacks from my home country, paired with a bottle of jägermeister. Underneath these items there's a hoodie, unfolding it i see the embroidery on it.
'No. 7'
Holding it close to my nose, i smell it. Versace.
___
author's 🗒️'s: I kind of left it on a cliffhanger but im traveling 4 hours tomorrow im gonna do the end tomorrowww :PPPPP anyways cuties i hope my writing isnt a disaster im so sleepy rn its an actual nightmare...
taglist: @i-wish-this-was-me , @keii134 , @littlesatanicassholebitch <3
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intrestingatparties · 2 years
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Day Twenty-Nine: "Don't Make Me"
Collared | Cane | Flinching
@themerrywhumpofmay
hey yall how r u? I won't update the masterlist until some time in june probably so...
Ik the formatting sucks
Characters: Whumpee, Whumper
TW/CW: collaring, dehumanization maybe?
"Merry Christmas!" Whumper said, holding out a red-wrapped gift, about the size of an average dinner plate. I got you a gift!"
Whumpee blinked in confusion. "What?"
"A gift. Have you never gotten a Christmas gift before?"
"Well, I mean-" Whumper just sighed and shook their head in disappointment.
"This Caretaker you speak so highly of clearly didn't treat you right," they said, making some kind of strange tsk-ing noise. "Here. Take it."
Whumpee blinked again, but this time reaching for the gift. They smiled, thinking about what the box could contain. A new book maybe? A shirt? Ooh, or it could even be one of those Christmas ornaments they had been eyeing at the mall the other week. They slowly unwrapped it, careful not to rip any of the paper. "I don't know what to say, thank-"
They stared down at the clear plastic case, and what was inside.
"Oh."
"Oh what? " Whumper asked. "Is something wrong? Do you not like
my gift?" Their tone was low, dangerous.
Whumpee stared at them for a moment, glancing between them and the so carefully unwrapped package in their hands.
They laughed nervously. "Whumper, we don't have a dog."
"I know."
" …Then why did you get me a dog collar?"
"It's for you!"
"What do you mean, 'it's for you'?"
"I mean, it's for you! Now try it on. I want to see if I got the right size."
Whumper reached over to finish the job of removing it from the packaging (which was labelled 'Medium Sized Locking Dog Collar' in bold blue letters), presenting the pink and gold object to Whumpee. They grinned excitedly, gesturing for them to 'try it on,' whatever the heck that meant.
"What do you mean by 'try it on'?"
"I mean, put it on. Around your neck, like you're supposed to. Go on."
"Whumper, I…"
"Whumpee…"
"Please don't make me," they whispered. They knew how this would go.
"Fine," Whumper snapped. "I'll do it for you." They opened the beige clasp. "Lean towards me." Whumpee flinched, but did as told.
The collar was tight, pressing against their skin uncomfortably, and Whumper used a small iron key to lock the clasp, then slipped it in their pocket.
Whumper studied their work intently, before saying, "good. Now you look like the ungrateful mutt you are." Then they stalked off, leaving Whumpee, who was tugging at the collar, straining to get it off, behind.
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promise | m. schumacher
pairing: mick schumacher x reader word count: 2.1k words request: sort of, i asked for ideas and an anon sent this: "for the mick prompt - maybe he gets you something expensive and then you feel bad bc you did something homemade (but super thoughtful) and he loves it so much! (if you’ve seen the office that’s where this idea comes from lol)" thank u thank u thank u prompt: letter o: opening presents. from this christmas alphabet prompt list. warnings: language, not proofread. a/n: day fifteen! special thanks to that anon and @vikasus for being absolute lifesavers.
my masterlist / christmas alphabet masterlist
part two "tomorrow" & part three "today"
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"baby, please no gifts this year," you asked, looking up at mick from your spot on his chest.
"what? why?" he said, his fingers tracing figures on your skin.
"because i don't need anything... i've got you, i've got angie, that's all i need." you gave him a small smile. you'd been feeling down for the past few weeks, losing the motivation to even get out of bed in the mornings sometimes.
"but it's christmas," he pouted, "at least one. something small," he proposed. you sighed, nodding.
"something small, but special. okay," you nodded, feeling as mick pressed his lips against yours.
you began searching the internet, looking for what to get mick for christmas. you didn't want to buy him something, you wanted to give him something handmade, something to pour all of your love for him into. you scrolled through pinterest, cringing at the extremely cheesy and puny ideas, until you stumbled upon one that you actually liked.
you grabbed your keys and went to the nearest craft store, buying construction paper, decorative tape, glitter, stickers, sharpies and pens, and glue. you went to your bedroom, locking the door as you grabbed your album full of polaroids you'd taken throughout the year.
pictures of mick in his f1 car, vacations you took together, lazy days, taking angie out for a walk, candid photos of mick when he didn't know you were taking pictures of him. you knew that buying that camera would come in handy, eventually. first, you chose the pictures. it was hard, mick looked perfect in all of them, and they all held very special memories for you, but after hours of looking through all of them, you found the perfect 30+ pictures to do your scrapbook with.
you took your time, each time mick left the house you worked your hardest to finish this special gift, writing small notes underneath the pictures, remembering that specific day, recounting your favorite parts, and thanking him for making you the happiest person on earth.
you wrapped a ribbon around it, making a neat bow on top, and placing it inside a box, which you hid inside a suitcase in your wardrobe.
you grabbed all the presents for mick's family and put them in the back of your car. you were having dinner with the rest of the schumachers at their house, and you and mick would return to your shared home after, both of you too eager to see what you'd gotten each other, you wanted the gift exchange to be something intimate, just between you two.
dinner went by in the blink of an eye, his family loved what you'd gotten them and you thanked them for the beautiful new dress and shoes they got you. you weren't used to receiving that many things, so birthdays and christmases were always very awkward for you since you didn't know how to react. you wished them all a happy christmas and you and mick made your way back, his hand engulfed yours as he laced your fingers together.
angie attacked the both of you once you opened the door. you spent a good few minutes petting her and giving angie her own presents, a new toy, more of her favorite treats, and a new leash. once you tired her out she plopped on her bed next to the fireplace and fell asleep.
"it's time," mick said, a huge grin on his face. "yours first," he said.
"okay," you nodded.
"give me two minutes, stay here and close your eyes," he sat you on the sofa and put your headphones on over your ears, music playing from an app on his phone at just the right volume where your ears didn't hurt but you couldn't hear what was going on around you.
"mick, i thought we agreed on something small," you began, pushing the headphones off your ear as a small ball of nerves formed in your stomach as you feared what you'd prepared for him wouldn't be enough.
"i know, but i just couldn't help myself. you are the person i love the most in the world and i wanted to make this day special for you," he said as he kneeled in front of you, grabbing both of your hands and kissing your knuckles.
"but i-" he interrupted you.
"please, i know how you get when i give you stuff, but i love doing it, i love spoiling you because i can." he leaned in and pressed his lips on yours softly, the tingles in the back of your neck disappearing.
"fine. just this once." you agreed, smiling as mick grabbed your chin and pulled you down towards his lips, kissing you with excitement.
"for now," he said, placing the headphones back in place and covering your eyes with a sleep mask. he left in a hurry, and you tapped your foot against the floor to the beat of the music playing. two songs turned to three, and you hummed the melody under your breath. a hand on your shoulder startled you, and you took off the sleeping mask to see mick standing over you with a smile on his face.
"so, i thought we could do a little scavenger hunt, i've left clues and other small gifts along the way, all leading up to the big reveal." he grabbed your hand and led you to the kitchen, where you saw a red envelope sitting on the counter. mick let go of your hand as he pushed you toward it, you gave him a nervous smile as your fingers touched the envelope. "open it," you swallowed down your nerves and uneasiness, mick looked so excited, and you didn't want to ruin this night for him.
"where we say goodbye and i never want to leave your side," you read the handwritten clue. "the front door?" you asked, seeing a smirking mick shrugging. you rolled your eyes playfully, grabbing his hand and leading him to the front door, where you saw another red envelope. you grabbed it, ready to read the next clue.
"wait, you have to look for your present first!" he said, you looked at him with a puzzled look on your face. "after each clue there's a gift,"
"and how many clues are there?" you nearly winced at the thought. he just smiled at you sheepishly, "mick!"
"please, you said just this once," he pouted, walking to you and wrapping his arms around your waist, "please?" he pecked your cheek.
"fine," you sighed, leaning back against his chest, "where is it?" you looked around the entrance of your home, everything seemed in place. you noticed something shiny as you looked up to the key holder. you grabbed a keychain with an anchor charm hanging from it. you held it up and mick smiled.
"you've been my anchor all this time, you've kept me grounded and brought me back to land whenever life got hard," mick said and you threw your arms around his neck, your chest felt warm as you kissed him.
you kept reading the clues as you received more gifts, some got a more positive response than others, but you could only focus on mick's accomplished and excited grin as you reached the last clue.
"okay, this is the last one,"
"thank god, i'm tired of running around the house back and forth," you complained, leaning against mick's side. "thank you for all of this, you really, really didn't have to," you said as you looked down at the bracelet around your wrist. the weight of it felt foreign, the bright diamonds matched the ones that now rested on your ears and around your throat.
"i know. but i wanted to," he shrugged his shoulder. you were in your bedroom, the opened boxes resting on your bed. a sparkly silver dress and high heels, a diamond bracelet, earrings, choker necklace. mick insisted you put them all on as you received them, so now you were draped in enough shiny jewelry and clothes to light up a small town.
"a promise is eternal, and so is our love. you've changed my life forever, you've made me feel hope. i hope you take this ring, as a promise of my love, and a future for us, forevermore," your voice shook as you finished reading, looking at mick with wide eyes. his hands were in his pockets. he had a small smile on his face, and you noticed a muscle twitching on the right corner of his lips. he was nervous. "mick- i- wh-"
he cut you off as he pulled out a small ring, with a pink gemstone on top.
"i really should've gone first," you thought out loud as he grabbed your hand. both of your hands were shaking, and mick's felt a little clammy. "wh- what's-"
"please don't freak out," he said, eyes wide and cheeks rosy. "it's not what you think," he started, making you frown as you looked down at your joined hands, "i- i mean it is, but-"
"hey, look at me," you used your free hand to grab his head, directing his eyes toward you. "i'm freaking out, you can't freak out," you shook your hand.
"okay, i- okay," he took a deep breath, and you imitated him without noticing. "we're way too young for an actual engagement, but i- i think we're ready for... something more. so, this- it's a- a promise ring. of a future together, i want to share my life, my highs and lows with you. i want you to be the first thing i see in the mornings, and the last person i talk to at night. you are the best thing that's happened to me in a long time, and i love you so much that it scares me sometimes, but i wouldn't change it for anything in the world. i love all your quirks, your moods, the way you accepted to do this for me even though you don't really like receiving things."
"i really should've gone first," you choked, feeling tears in your eyes.
"i'm almost done, i swear. i- i just wanted you to know that you're it for me. when i think about my future all i see is you." he sighed. you were gripping each other's hand so tightly that your knuckles turned white. "what do you say? i promise you a happy future, filled with love and support and-"
"i'm in," you cut him off. "you're all i need, you're my best dream come true. you make me feel like the luckiest person alive." you felt him sliding the ring around your finger. "you're perfect."
-
"i know this won't compare to what you just got me, but, i still hope you like it," you bit your lip as you watched mick open the photo book carefully, "just rip the paper, it's fine,"
"noo, i want to take my time. i know how much time went into this gift, i don't want to rush it," he said as he finally undid the bow.
soft music played as you sat on mick's lap, a santa hat on your head and your scrapbook in mick's hands. he peppered your lips and cheeks with kisses every time he turned the page and you played with his hair as you watched expectantly his reaction. you giggled as you talked about certain memories made throughout the year.
"i loved this so much, schatz. it's beautiful, thank you," he rubbed the tip of his nose against your cheek as it tickled your skin.
"i'm happy you liked it, i know it's not much but-"
"none of that, my love. i love it, you poured your energy and your love into making this, it makes me the happiest knowing all of these memories mean as much to you as they do to me." he placed his lips on yours. "i have an idea," he said.
"what?"
"wait here," he placed you on the sofa as he ran upstairs.
"what are you doing?" you yelled, still wearing the dress mick bought for you. you heard him saying he'd be right down, and you laughed with your hands resting on your stomach. the light reflecting on your new ring caught your eye. you played with it, still not used to it being on your finger. you heard mick's footsteps coming back, you looked up, smiling when you saw him wearing his black tux. "what's this?"
"well, look at you, i thought it was only appropriate to try and match your beauty," he stood in front of you, and you fixed his little black bowtie.
"this was your idea?" you asked, beaming brightly.
"part of it. i was thinking, we could make our own scrapbook, starting today," he said, grabbing your waist. you felt your heart thumping in your chest. "i know you loved doing this, and that it's something you enjoy doing, so i figured we could make one together." he smiled shyly. you had a cheerful grin on your face as your hands traveled up to his face, pulling him towards you.
"like i said, you are absolutely perfect."
"so are you, my schatz. we just need to work on letting me spoil you every once in a while."
"don't push it."
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bunny-xoxo · 3 years
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Modern!Eren Jeager Relationship Headcannons
Modern!Eren Jeager x reader
a/n: I love this little shithead. These are just some headcannons of how I think it would be being in a relationship with modern!eren. Just to clarify, the characters are always aged up and in unversity if it’s a modern!au unless otherwise stated!! Please enjoy and feel free to come in my inbox and share your Himbo!Eren thoughts😩
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gif not mine, credit to owner
Ok, for starters, Himbo Eren Supremacy!
Eren might not be the uhm smartest, he’s kind of a big cuddly idiot, and he is big and respects women -> Himbo!Eren
Anyways
Being with Eren means having a box full of ridiculous hand made gifts from Eren that he insists on you keeping for sentimental reasons, no matter how senseless they are
They’re usually really stupid and cheesy letters he writes on a torn piece of notebook paper while he’s in class when it’s especially boring him
They’re not even coherent thoughts on the paper sometimes
“Hi :) I’m sitting here feeling like I’m going to pass out from how boring this class is, and we’re supposed to be taking notes but I think I’ll just copy them from you or Mikasa later though hahahaha don’t! Tell Arma Armin! He’ll just yell at me :( unless I tell him I like his new haircut maybe which i actually do by the way it’s funny my hairs long now and his is short 1. Oreos 2. Milk 3. Shampoo 4. Hand sanitzer sorry I need this stuff and I would forget if i didn’t write it down. I bet you look really pretty right now :) in my head I’m kissing you teehee”
And every other part of the paper that isn’t filled up with his rambling is stick figure doodles of you two kissing and holding hands and one of him and jean arm wrestling but don’t ask him about it, he lost in his head this time so he’s gonna work out more later sdfnarfn
You have hair ties littered all over your place it’s ridiculous
You find them literally everywhere - probably cause he likes to fling them across the room and see how far he can get them when he takes them out of his hair, he will be stealing most of yours if you use them
He love love loves when you run your hands through his hair and massage his scalp after he takes his ponytail out
He almost immediately lays face down in your lap and groans while he moves around to get comfortable
If you don’t immediately start he’ll just look up at you with a little pout and move one of your hands to his hair and raise his eyebrows at you, waiting for you to pamper him
Loves being pampered and will definitely let you do his nails just to feel your soft hands on his - and cause he likes the way you always rub lotion into them after
Very touchy boy, I HC his love language being Physical Touch, hence how bad he loves being pampered
He loves when he comes out of the shower and comes to lay down with you, all sore from practice - it’s Eren, we know he play’s SOME kind of sport - and your hands start working all the knots out of his back and neck, working their way to the top of his shoulders and squeezing while they drag down his biceps all the way to his hands
Kiss his knuckles and he WILL melt
He never feels more loved than when you’re taking care of him like that, and let’s be honest you don’t mind running your hands over his toned body either
He loves pampering you as much as he loves receiving it, too
Loves rubbing your legs while he lays between them with his head resting on your midsection
His hands are rough due to years of abuse from playing sports, and they feel so good when he’s squeezing the muscles in your calf life that
Sometimes if you’re feeling sore, he’ll help you stretch your legs out
He’ll be sitting back on his knees by your feet, your legs spread in front of him. He grabs your left leg by your calf while he inches forward to lean above and bring your leg up with him, stretching your knee to your ear. The hand that’s not locked on your calf is resting by your head with his face mere inches from yours, his hair tickling your cheeks. You’re like that for a few moments before he leans in and ghosts his lips over yours, abruptly shifting up and kissing your nose instead. “Other leg!” jackass
He would love giving you back massages too oh god, and I mean like proper back rubs.
He’d have you laid out on your bed while hes straddling your from behind and pressing his fingers deep into the sore tissue there - sometimes you fall asleep and drool a little and he finds it so cute
He just loves loving up on you, period
On another note, he wouldn’t just steal your hair ties if you had any, he’d steal everything LMAO
Your hand lotion? He pockets it cause it just smells so good and always had his hands feeling soft whenever you let him use some. And why would he go and buy it if you have some?
Firm believer that y’all share everything
He’s stolen lotion, gum, socks that barely fit him, chapstick, lip scrub, pens, highlighters, literally anything.
And once you start to notice he’s all, “What? We’re in a relationship, partners are supposed to share everything. I mean, you steal my hoodies!”
“Eren, you give those to me cause you said it makes our relationship more ‘official.’”
“Ok, well that’s beside the point. All I’m saying is I don’t see the big deal. You’re more than welcome to take any of my stuff you like!”
Which is a nice thought except for the fact everything he has at this point just seems like more shit he’s stolen from you
More on his hoodies, he goes absolutely bananas seeing you wear his hoodie
He seriously gets so giddy and feels like his hearts gonna explode
He always smiles all big and wraps his arms around and lifts you into the air - it does not matter how big you are he’s going to do it
“Hiiii cutie.” He always says this and then buries his face into the crook of your neck and places sweet kisses there. Then he stands up straight and pulls the hood onto your face and tightens the strings, making it all scrunch up, sadly no he doesn’t care if your hair is done or if you wear glasses, he will do it regardless
One time you were a little grumpy with him from playing games with “the boys” for too long and neglecting you of some attention, so to apologize he just brought you a hoodie with some of his cologne sprayed on it -i just know he smells great- and put it on you and held you and pressed just so many kisses to your face and said sorry over and over again until you were giggling and gave in
He loves when you sit in his room with him while he plays games on his pc with his buddies definitely a PC gamer cmon
However, he will get more embarrassed than frustrated if you hear Jean teasing him cause he’s lowkey trying hard to impress you akfergirgu
“D’ya see that babe? I got first place with the highest kill count and the least amount of respawns 😏”
“Yeah I did Eren, that’s awesome buddy.”
He’d just smile and spin back around in his chair feeling all prideful pls protect him
If you join in teasing him he WILL pout after and you WILL have to make him a grilled cheese as your form of an apology
He will eat it in silence, look at you and try not to smile and just roll over and sigh SO loud
“I guess I can forgive you.”
Please he’s such a brat, but he’s your brat
———————
he’s such an idiot and I jus wanna hug from him and to wear his stupid hoodies 😪 I hope y’all enjoyed! Feel free to browse my blog or pop into my inbox! Love u cutie
-🐇out
taglist: @plutowrites
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ghostdrew22 · 3 years
Note
hi ok sooooo i have asked numerous writers for this request because i thrive on angst and fluff 👁👄👁 so here goes: a love triangle between draco, harry, and a ravenclaw reader. the reader’s been known to be head over heels in love with draco and giving him origami hearts everyday for a year or two, which he only throws in his trash bin. he usually just ignores her and finds her gestures annoying and laughable. one day, he goes too far with his rebuttals. the reader, heartbroken and realizing she had no chance at all, stopped pursuing him altogether. for the next few weeks, he found himself weirded out that he hadn’t received any origami hearts. while emptying his trashbin, he discovers that when you unfold the hearts, there were little notes of encouragement and sweet letters. just as he was about to confront her, he notices the reader folding something on her table during class and thinking it was finally another origami heart for him. however, it was a butterfly, and she handed it to harry instead. Jajdjeioa PLS MAKE IT ANGSTY AND FLUFFY IT’S UP TO U ON HOW IT WILL END BUT WOULD BE CUTE IF HARRY MADE THE PAPER BUTTERFLY FLAP ITS WINGS THO
Ok sorry for the cliche and long request, take your time and stay safe. I enjoy your writing sm 🥺
Butterflies and Paper Hearts || D.M, H.P
Requested: Yes Pairing: Draco Malfoy x fem!reader , a bit of Harry Potter x reader but not really Warnings: ANGST, swearing, Summary: Draco doesn’t like you and tries to let you down multiple times, when it finally does work he feels regret wash over him.
WORDS : 3864
First of all, I’m so sorry for taking so long to get to this. I read the request when it first came in and I loved it but I’ve been struggling to conceptualize it, and then I fell into a bit of a sad spiral because of all the other stuff that’s been going on in my life, which is why I took me so long to complete it. Second of all, I had to amend the idea a bit to make it work for me, e.g I wrote this in an AU where Voldemort doesn’t exist because I hate mr. no-nose, and I didn’t make the hearts go on for years. Third of all, thank you so much for this request! It’s a lovely concept and I really enjoyed writing it <3
~~~
Butterflies.
Flying. Soaring. Alive.
The first time that Draco had ever noticed you was in your fourth year. You were sat at the Ravenclaw table and immersed in a discussion with Padma Patil, one that had you laughing so hard that you were throwing your head back and wiping tears from your eyes. The sight had knocked the wind out of his lungs, like someone had just punched him in the stomach, and he felt the weirdest sensation in his gut.
It was butterflies erupting.
~~~
The first time that you noticed Draco was in your fifth year. Ravenclaws and Slytherins were in Charms together, as usual, and you’d accidentally sat next to him instead of Padma.
“Dude, you’ll never guess what happened this morn-“ You stop speaking the second you notice that the person beside you is, in fact, not your best friend but rather a scowling Slytherin. “You’re not Padma.” You frown.
“No shit.” He rolls his eyes, “What gave it away? The green robes or the blond hair?”
“The snarky attitude.” You instantly reply and he looks taken aback for a second, “Who are you anyway?”
If you’d thought he looked shocked before, you were wrong. “Excuse me?”
“Who are you? What was so confusing about that sentence?” You raise your eyebrows, “Clearly not a Ravenclaw.”
He scoffs at your remark but answers anyway, “I’m Draco? Draco Malfoy?” He asks, a pretentious tone lacing his voice. “We’ve shared this lesson together since you got here last year?”
“Stalker much?” You ask with a smile and he rolls his eyes. “Anyway, nice to meet you Draco, I’m Y/N.”
“I know.” He replies simply as he takes the hand that you’d outstretched. “Some of us pay attention.”
“Mhmm.”
“So what happened this morning?”
“What?” You furrow your eyebrows in confusion.
“You were about to tell me about what happened this morning.”
“Oh.” You respond in embarrassment and watch as his smirk grows.
“What? Am I not worthy of your great story?”
“It’s not that, I just don’t think it’ll interest you.”
“Try me.”
“Right, what’s all this then?” Padma asks as she stops in front of the desk with a confused expression.
You giggle at her obvious confusion, “I accidentally sat here instead of by our normal spot. Do you know this miserable boy?”
“Better than I’d like to admit.” She responds sourly before turning a harsh gaze toward Draco, “Daddy’s boy.”
“Wench.” He responds and she rolls her eyes.
“Are you coming to sit with me?” Padma asks as she turns back to you and you shake your head.
“Maybe tomorrow, I’d like to sit here and annoy him today.”
“I cannot possibly stand in the way of that, you’re doing the whole grade a great service.” Padma replies with a laugh as she goes to sit a few desks away from you.
~~~
Day 1 - 1 Heart
Hearts.
Fragile things.
It’s the next Monday when you have Charms again, and you decide to sit by Draco’s desk in hopes of him coming to sit beside you.
“What on earth are you doing?” Draco asks as he peers over your shoulder before sitting in the chair beside you.
“Origami.” You respond with a smile and he raises an eyebrow toward you. “That thing where you fold pieces of paper into shapes?” You ask and he nods in understanding.
He takes his seat with a sigh, “Sounds boring.”
“Everything sounds boring to you.” You roll your eyes before finishing up the origami heart.
“True.”
You give it a once over and smile in satisfaction before turning to Draco and handing it out him. “Here.”
Hearts. Absurdly fragile things, Draco thinks as he feels his own heart begin to race. Here you are, nonchalantly handing him a piece of paper, and he feels like his entire world is collapsing in on itself at the gesture. Y/N, giving me a heart.
He rolls his eyes and takes the object from you with a scowl, “Why are you giving this to me?”
You shrug, “You’re not completely intolerable, you’ve earned it.”
He smirks, “Careful, people might start to think that you like me.”
You smile, “Maybe I do.”
Your smile reminds him of butterflies- bright, fluttering, inviting, warm, beautiful.
He rolls his eyes and makes a big show of tossing the origami heart into a nearby bin, and you fight to hide the hurt hidden behind your eyes. But what you don’t know is that at the end of the Charms lesson, once everyone else has left, Draco goes into that very same bin and pulls out the heart.
Day 20 - 20 Hearts
“Are you still doing this?” He asks in annoyance as you hand him another origami heart, the same way you have, every morning, for the last twenty days.
“Yup. I’ve got no reason to stop.” You shrug with a small smile.
“How about the fact that I think they’re stupid and I don’t like them?”
“You’re under the misconception that I care about your feelings.”
He chuckles and brings his face down to yours till you’re inches apart. “I think you care a lot more about my feelings than you’d like to admit.”
You swallow and look away from him, trying to avoid the warm feeling that’s creeping up your neck and settling into your skin. “You wish blondie.”
“Mhmm.” He replies absent-mindedly as he turns into the classroom, drops the heart into the nearest bin, and sits in his seat.
You try to look unbothered as you go to sit beside him, ignoring the disappointment that’s churning your insides.
Day 35 - 35 Hearts
You watch as Draco inspects the origami heart from the Slytherin table, hoping that he might open it this time.
“He’s going to break your heart, Y/N.” Padma whispers from her seat beside you in the Great Hall.
You shake your head and let your eyes drift away from the blond at the Slytherin table. “He wouldn’t do that, he’s a lot better than you think he is.”
“Y/N, I’ve known him a lot longer than you have and I know that this isn’t going to end well.”
“And why not?” You ask defensively.
Because you’re a muggle-born, Padma wants to say, but she knows that it isn’t her place to crush your dreams so harshly. She shakes her head instead and smiles sympathetically, “Nevermind, I’m sorry for overstepping.”
You don’t notice, too busy talking to Padma, that Draco tucks the little piece of paper into his robe with a small smile.
Day 50 - 50 Hearts
You don’t exactly know when you caught feelings for Draco, it’s like all the small moments just bunched up together, but you know that it wasn’t your intention. The hearts, the sitting together in charms, it had all just started as friendly gestures in an attempt to get the scowling boy to befriend you, but somewhere along the line things just got too messy.
And now, you’re utterly infatuated with him.
You take a deep breath as you pull out the small box from your bag containing Draco’s Christmas present. The train comes to a half at platform 9 and 3/4, and you quickly grab your belongings before rushing out of the train in order to catch the blond before he goes home for the holidays.
You catch him by the door and you smile at him. “I’ve got something for you.”
“Another paper heart?” He raises his eyebrows with a smirk and you shake your head.
“No, it’s something else actually.” You hand the box to him, wrapped in a mix of dark green and navy blue paper, and he accepts it with a skeptical glance.
“What is it?”
“A Christmas present.” You laugh and he nods sheepishly in acknowledgement.
“Oh.” He rubs the back of his neck, “I didn’t get you anything…”
“I didn’t want anything.” You smile again, “That’s not why I got you a gift.”
You watch as he nods again and looks out the window. “Then why did you get me the gift?”
“Cause we’re friends.” You shrug and he swallows.
If he were any other person then the erupting butterflies in his stomach would be an obvious sign to pull you closer and hug you till both your arms hurt. If you weren’t a muggle-born witch, and his parents weren’t watching him intently from outside the train, then this would be the moment that he seized to let your friendship blossom into more.
“We’re not friends.” He spits out coldly, and you’re taken aback by the sudden harsh tone.
“Okay…” You reply quietly, “Acquaintances?”
“For fuck sake…” He mumbles with a sigh, “Y/N, I don’t like you, at all. You’re annoying, you’re pushy, and worst of all, you’re a mudblood.”
Harsh words, words that taste of venomous denial, are running out of his mouth before he can stop them. The look of astonishment and sadness on your face has regret dancing on his tastebuds like the taste of tar, and he struggles to push that feeling down.
“You don’t mean that…” 
“I meant every word, and I can repeat it if that empty skull of yours didn’t catch it.”
You shake your head and look down at the ground, trying to blink away tears, and he nods as he turns to finally leave the train.
“Draco.” You choke out and he whips his head back angrily.
“What?”
“I forgot to give you this today.” You whisper as you hand him his origami heart and push your way past him toward the platform.
You feel sick, you feel sad, you feel disappointed. There’s a twisting and churning that’s going on in your stomach but it’s not like normal, it’s the opposite of what you’ve felt every time before.
It’s butterflies dying.
He watches you walk away as a lump forms in his throat.
Day 65 - 0 Hearts
Draco walks into charms half-expecting you to be sitting somewhere else, and half-hoping that you’re sitting in your usual seat beside him. He didn’t open the Christmas present, too much guilt weighing him down, and he hopes that you don’t give him any more paper hearts.
He feels an odd combination of anguish and comfort when he sees that you haven’t moved, and goes to sit beside you in silence. You turn to him and smile but say nothing to him, not then and not for the rest of the lesson. When you get up to leave he half-expects you to drop an origami heart on his books, and disappointment consumes when you don’t.
Day 75 - 0 Hearts
“Morning.” He mumbles as he finds a spot beside you, as usual.
“Morning.” You respond.
That’s all the conversation that you two have now. A part of you misses the way the two of you had been before, easy-going, sarcastic, in-sync, but an even bigger part of you understands why that had to be over. He could never allow himself to love someone like you without resentful undertones of disgust and shame, and you could never settle for someone who doesn’t love you regardless of your blood purity.
“Y/N…” Someone whines from ahead and you look up from your desk to find Harry stood in front of you.
You laugh at his childish behaviour, “Yes Harry?”
“Please help me with this assignment?”
“No.” You respond bluntly, just to mess with him, and he pouts at you.
“Please?” You shake your head, “Please?” You shake your head again and he pouts at you hopelessly, “Pleaseeee?” He begs once more and drags out his plea.
You laugh once again and nod, “Okay fine.”
“Thank you so much!” He exclaims excitedly and leans over the desk to hug you. You shake your head and giggle in his arms, and Draco has to look away to ignore the looming feeling of jealousy consuming him.
Day 103 - 1 Heart
“So, I know that we’re not friends or anything…” You start as you turn to Draco, “But Valentine’s Day is tomorrow and I can’t resist the urge to give you one more.”
He furrows his eyebrows in confusion but feels realisation wash over him as you hand him an origami heart, one that’s bigger than all the rest you’ve given him in the past. He nods and takes it from you, trying to pretend as though his heart isn’t swelling at the gesture. “Thank you.” He responds curtly before the two of you revert back to silence.
It’s only when he’s alone in his dorm room that night that he actually looks at the origami heart. It’s red, and you’ve written his name across it in cursive. He runs his fingers along it and allows himself to unfurl it, feeling shocked to find words written inside it.
I know you never read these, so I’m probably wasting my time, but I wanted to say that I miss you.
Ridiculous right? I even feel stupid writing it. But it’s the truth, I do. I miss your smile, and your laugh. I miss the way you would scribble nonsense in my book to distract me from the lesson, and I miss the way you’d get so frustrated when I did the same. I miss the way you’d make fun of me for being a nerd, and try not to look proud when you outdid me in tests.
I miss your jokes too, even though they weren’t really funny, and the way you’d always forget your textbook so we were forced to share and we had an excuse to talk. I miss you a bunch, even though I know that you don’t miss me nearly as much.
Happy Valentine’s Day pretty boy,
I wish you could’ve loved me the way that I love you.
He quickly jumps off his bed and walks toward his trunk. He pulls out the Christmas gift that he never opened and another small box that he’d used to store all of your origami hearts, and begins to go through them all.
Note 1 - You’re weird but I like you. Very defensive, I hope that I can knock down those barriers. Note 2 - Your hair looked really nice today, made you look like a famous movie star who pays people to do it for him. Do you secretly have a hairdresser in your room? Note 3 - Your eyes are a strange colour, a cross between blue and grey, it reminds me of the sky before a really pretty rainstorm.
He opens every heart, from the first to the last, processing every last compliment that you’d ever written. With every word he reads, he feels a mixture of love and guilt wash over him simultaneously. Love for you- because you’re kind, and funny, and beautiful, and way too good for him- and guilt- for treating you so horribly because he was scared, when all he had wanted to do was kiss you, and hold your hand.
9 - I’m oddly very proud of you for beating me in the latest Charms assignment, you might actually be the bigger nerd between us both. 20 - I know you hate that I call you pretty boy but that’s what you are, you’re unnecessarily pretty! 26 - You’re very funny when you’re not trying to be. Your jokes are horrendous, but your impersonations and quips can be quite amusing. 35 - I’m starting to think that you don’t read these. No, I’m sure that you’re not reading these. Doesn’t matter though, there’s so many things that I love about you and I think I’ll explode if I don’t put them down somewhere. 47 - I’ve fallen very hard for you, it might be your dumb laugh or the way you tickle me whenever you walk into class, but I didn’t know that you could feel this much for a person. Damn you pretty boy. 50 - Padma thinks you’re no good for me, I agree, but I don’t care. I love you too much to give you up.
The last of the collection is the Christmas gift that you gave him. He’d refrained from opening it out of shame, feeling unworthy of a gift from you after being so cold to you that day on the train. He unwraps it and finds another paper heart, with a silver engraved ring above it. The words, ‘pretty boy’  are inscribed into the ring and he smiles at the sight, a few tears sliding down his face.
Pretty boys like you deserve a little more than paper hearts, I hope you like it.
He slips the ring on before getting off his bed, walking to his desk, and pulling out a piece of paper.
Day 104 - 1 Heart.
It’s Valentine’s Day and his palms are sweaty, for the first time in his life Draco has sweaty palms because of a girl.
You’re in your usual seat and you’re folding another piece of paper. His heart soars at the sight of you so focused, that goofy smile you always have whenever something demands a lot of your attention, and your hands working delicately against the edges of the paper. He stops in front of you.
He clears his throat and you look up at him, startled by the sudden interruption. “Oh, Draco, morning.” You respond with a small smile, obviously still apprehensive about him.
“Happy Valentine’s Day Y/N.” He smiles back and slides an origami heart onto the desk, beside the butterfly that you seem to have been folding.
“What’s this?” You ask in confusion as you pick it up and inspect it.
“You’ve made enough to be able to tell by now.” He deadpans and you laugh softly with a nod.
“It’s a paper heart.” You smile up at him, “Did you make this for me?”
“Maybe.” He responds curtly as he slides into his chair beside you, but you catch the shy smile he’s harboring.
“Thank you.” He nods, “I could’ve done better though.”
He scoffs, “That’s not a fair comparison.”
“And why not?” You raise your eyebrows and he chuckles as he rolls his eyes.
“Read the note inside and you’ll know why.”
“There’s a note inside?” You exclaim excitedly as you start to unfold the heart and he yanks it out of your hands.
“No! Read it later when I’m, like, far away from you.” He says defensively and you furrow your eyebrows but nod in agreement.
“Alright, I’ll read it after school.” You take it back from him and put it in your robe. You resume folding the butterfly and smile when you see that it’s done.
Draco watches intently as you finish it, expecting you to hand it to him once it’s finished, and furrows his eyebrows in confusion when you set it down and scan the classroom.
“Harry!” You exclaim as you watch him walk from the door and toward you with a bright smile.
“Y/N.” He responds once he’s standing in front of you. “Is this for me?” He asks once he sees the butterfly on your desk, and Draco is about to scoff at the question but you nod your head eagerly.
“Of course!” You pick it up and give it to Harry, watching excitedly as he opens it up and reads the note inside.
Draco watches in silent envy as Harry laughs, at whatever you’ve written in the note, and brings his lips down to your forehead. “Thank you so much butterfly, I love it.”
You smile proudly and your eyes light up as you watch Harry cast a charm to make the butterfly flap it’s wings and fly down to his desk. “When are you going to teach me that? I’ve been asking for weeks now!”
“If I taught you then I wouldn’t have anything to impress you with.” He smirks as he leaves to his desk and you shake your head with a laugh.
“You two seem to be quite friendly now…” Draco mumbles, trying to hide the jealousy in his voice. The butterflies that had been erupting in his stomach earlier that morning being trampled to death by Harry.
“Yeah, we’ve been-“ You cut yourself off with a gasp as you catch a glimpse of the ring that you bought Draco, “You’re wearing it!”
He smiles at your excitement, thinking about how such simple expressions from you leave butterflies fluttering in his stomach. “Yes.” He chuckles and you smile.
“I thought you didn’t like it.” You respond softly and he feels his heart break.
“No, not at all. I just didn’t want other people getting jealous.”
He smiles at you and you feel that familiar bubbling in your stomach, like rosh bushes blooming at the sight of the sun, but you can’t exactly pinpoint the feeling.
Later that day when you’re sat beneath a tree and reading Draco’s letter, you know exactly what that feeling is.
~~~
Y/N.
Beautiful, funny, kind, observant, utterly perfect Y/N.
I’ve spent the last three hours trying to come up with a reason for you to forgive me, I couldn’t come up with one. I also tried to find an excuse, any really, that could justify my horrid actions over the last few weeks, and I couldn’t find one. So instead, I settled on just telling you the truth.
I’m a coward.
You’re probably laughing right now and thinking, “He’s only realising this now?”, and the answer is yes. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed but you’re the brighter one between us two. It took me 103 more days than you, to realise what you knew the first day you made me a paper heart; the two of us are meant to be.
That sounds a bit cheesy doesn’t it? Doesn’t matter anyway, because in note 12 you said that you enjoy my cheesy anecdotes. I’m not sure why though, I’m not particularly sure why you love anything about me when you’re you, but I guess some mysteries can never be solved.
I’m sorry for those words I said that day on the train, I didn’t mean them. I was scared of what my parents would think if I fell for a muggle-born witch, but I forgot one important thing; it doesn’t matter. All that matters is the fact that I’ve never been as happy as when I’m with you. If I could spend the rest of my life getting these perfect little paper hearts from you, listening to your sweet laugh, bothering you when you’re trying to get work done and buying you rings that match the ones on my hands, then I’d be over the moon.
I’m sorry for taking so long to tell you this; I love you Y/N. I know that I haven’t earned a second chance but if by some miracle you decide to grant me one then I promise to make it worth your while.
I would pick the stars out of the sky for you Y/N, if only you asked me to.
Happy Valentine’s Day from your pretty boy.
You look up from the letter and wipe the tears that had managed to escape, before getting off the grass and running back into the castle. When you find Draco eating dinner in the Great Hall, and see him flash you a shy smile, you instantly know what that feeling from earlier was.
It was butterflies reviving.
~~~
get added to my taglist <33
taglist : @purpleskymalfoy, @astoria-malfcy, @dreaming-about-fanfictions, @dracoscene
~~~
I’m pretty sure I completely deviated from what you wanted, I’m so sorry if it’s not satisfactory :( It’s so cheesy and I feel like I messed it up at a few points but either way I liked writing it, it made me very happy to finally write some Draco fluff again.
anyway, love you all,
jean <3
349 notes · View notes
svchengss · 3 years
Text
hey barista! | l.dh
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summary | befriending the barista from your local cafe doesn’t seem too bad
pairing | lee donghyuck x fem!reader ft. jaemin who’s a rlly cute side character in this :(
genre | fluff, angst, slight humour (?)
warnings | a kiss?? i don’t think there’s any but if i missed anything do lmk !!
word count | 3k+
s. tg | @hyuckefi [my apologies since i didn’t release a proper teaser for this 🙏🏻]
author’s note | this is my first fic exceeding 1k words so if u enjoyed reading this, please leave some feedbacks !! rb’s are also appreciated :D ALSO I SUCK AT SUMMARIES LMAO PLS IGNORE THAT
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just another day of working at palm coffee, the same old routine. cleaning the countertop and tables before opening up the cafe, prepping the ingredients - more for top favourites! - and examining the machines to make sure they’re working properly. that’s some of hyuck’s daily routines as a barista. he didn’t mind them though, he loved his job. he couldn’t specify the reason why but all these tasks are genuinely interesting to him.
seeing you drop by the cafe is a normal occurrence for him. since you are a regular customer after all, the rest of the staff already know you well. heck, they’re even good friends with you. jaemin hangs out with you more than he does despite being jaemin’s childhood friend. except for him, he doesn’t really know why. he’s not really shy, considering the fact that he’s a social butterfly. he just couldn’t bring himself to say anything to you, the only times he did so was to take your orders when the rest of the workers were busy in the store.
upon hearing the doorbell chime which signals a new customer entering the cafe, hyuck blurted out the usual line. “hello, welcome to palm coffee! how can i help-“, looking up from the cash register only to find you in a disheveled state. “-you?” he eyes you up and down, noting how a few strands of your hair were out of place, the nude lipstick smeared on the left corner of your mouth and your outfit looks really rushed. 
“sorry, what was your name again, hyuck right?” you quickly glanced at the nametag hanging nicely on his apron. “i’m in a rush right now, can i get a,” you scanned over the menu behind him, “uh, white coffee, please?”. 
“that will be six dollars. you can use the restroom in the meantime to, you know, touch up your makeup and stuff,” he takes the bills from your hand, putting them in the machine in front of him before flashing you with that warm smile of his. you wished him a quick thanks before disappearing into the back of the place.
now that was embarrassing.
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your eyes scanned over the hall to find your friend before hearing her shout your name from across. damn, why does she have to be so loud? stares were directed towards you as you walked up the stairs to your designated seat. all the chatter going on in the lecture hall became quiet as soon as your professor placed her things on the desk, which means class has started. 
after hearing a two-hour lecture and writing some notes - where suddenly song lyrics and scribbles appear - the words you’ve been waiting to hear finally echoed through the speakers. 
“class is dismissed, thank you everyone for listening,” mrs. hui’s voice later being flushed out by the buzzing voices of the students walking out the hall, determined to finish their own activities. you stuffed your ipad and papers into your light yellow jansport backpack before going out to meet vic who’s waiting for you outside. 
“i’m exhausted, what did she even teach just now?” vic sighed to her heart’s content. you can’t blame her, today’s topic was quite complicated. circuits analysis or something? you can’t really wrap your head around it, your brain being stuffed with all the information. vic kept on ranting  about the problems she faced from the moment she woke up, making you giggle at some comments she made. 
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“wait for me, i’m almost done,” he folded his apron neatly before shoving it into the drawer and grabbing his bag from the counter to join jaemin, who’s waiting at the front door with the keycard. hyuck accepted jaemin’s request to help him with some shopping for his sister’s birthday party next week. obviously, the rest of the staff were also invited. 
jaemin divided the shopping list into two, allowing hyuck to find the rest of the things with ease.
“now where are the streamers…” he muttered out loud enough for himself to hear, crouching down to browse through the party decorations on the shelf. or he thought so, as you could hear him sighing clearly in dire need of the certain decoration, that you decided to help him out. 
“um, hyuck? i think the party streamers are in the aisle beside this one? you look a bit troubled there,” you chuckled lightly. the heat flushed to his cheeks, feeling dumbfounded. 
“really? uh, thank you for the help,” he gave you a small grin that could hardly be seen if you didn’t spot the corner of his lips. and with that, he’s long gone with his shopping basket.
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you are fond of the atmosphere you’re in right now. the decorations left you in awe - white and pink silk hanging from the wall with silver letter balloons spelling out happy birthday stitched onto them. you can see jaemin’s sister, eun-ji, being carried out of her room with a small flowy white dress and wearing a golden bow on her head, her brunette hair being tied into ponytails. the na family really adore their youngest girl.
meanwhile, there are only a couple of adults your age attending the party -  jaemin’s co-workers, some of his other friends which you aren’t familiar with and hyuck. he looked rather chill, with an oversized beige sweater and white jeans to suit the party’s theme. you’re not quite bad as well, your hair combed nicely and kept neat with a headband, a white sundress with strawberry patterns on it fit nicely on your figure, complemented with a heart-locket necklace placed on your collarbones. before reaching jaemin’s house, you made sure to drop by a local store to get some gifts for eun-ji. she’s a very well-mannered kid which made you adore her very much.
“y/n? very glad to see you here,” hyuck said as he approached you, offering you a plate of cake which he cut.
“i could say the same to you too, mr. lee,” you let out a soft laugh. he made sure to keep a mental note over how pretty you looked today.
“y/n, hyuck! glad you two broke the ice, did you know how hurt i was seeing you two act like strangers whenever y/n came by the cafe?” jaemin enveloping you into a small hug before fake pouting. you can only laugh at the fake debate the two guys in front of you were having. after conversing with hyuck and jaemin for quite some time, you realised that he’s a cool person to talk to, where all this time, you thought he hated you for some reason. before leaving, you made sure to thank mrs. na for hosting the party and off you went home. 
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following the previous encounters, hyuck felt much more comfortable around you - even hanging out with you during his shift where you would do your assignments at the cafe he’s working at. every now and then, he would also invite you to hang out with him and jaemin. however, what he didn’t realise was how he slowly pent up feelings - romantically. 
ding dong!
he pressed on the doorbell button with a box of doughnuts in his left hand. the three of you were supposed to be having a movie night, but jaemin got caught up with his groupwork which leaves the two of you alone. 
“hey hyuck! come in,” you gestured, arranging the cushions on your sofa to make it look more organized. the interior of your rented apartment is calming, the light grey walls suiting the navy blue sofa and furniture with darker undertones. the walls are also not left empty, with modern art portraits hanging from it. 
“i brought donuts, your favourite, right?” he opened the box, placing it on the coffee table while you set up the television. you wished him a quick thank you before grabbing two canned drinks from the refrigerator, handing one to him and pressing play on the remote control. you two weren’t quiet throughout the whole movie, with snarky comments on how hot the actors were or how stupid they were being were made. 
he didn’t know you were sleepy though as all of a sudden, he could feel the weight of your head on top of his shoulder. it was a rather awkward situation as he didn’t move at all so you could sleep comfortably. before long, he joined you and dozed off to wonderland. the next morning, you were more than embarrassed to find yourself cuddling up to him, with the next movie still playing on the screen.
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seeing your figure outside the front door made hyuck more excited to greet you today. after making a quick order for a green tea latte, you fished out your purse from your handbag, feeling frantic if you’ve lost it outside. luckily, you were the only customer in line as the rest of them were already seated and carrying out their own businesses.
“sorry, but i think this might be yours,” you turned around to find a tall-looking guy handing out your black purse. a wave of relief washed over your soul, thanking the latter profusely.
“mind if i buy you a drink? i hate feeling like i owe someone,” you offered, which he gladly accepted. 
“i’d like a double espresso, please,” he kept his hands into his pockets. 
“and your name, sir?” hyuck looked mildly bothered.
“yukhei,” he ran his slightly blonde hair through the slender fingers. hyuck hated how cocky he looked, feeling more annoyed than ever over the scene that was played in front of him just now. he hated how yukhei looked at you. 
why should he get jealous? he’s just a mere friend to you, that’s all. you have to stop overreacting, hyuck. 
those words kept running through his mind all day.
“dude, are you okay? you looked-” jaemin opened the staff room, interrupting him from the self-talk he was having, “-distracted,” finishing up his sentence. 
“nope, i’m just fine,” he said, bringing the honey smile back onto his face. jaemin nodded before disappearing back to the front to serve the customers. 
stop being so jealous, hyuck. you’re just a friend. not more, not less. 
“jaemin, how do you know if you like someone?” that question is kind of shocking to him, especially if it’s coming from hyuck. of course, he’s had a crush before but it was during middle school. just a silly, little crush. growing up, he’s never had one - not even in high school.
“you’ve asked the right person,” jaemin managed to do his obnoxious voice, even while driving the car. he’s right, he is the matchmaker of the friend group, just how many relationships worked out because of him? eyes still focused on the road - he’s a responsible driver of course, he began to explain the feeling to hyuck, making his points loud and clear.
“first of all, you start feeling a little too happy whenever you’re around them. and no, this is not the oh-we’re-best-friends-forever type of happy, it’s the i’ll-make-you-the-happiest-person-on-earth one. not to forget, you will also experience some kind of turbulence in your heart, expect them to be jumping around a bit. or a lot, whichever suits you the best.
you also tend to feel nervous around that person. like, stuttering your words in obvious or non-obvious ways, feeling faster heartbeats than usual, you name it. oh! if you’ve ever felt jealous whenever they are around someone else, i mean, in affectionate ways, you might have one. however, my tip is for you not to act out of your mind. you don’t want to ruin whatever relationship you have currently, do you?” even when driving, he still managed to deliver his points with full precision and accuracy. 
nodding his head, hyuck took some mental notes to be thought through when he gets home. 
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hyuck stared at you, whose figure is snoring soundly on his lap. he assumed you must be feeling exhausted, mid-terms just ended after all. while threading his fingers through your hair, he remembered what jaemin said to him weeks earlier.
1. being happy around them
like jaemin said, it is normal to be happy around your friends. but being with you, it kind of gave more joy for him. not to mention that he started to catch himself smiling over your texts and being reminded of you over small things - your favorite donut topping, the name of that one stray puppy you gave. 
2. feeling nervous around them
his heart would beat a lot faster whenever you get closer towards him, whether accidentally or to mess with him. 
3. getting jealous over someone else
he shouldn’t be jealous of how yukhei looked at you. but he seriously can’t help it. and the way he’s always there during your hangouts. he doesn’t care if he seems petty, yukhei just isn’t in his favour.
his deep thoughts came to a halt when you called out his name, eyes still half-closed, attempting to open them a bit more. 
“did i interrupt you or something? gosh, i’m so sorry,” you quickly stood up but he pulls your body back onto his lap, asking for you to stay.
“what are we?” that question caught you off-guard. the same one that has been at debate in the back of your mind these days. 
i don’t know hyuck, it’s complicated. 
“what do you think we are, hyuck?” you shot the question back at him, your gaze piercing through his soul.
“i don’t know. it’s just-” 
“are you sure?” a deep sigh left your lips. have you been interpreting his body languages wrong? did he only see you as a normal friend, nothing more? 
“sorry, i’m not feeling well. see you later hyuck, bye,” you tried your best to shoot the sweet smile of yours but only a faint one seemed to appear. once you stepped out of the room, he buried his face into his hands. 
god, what have i done?
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“don’t feel too down, y/n. maybe there’s something more that he couldn’t bring himself to say?” vic suggested, handing you some tissue.
“i don’t know, i seriously have no idea. why can’t he just say it?” you continued to sob into her arms, she pitied you, especially in your condition right now. but she can’t do anything to help you, other than consoling and listening. 
jaemin knew something was wrong, from your rare visits to the cafe to hyuck not being himself lately. something was definitely wrong and it’s between the both of you. sure, hyuck might be saying that he’s fine again and again, but his expressions can’t lie. the sweet smile of his is long gone and his jokes are no longer heard. whatever it is, jaemin is determined to solve it. he just wants his best friends back. 
looks of dismay can be read all over hyuck’s face when the person facing him is no other than the guy himself, yukhei. still, he tried to control his composure, not making his inner feelings any more obvious.
“so what brings you here?” he took a sip of the mineral water, still making his throat rough from the tension hanging in the air. 
“look, i’m not here for any fights. i know you like y/n, everybody can see it. and honestly, you were oblivious to your own feelings,” he rubbed his hands together. the latter’s puzzled face made him continue his words.
“i’m not trying to make her like me, or whatever you’ve been assuming. sorry if i gave the wrong message but you are the one who should make a move. i can see from the way she looks at you, the feelings are mutual,” he straightened up the denim jacket outside the white shirt wrapping his figure. 
letting out a heavy sigh, hyuck’s face begins to soften up. “no, i should be the one who’s sorry. i’ve been such a prick to everyone around me lately, especially you,” he took of the cap from his head, messing up his hair. 
“no problem, bro. it’s understandable, i guess. now good luck with her, please treat her well,” the two guys exchanged a fist bump for the problem solved. jaemin leaned his back against the wall, smiling and feeling satisfied.
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you called out jaemin’s name but to no avail. he invited you to his apartment but seeing that the lights are out, it’s clear enough that he hasn’t finished whatever he was doing yet. just as you were about to leave, you saw hyuck at the other side of it, both your faces mirroring the same look of confusion.
“so, uh, how have you been doing these days? it’s been a while since we talked,” he chose to break the silence. now, you two were sitting facing each other by the balcony. inhaling the breeze, you paused for a moment before responding to his question.
“i’ve been feeling, not as usual. definitely not happy but not that sad,” you pushed some of the loose hair strands hanging on your forehead behind your ears before asking about his.
“you know what, i’m just going to be direct with you. i, lee donghyuck have been holding feelings for you since i don’t know when. yeah sure, i wasn’t really sure at first about what i was going through. i guess i was just scared of how you would react,” he scratched his ears which are not feeling itchy at all, but rather an attempt to distract himself from the overwhelming emotions deep inside him. 
not wanting to waste time any longer, you placed your right hand onto his cheek, standing on the heels of your feet to bring your two lips together. the kiss was short before he pulls you back in for another, this time a more passionate one. he could feel you smile against his lips before enveloping your body into his arms.
“i’ve missed you, you know?” he whispered, his voice tender, directing right into your ears before you replied with how you missed him more. the both of you continued to whisper sweet nothings while embracing each other’s presence. 
jaemin looked at the both of you from a distance, his heart swelling with pride. 
— another pair of lovers matched, cupid jaemin signing out.
166 notes · View notes
missskzbiased · 3 years
Text
The Dickhead Cupid
Genre: Fluff, Romance, Oneshot, Drabble, Confession! au, High School! au, Best Friends to lovers! au
Pairing: Han Jisung x Fem! Reader
Word Count: ~2,9K [Yes, Guys, I suck at writing a Drabble. Sue me]
Notes: The second fanfic for the Valentine’s request [That you can find here]
Chan ||  Minho || Changbin || Hyunjin || Han || Felix || Seungmin || Jeongin
Masterlist
Warnings: Language (?) [Dickhead is considered language? Dumbass. Things like this], Mentions of food, suggestive joke
Requested: Yes, by  🔮 anon [I hope you like it T^T]
General Tag List: @channiewoo @aliceu
[If you wish to be tagged to the other Valentine’s requests, please send me an ask <3]
                                                            ///
    Minho stood there in the empty classroom, staring blankly at the box.
    “Love u dick?” He said out loud, blinking a few times and studying the half-open box with a frown before raising his eyes to you, arching his brow judgingly “Are you sure it wasn’t supposed to be Jisung’s gift?” He asked in amusement, throwing you a knowing look that made your face burn like the ends of hell.
    “Head!” You hissed, yanking the box away from his hands to unwrap it completely “Love u Dick-Head!” You cried, showing him the sixteen pieces of chocolate that were supposed to be a friendly present “Read the damn thing properly, Godamnit!” You whined, utterly embarrassed as you returned the gift to him.
    “Why the hell didn’t you spell Dickhead in one line?!” He burst out laughing, analyzing the chocolate with twinkling eyes before shoving a piece inside his mouth, humming in appreciation “If you put ‘dick’ and ‘head’ in different lines, it’s bound to happen a misunderstanding!” He pointed out, chuckling before widening his eyes in realization and looking at you excitedly “Please, tell me that you gave one of those to Jisung” He begged, getting a hit on the shoulder as an answer.
    “Of course not!” He chortled, eating another piece while you freaked out “And how the hell would I put dickhead in one row if each one has only four pieces, dumbass?!” You protested, crossing your arms over your chest as you pouted at him “It’s clear enough, okay?” You took the box once more, gesturing to the first row “Love” You stressed the word, getting a nod from him “U followed by a heart because they didn’t have a comma” You pointed at the two pieces, catching a glimpse of his smirk “Dickhead” You concluded, floundering your hand between the two last rows.
    “Clear as the day” He agreed, fighting back his smile as he reached for a third piece.
    “It was on sale, okay?!” You gave up, throwing your hands to the air “You know that I wanted to make something special to Jisung! And he had to come up with seven ungrateful brats attached!” You complained, making him cackle up in a ridiculous high-pitched laugh that made you chuckle along with him “I’m broke, give me a break” You sighed, pressing your hands on your cheeks and pulling your face down.
    “The guys totally read it the same way as I did, didn’t they?” He asked amusedly, losing it when you dejectedly nodded to confirm “With all due respect but what were you thinking?” He shook his head in disbelief, eating the last piece from the row and slapping his own leg, trying to tone down his merriment. You shrugged, too gloomy to keep arguing to defend your ideas, leaning back on your chair before glancing at the box on your desk, whimpering in mortification.
    Love u Dick.
   You squirmed on your chair as to throw a tantrum, wailing and reaching for a piece to destroy the embarrassing statement displayed on the box and shoving it inside your mouth. Minho whined in protest, furrowing his brows as he glared at you, bringing the box closer to him and eating another chocolate. You threw him a look, scorning him silently while slowly approaching your hand to the box ─ attentive to his watching eyes that resembled a tiger studying its prey ─, feeling the tension building up as you got closer to the chocolate. Minho didn’t only resemble a feline; he also had the same reflexes as one, slapping your hand right away as soon as you tried to jolt to snatch it from him.
    “Yah! I was the one who bought it!” You whined.
    “Yah! Don’t you know how to read?” He scoffed “M-I-N-H-O” He spelled, pointing to each letter on the gift-tag “That’s me, I’m Minho” He reasoned, gently tossing the paper on your face as he laughed at your surprised self “If you wanna share it, you should do it with your boyfriend” He teased, prompting you to get up from your chair to dope slap him in retaliation “Ouch!” He whined, throwing you a baffled look.
    “He’s not my boyfriend!” You howled, picking up the box to shove each piece inside his mouth. Minho laughed as he tried to fight you, failing to get up as you leaned on his back, using your weight to hold him down and your arm to wrap his shoulder, squeezing his cheeks with your free hand so you could force his mouth open.
    “Can you blame him?” He retorted in a muffled tone, trying to yank your hand away from him “Is that how you’d treat your boyfriend?!” He taunted before you finally accomplished your mission, shoving three pieces inside his mouth and making him snort as you announced your victory, laughing exhilarated and letting him go.
    “Hey” The small voice washed away any excitement you had in the previous second, making you close your eyes shut for a moment before turning around with a friendly smile, meeting Jisung’s eyes. He leaned on the doorframe, darting his eyes between both of you before landing them on the box; his smile faltering for a bit “I see you’re already giving away some Valentine’s gifts… Where is mine?” He said jokingly, though you could see the expectation in his eyes.
    “Oh, I didn’t buy you anything” You explained, noticing how his expression seemed to drop significantly “No! I mean- I didn’t buy anything because I want to give you something else!” You rushed to say, hitting Minho’s head when he muttered a ‘Smooth’ under his breath “I thought we could go to that place you really wanted to go… Like…” You trailed off, clearing your throat “Like…” A date.
    “Like?” He encouraged you to continue, eyes twinkling.
    “Like… To eat a cheesecake or something” You smiled half-heartedly “I know you always wanted to try it out” You added coyly, rubbing your arm as you glanced at him uncertainly. Was it too straight forward? Jisung seemed taken aback by your invite, letting his mouth fall agape, completely speechless “Or maybe I can just give you some chocolate as well… I mean, I just thought you would prefer the cheesecake” You floundered, too nervous to wait for his answer.
     “No!” He squeaked, snapping out of his trance and waving his hands vehemently to put away your suggestion “I love cheesecake!” He added in a rushed tone, pink slowly dusting his cheeks “I mean- It’s a date, right?!” His voice cracked, prompting him to snap his hand to his throat, clearing it in embarrassment “Not a date-date! I mean… A date, right?” He gulped down, seeming terrified to keep his eyes focused on you.
    “Yeah!” Your voice faltered just like his “Not a date-date! Haha!” You lied, feeling the shame slowly wash over you “Just because it’s Valentine’s day and I’m asking you to go out with me doesn’t mean it’s a date” You chortled, feeling too nervous to refrain yourself from talking “I mean! A boy and a girl can be bestest of friends and still go out on a date!” You added, snorting ungracefully as you shrugged to make your point. What point? You had no idea.
   “Exactly!” He nodded eagerly, gesturing at you in a way to show his agreement “We’re best friends, right?” He asked as if to make sure of it “Best friends go on dates all the time!” He placed his hands on his hips, nodding sharply to emphasize his point. You nodded along with him, both of you laughing in a robotic way that made Minho grimace in disgust, staring at you as if you guys had grown a third head out of nowhere.
    “Okay…” He said warily “I’ll let you best friends talk about your date for now” He got up from his chair, scraping it on the floor and making you cringe “Thank you for the chocolate, baby” He stressed the last word, patting the small of your back softly before getting his box and walk to the door, hesitating for a bit “Want some?” He asked Jisung, extending it to him.
    You didn’t know what Minho was planning, but you were sure that there was no way in hell that he would offer food for Jisung like this. You narrowed your eyes at them, watching as your best friend tried to hold a gasp, snapping his eyes at Minho ─ who suspiciously smirked at him ─ before darting them to you. He didn’t take any pieces ─ which was weird enough for itself ─ but as Minho made his way out, turning around to wink at you when Jisung entered the room to sit on your desk, you were completely sure that he had schemed against you.
    “So…” He began, glancing at you uneasily “You and Minho, hm?” He said, crossing his arms over his chest to pretend to look unbothered “Were you planning to confess all along?” He asked curiously, and you couldn’t help but look at him flabbergasted.
    “What are you talking about?” You blurted “Minho and I are just friends”
    “Oh? Did you give all of your friends a box of chocolate saying that you loved them?” He sulked “I mean, I didn’t get any boxes” He shrugged, looking at you in wonder, seeming too afraid to voice his inner thoughts yet bold enough to stare straight into your eyes to look for some answers.
    There was a silent moment that felt like a switch.
    You swallowed dry, unsure if now was a good time to confess your feelings. That wasn’t going as you had planned at all… Your plans were quite simple: Convince Jisung to go out with you, bring him to the fancy place he always wanted to go to but didn’t have the money to, dress up nicely to look alluring under the dim lights, share a piece of cheesecake ─ not only because you couldn’t afford two pieces but also because it was more romantic ─, and finally confess your undying love for your best friend.
    Easy peasy.
    Thanks to Minho, though, all of your plans were going down the drain.
     Instead of going out to a fancy place, you were standing in a dusty empty classroom. Instead of dressing up nicely, you were wearing simple clothes that he was used to seeing you in, therefore being too common to look alluring at all. Instead of being under dim lights, you were standing under the sunset’s orangish lights, which were bound to enhance all the traits you didn’t want him to pay attention to. Instead of sharing a piece of cheesecake and being romantic, you were standing in an uncomfortable silence beside each other, wrapped in a lie that must be cleared up.
    Instead of confessing your undying love for your best friend, you were chickening out.
    As you drown yourself in your torrent of thoughts and doubts, you were oblivious to the current state of mind your best friend and romantic interest was at the moment.
    Han Jisung prided himself on being a pretty chill human being, having nice dreams (that he always referred to as goals, because he was settled on making them real), and owning enough courage to chase whatever he wanted to accomplish. Unfortunately for him, you could throw every single one of those things out of the window just by glancing at him with a smile, making his heart burst inside his chest and his limbs turn into pudding. You made him a coward with nice dreams that he didn’t have enough courage to pursue.
    Dreams that haunted his head.
    He was too close yet too far away from them. Each time he held your hand or interlocked his arm with yours as you made your way to your favorite places… Each time you threw him a look that seemed something more but not really… Each time you said you loved him… Each time you acted as if he was special to you… Each time he couldn’t understand if he was just a friend or something more under your eyes… All of those times felt like he was too close and yet too far away from his dreams; searching and gripping on thin air that was bound to slip through his fingers.
    He could never grasp it, no matter how hard he tried to.
    Now, he couldn’t help but wonder if he was seeing too much or too little. Did you really give Minho a box filled with chocolate that spelled ‘I Love U’ because you guys were friends? Was he wrong for thinking that going out with you on Valentine’s Day sounded a bit too intimate for a best friend thing? Should he be so worried about whether or not you gave a box to each one of your friends except him? Should it make his heart rum against his chest like that? Did that box mean you liked Minho? Or did it mean that you may like him?
    The poor boy was freaking out.
    “Did you?” He repeated himself, and you were honestly too lost inside your mind to remember what he had asked you sooner. You stared at him blankly, blinking a few times and letting your mouth open a little, licking your lips before looking around the room as if you were looking for some answers.
    “Did I- What? What did I do?” You asked bewildered, widening your eyes as he made his way to you, holding your arms firmly yet gently, locking his eyes with yours. He seemed to be engulfed in brand new determination, eyes fiercely looking for any signs on yours that could finally clarify his doubts and fears. You gulped down, feeling your throat too dry as he stared for your lips, and the sudden realization that your mouth tasted like chocolate made you wonder if he would enjoy kissing you like this.
    “Did you give each one of the guys a chocolate box telling you loved them?” He asked again, and you opened and closed your mouth a few times. That was it. If you answered him now, all of your confession plans would definitely go down the drain. If you didn’t answer him now, you may not even have the chance to confess at all.
    “I did” You answered, voice trembling as you tried to gather enough courage to confess to him. It wasn’t what you were planning, and you didn’t feel prepared to do it right now. But would you ever feel like it was the right time? Or would you keep running away till you lost your shot? “I gave each one of my friends a chocolate box” You emphasized, noticing how he gulped down in expectation, eyes wavering as he searched for something inside yours.
    “You didn’t get me one” He said carefully, chest going up and down as his uneven breath warmed your face.
    “I didn’t” You agreed, too scared to explain why; breath mingling with his.
    “Is it because I’m more than a friend?” He asked, making your heart go at an insanely fast rate “Please, don’t say yes if you’re going to say I’m your best friend” He pleaded in a small voice, feeling too scared to look into your eyes. You gasped, hands going to cup his cheeks to make sure he would be looking at you when you finally said it. You rubbed circles on his soft skin, fighting the urge to pinch his round cheek and wetting your lips as you looked into his eyes.
    “Yes, that’s because –“ You began to whisper but was promptly interrupted.
    “For Lord’s sake! Just kiss already” Minho groaned from the outside, making both of you snap your heads to the window, catching a glimpse of a hand pulling someone’s head down just on time.
    “Shhh! Don’t interrupt them! It took them ages to confess!” Chan hissed from somewhere under the sill.
    You sighed along with Jisung, walking towards the window to lean there, glaring at the seven guys that grinned sheepishly at you, rubbing their nape in embarrassment. Minho was the first one to recover, getting up and stretching like a cat as if he didn’t just interrupt your long-awaited kiss with Jisung. He smirked at you obnoxiously, shrugging as he picked up the last piece of chocolate on his box ─ the heart-shaped one ─, shoving it inside Jisung’s mouth and grinning widely.
    “Okay, all set! Dickhead loves you too” He patted your shoulder, talking quickly as if to confuse you “Chocolate flavored kiss, that’s my gift for both of you! Congratulation for finally realizing that you should be together all along and everything all of us were painfully aware of! Please don’t chase or beat us up!” He nudged the guys around, prompting them to get away from the window “You may kiss the bride or whatever” He offered, turning around to run away with them.
    You and Jisung scoffed, watching them running away.
    “Should we chase them?” You asked amusedly, glancing at him.
    “Maybe tomorrow we can smack their heads or something… I have to make better use of my time than that on my first Valentine with my girlfriend” He shrugged, smirking when you got all flustered at the mention of your new relationship status “May I kiss the bride?” He asked jokingly, pulling you closer by your waist.
    “As many times you want” You chuckled, leaning in for a kiss.
247 notes · View notes
Text
Come Back
Character: James Bucky Barnes
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Pairing: Bucky Barnes / Fem!Reader (OC)
Inspired By (Song): Tu fotografía - Gloria Estefan
Warnings: Fluff. So much Angst. Insecurities. Post! Snap. Post!Avengers Endgame. Pre TFATWS.
Author’s Note: Hello. Hello. Hello. I hope everyone’s ok.
This fic is a second part of “Dust”. When I wrote Dust, automatically thought on a second part, and maybe It would be so so long posted in one post.
(If you don’t know, I write in the night) so… This is the final part of this fic. As always say, it’s a pleasure write with Bucky and maybe, just maybe, write a novel with him just to pull out of off my head.
Part 1 is here
He’s other of my movie’s crush with Poe Dameron. And Loki too. 🤦🏻‍♀️
Ps: The gif isn't mine. (I don't remember who is the creator)
Again, thanks u for the likes, comments and reblogs. Always made me smile to know that my stories makes you fun a little.
So I hope you like this one. XOXO 💋
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
I’m driving on the highway at a considerable speed trying to get to my destination quickly. The letter that Steve sent me through those FBI mens is on the passenger seat unopened but I know it contains something important.
His messages were always important.
I barely see out of the window that the great building of Avengers Headquarters appears in my vision, and I feel my heart race. Although I had never been there, something made me even more nervous.
I get out of the car quickly and before even crossing the doors of the building, I see that many people leave, some crying, others hugging others and some running quickly towards taxis that are stopped in the streets near it. The destinations were very different: Some went to the center, others that went to the different government offices and others directly to the airport.
What’s happening?
A police officer stops me and asks for my identification. The only thing I have with me is my little blue backpack and Steve’s letter in my hand.
I think about whether to show him the letter, but I open it and take out from inside it, a folded sheet of paper and a small card, as if it were a driver’s license, and I give it to the officer who steps away only when he sees it, indicating that I should enter through another of the doors that were empty. From a distance I can barely see the different sheets of paper stuck to the side of one of the doors where many people were reading and walking towards the taxis. The officer guides me until I enter through a door that could be for a giant and I sneak past what appear to be luxury cars totally covered by blue tarps.
- We were waiting for you, Miss Porter - The artificial voice makes me jump with fright and I turn towards the void, looking for the source where it comes from; but I can’t see a speaker, far from it, someone nearby - I’m sorry to scare you, my name is FRIDAY, I’m one of Mr. Stark’s technological assistants.
Stark. How long since I heard anything about that last name.
- It's nothing. You just took me by surprise - I deny as I walk through that empty corridor and I see through the tinted windows how people are hugging, as if they had not seen each other a long time ago - What am I doing here? Why don’t the others come in this way?
- I’m sorry it was like that. Let me ask you a question: Did you read Captain Rogers’ letter? It was his exclusive request that you enter through here.
- No … - I answer lost in my thoughts and squeeze the letter in my hands, as if it were some kind of stress reliever that I had learned to use over the years, while I pay attention to the couple that is a few meters from me , who seems to be eager to touch, as if they have not been together a long time - I’ll do it at home.
- You must do it now before entering the main room.
I suddenly look at the threshold where I see silhouettes of people walking quickly from one side to the other. My breath catches in my throat as I feel fear invade me. What am I afraid of? Steve is on the other side waiting for me to give me another bad news? Tell me that he was gone forever like that time five years ago?
- Let me assure you that the content of that letter will not make you suffer more than you have suffered in these five years, Miss Porter.
I look at the letter and curse while I mentally complain about the ease I have to express my emotions, even more so when the opinion comes, from what I suppose, it is an AI.
- And how do you know that? How do you know that I suffered?
- Because Captain Rogers specially asked me to remind you if you didn’t get to read it - I laugh as I remember the many calls during my last two weeks of school, and the times I preferred to press the end button in order not to listen to Steve ask me if I was okay when we were both fully aware that neither he or I were - I know it was very hard for both you, and Captain Rogers, the loss of Sergeant Barnes.
Hearing his last name was as if someone had hit the pit of my stomach and the air suddenly escaped, without giving me the possibility of recovering it.
I try to take a deep breath but barely manage to take in a small breath of air before I feel a tear fall down my cheek.
It hadn’t been long since the snap when I realized how much I missed Bucky.
- It was not necessary to remember something that I’m still trying to forget.
I mumble as I walk to the door and hear children’s laughter, whispers about whether they were okay or how long they were out - What is out there?
- You must see it by yourself, miss. Let me tell you something: Captain Rogers was very sorry that he couldn’t say goodbye to you as he would have liked, but he wants you to know that he appreciates you in ways you can’t imagine.
- Thanks FRIDAY. He went on a trip?
- To live his life, miss. And he hopes that he can give it back some of yours.
I frown at her words and feel a breeze of fresh air come through the door and as soon as I cross the threshold, I hear Friday say the words that nail me to the place.
- Sergeant Barnes is waiting for you. He will be eager to see you again.
Bucky? Was this a joke? I try to open the note quickly but my fingers seem not to want to collaborate between the tremors and the nerves. How likely was the AI ​​to be wrong?
None.
As soon as I open the note I see some scribbles that I understand as the date, which is from a few days ago, and I read it quickly looking for those words that tell me that what FRIDAY said is true.
“I’m sorry I can’t say goodbye to you, Emma. I wish I could tell you this in person, but the circumstances of my trip make it impossible. What I can tell you is that I’ll be fine and that I’m coming home. It was a pleasure. meet you and I want you to do me a favor: Take care of him. He always looked after me, now it’s time for someone to take care of him. That idiot won the lottery with you, Emma. And you must make him notice it every day of his life. This is my gift to you, I know I couldn’t promise anything five years ago, but we did it, we won and James is here for you. I hope that’s enough. ”
I put my hands to my mouth, suppressing a sob, without finishing reading the letter and when I start looking for it with my eyes among so many people. Suddenly reality hits me: The people who were here, running, hugging, crying were those who had disappeared with the snap.
My God … He was here.
I walk towards one of the men who is dressed in red, with the Médecins Sans Frontières insignia and the words are stuck in my throat.
- Are you looking for someone special? Could you give me the details?
- Barnes. He’s here … Or so they told me - I keep looking with my eyes but I can’t make out anyone I usually know. There was no sign of either Natasha or Sam - Sam Wilson? He’s his partner.
The man looks at me as if horns have come out of my head and he approaches another young woman in black, who sees me and only nods to him. I show her the credential without waiting for an answer and she simply indicates the door that is a few meters from us.
- Porter, right? - I nod as if he were a robot and indicates the door to me again - Main hall. Gate 6.
- Thank you - I run while avoiding people, children who run into the arms of their parents and push others, but no one complains. As soon as I get to the door and let people in, I see Sam in the distance that he’s talking to someone I can’t recognize. Something inside me ignites and I feel my heart beating again. I can handle the urge to cry as much as I can but I can’t, as I feel the heat invade my cheeks.
He diverts attention from who’s talking to him, he sees me and starts laughing. That complicit and funny laugh that I haven’t seen in someone for a long time. Everything had become so sad that it seemed to be in a black and white movie. I can barely get Bucky’s name off my lips when Sam nods in my direction and slaps the arm of the man in front of him. He shakes his head, visibly annoyed, but Sam indicates where I am, making the stranger turn around.
I hold back a sigh as soon as I see him turn and look in Sam’s direction but he doesn’t seem to see me. People who cross between the two prevent it. His long hair was gone and a new haircut made him look more confident. Even more attractive. His eyes were still sad but in a way that I couldn’t quite interpret.
Good God, the need to touch him was such that it seemed to me that I was in a dream and that none of it was real.
I try to scream his name through the murmur but nothing comes out of my mouth and when I try again, the tears prevent me from speaking.
I walk quickly, closing the distance between us, but before I even reach the middle, fear takes hold of me again.
What if he doesn’t remember me in the same way that I remember him?
I see Sam roll his eyes as he grabs his shoulders, turns him around, and points him right in my direction: once our gazes meet, I can’t hold back the tears.
The only answer I get is a smile.
We both rush towards each other and I hardly feel the air getting heavy, I wrap my arms around him, as if he might disappear at any moment.
- You’re here. You don’t know how much I cried for you - I hear his laugh while I feel his lips leave kisses on my hair, as his hands try to touch any part of me that is within reach and as soon as he takes me by the arms he pulls me away, observing me from above down - I thought you were just another illusion in my head.
- Is it really you, Emma? - He hugged me again and I hear Sam mutter as he passed something about how “cheesy” we looked - You look different.
-You were gone for a long time, James - he murmured against his chest while I enjoy the heat that his body gives off as well as the accelerated beats of his heart that are coupled with mine - When Steve told me that you had gone …
- Shh … don’t remember. I’m here, doll. I will never leave again.
He pulls away just to look at me for a few moments, I don’t know if he was looking for something or trying to remember something, but he just raised his hand to wipe the tears that were falling down my cheek.
- I have to catch you up on things here. - I try to get Steve’s letter out of my pocket but Bucky makes me look at him again.
- Before that….
The last thing my brain analyzes is the softness of his lips against mine. A gentle pressure and I feel like the floor disappears under me. I try to get up on tiptoe to get up to him and run my hands on his shoulders trying to bring him closer, but all I can do is wrap his arms around me and get even closer to him. I let my fingers play with his short hair and I love that feeling.
Hell, I missed his presence so much that it was hard for me to think about never having him around again.
He pulled me for air and I can tell his cheeks are just as red as mine - Bucky I …
-You don’t know how long I wanted to do that.
- For 6 years? - I joke as I approach again and take him by the hand.
- How old are you, Emma? The first time I met you, you were 25.
- I will turn 31 next week - I admit as he shakes his head and looks for someone with his eyes, when he does not find him, he lets out a growl - Who are you looking for?
- Sam. I’ll tell him we’re leaving - Answer my mental question and gently pull me towards one of the secluded rooms of the building where I hear murmurs from other people - I’ll catch up with you, doll.
I feel my cheeks heat up as I brake, causing Bucky to tense up - What do you mean?
- We will catch up on all aspects and I swear to you that you will hardly leave my department - I try to laugh but all I get is that a gasp escapes my lips causing me to give me a playful smile - In that aspect too, doll .
- Before you two go to do the things that are you going to do - I hear Sam’s voice in the distance and as soon as it enters our field of vision, I see him snorting - You know you must be with Raynor on Monday at 9 o'clock. Truth?
- And you had to remind me now?
- Yes, because I know you will not answer my messages and she will be the one who will remind you when you want to forget about it. Your head depends on it, Buck.
- Do not call me that way.
- Come on old man, go enjoy your life and stop getting mad at the world. You’re back and with your girl, and will you still be upset because I call you like Steve did?
I shift my gaze from one to the other and Bucky just extends his hand to Sam, who shakes it without hesitation.
- Take care of yourself, Wilson.
- You too Barnes. If you need me, you know where to find me.
I pulled me away from Bucky as I walk to the door and I feel like some of the pain is gone even though I still can’t assimilate that that’s true.
- Let’s go, doll?
- Let’s go.
26 notes · View notes
asstronauts · 3 years
Text
Alphabet Soup
rating: t word count: 1.7k pairing: jemily summary: perhaps love is in the little moments more than the grand gestures. 26 times (among many) that JJ and Emily fall a little bit more in love with each other in the everyday, smaller moments.
read on ao3, if you’d prefer
---
A - alphabet soup
JJ bought cans of alphabet soup for the boys when Michael first began to read, but Emily quickly found it much more entertaining to spell out words like "boob" or "ass" or "sex?" punctuated with a poorly modified capital P in place of a question mark. JJ had to shut it down when Michael asked what a "tit" was, and Emily panicked and mumbled something about birds.
B - bedtime
They would often unwind by reading before bedtime, and JJ found that Emily read through many foreign literature books. The nights she would fall asleep to Emily stroking her hair and reading aloud in words she didn't understand were the nights she felt most rested.
C - constellations
It was clear that Emily didn't actually know any constellations besides the Big Dipper and Orion. But when she laid on the grass with Henry and Michael, she made up stories in the stars about great heroes and the adventures they went on, and the boys fell in love with the night sky.
D - driving
JJ insisted on driving everywhere without the help of smartphone maps, which had gotten them lost on several occasions. Somehow it felt alright, when she had one hand on the wheel and one hand on Emily's leg, the windows were down, and her hair was streaming in the wind and reflecting the setting sun. Somehow it felt alright to be lost with her.
E - errands
For whatever reason, JJ made running any errand seem like immense fun. Buying groceries, getting gas, even sending a letter felt like an adventure when she was there. They'd only gotten kicked out of one grocery store — when JJ had knocked over an entire display stand of candy bars after running and jumping onto a shopping cart. They didn't regret anything.
F - forehead kiss
JJ wasn't that much shorter than Emily, but when the brunette pressed her lips to her girlfriend's forehead, JJ would feel the need to bury her face in Emily's neck to hide her blushing cheeks.
G - graveyard
On that day, JJ just needed space. So Emily took her to the flower shop the day before and drove her to the cemetery that morning and left her alone until she was ready. In the evening, they didn't speak, just laid with one another on the couch until JJ fell asleep in her arms.
H - horror movie
It was a cheap jump scare, but it made JJ scream out and grab Emily's arm, prompting the older woman to laugh at her. JJ responded with a playful slap, and Emily had to kiss her to reaffirm her love. They didn't finish the movie.
I - ice cream
On a day off, Emily took the boys to get ice cream, and when they came home raving about how Emily had managed to stack five ice cream scoops on top of a single cone, JJ knew she was with the right woman.
J - jaw
Emily's knees grew weak whenever JJ kissed up her jaw and whispered in her ear. Her girlfriend caught on and loved messing with her, working her up into a complete frenzy, then saying the most unsexy thing she could think of. Emily hated it, but she also couldn’t help but to collapse into a fit of giggles when JJ planted kisses all up the side of her face and whispered something like "corned beef" in a seductive voice.
K - kitchen
JJ would use every kitchen utensil as a musical instrument during any spare moment in cooking — while the food was cooking, while the water boiled, while the oven was preheating. She would sing into a wooden spoon and shove it into Emily's face to finish the lyric, and the two would dance in each others' arms all throughout the kitchen.
L - letters
When Emily spent her time in Paris and London, she and JJ wrote each other scores of letters the times they weren't together. They'd both filled up an entire box of papers and knickknacks until they were reunited. Even after, JJ would sometimes write a letter addressed to Emily, drop it into the mailbox and tell Emily to check the mail, for no reason except to make her smile.
M - mugs
JJ had an entire cupboard dedicated to mugs for her tea, which Emily could never understand because she only seemed to ever use two of them: one being a lumpy mug Henry had made in a pottery store and the other being a Valentine’s Day gift from Emily with lovely ceramic boobs protruding from the mug’s body.
N - notes
Emily bought a massive pack of post-its and began leaving notes for JJ around work, bringing a smile to her face every time she found a little colorful message. Some were encouraging — you can do it, you light up my world, you're amazing. Some were cheesy — i love you, je t’aime, when you see this blow me a kiss. And some were...questionable — JJ had to hide the extremely accurate (and well-annotated!) drawing of her naked body before Hotch saw.
O - omelette
Most of the time, Emily couldn't cook without the risk of burning the house down, but for some reason, she made the most scrumptious omelette. Despite not knowing how to cook scrambled or fried or boiled eggs, Emily's omelettes were always perfectly cooked, with an impeccable ratio of egg to filling. JJ tried everything she could to make them the same way, but the boys always preferred Emily's omelettes on Sunday mornings. JJ wondered if it was something she learned during her time in Paris.
P - plants
Before JJ, Emily had never been very good at taking care of plants. They seemed to die with little to no warning. But JJ had taught her well, making little plant calendars and teaching her signs to watch out for, and one morning, JJ caught her talking to one of the plants. As she listened more carefully, she heard that Emily was talking to each plant in a different language — according to the plant’s country of origin.
Q - quiet
The moments after the boys were put to bed were some of the only moments of quiet JJ and Emily got alone during the day. No matter how busy or tired they were, they always intentionally took a few moments to just quietly be with one another, curled up in the other's arms, lying in the other's lap, or simply sitting side by side.
R - rain
They'd gotten caught in the storm on the way back to the office from lunch. Despite JJ’s coat held up above them, the pair was getting drenched anyway, and they gave up and decided to make out in the rain instead. They swung their hands back and forth as they splashed over to the BAU, arriving soaked to the bone but elated, as Hotch shook his head at their sodden clothing and dopey grins.
S - Sergio
Emily had arrived home early and found JJ dancing in the hallway with Sergio to "Can't Stop the Feeling" blasting on the bluetooth speaker. She lifted her ban on Justin Timberlake that day, which had previously been in place when in a moment of weakness, JJ had declared she would choose him over Emily if given the chance. (She’d taken it back for Emily's sake, but deep down she couldn't really decide.)
T - thermostat
JJ liked the thermostat to be set at no lower than 77 degrees, while Emily loved the room as cold as possible. The first few months that they lived together was a horrible battle of constantly changing from one drastic temperature to the next, before JJ finally agreed to keeping the temperature low as long as Emily agreed to cuddle with her any time she got cold. Emily did not, however, realize that this compromise extended to the workplace, where JJ would sporadically ask for cuddles throughout the day, and Emily would have to comply.
U - ugly pajamas
Emily loved her ugly pajama sets. One of her favorites was a bright green Grinch onesie in a ridiculous Christmas sweater. JJ hated it until Emily showed it to the boys, and Michael howled with laughter and asked for one for himself. From that day forward, Emily bought her ugly pajamas in full family sets, including accompanying costumes for Sergio.
V - vanilla
Emily didn’t quite mind JJ’s early morning jogs because her favorite moments were when JJ came home after, took a shower, and climbed back into bed to give Emily a warm embrace, flooding her senses with the smell of vanilla shampoo. Emily would roll over to nuzzle her head in the crook of JJ’s neck and plant soft kisses there, breathing in her favorite scent.
W - wine
Emily drank red, JJ drank white. And Henry and Michael loved to join in, pretending to be adults by sipping grape juice from their colorful cups. Perhaps their family had unconventional tea parties, but at least they always had massive amounts of fun doing family activities tipsy. These were the nights when it was almost difficult to tell the difference between Michael and Emily’s coloring pages.
X - X-Files
JJ didn’t fully understand Emily’s deep obsession with The X-Files, but after Emily convinced her that she wasn’t only watching for Gillian Anderson, the younger woman began finding the long rambles and discussions of extraterrestrial life more endearing and interesting.
Y - yarn
JJ really wanted to get the hang of knitting and give something special to the boys, but Emily kept distracting her. Any chance she got, Emily would hold the yarn balls to her chest as fake boobs, use threads of yarn as mustaches, and drum the knitting needles against any surface. It wasn’t that JJ couldn't finish her projects out of annoyance — it was that JJ couldn’t help but laugh and find her girlfriend irresistible, forcing her to set aside her work and wrap herself up instead in the brunette’s embrace.
Z - zoo
It was Emily's explosive childlike joy when she had seen the dolphins. She claimed it was for the boys’ sakes, but JJ had noticed the pure excitement in her eyes when they saw the sign and felt the way Emily had tugged on her wrist to rush to the stadium and grab seats right in the splash zone. And in the screams of laughter and the moment when both Henry and Michael clutched at Emily when the water washed over them, JJ knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with this woman.
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reinerispretty · 4 years
Text
rotations. (zuko x f!reader) pt24
GOOD EVENING GUYS GALS AND NONBINARY PALS!!!!! i hope u are having a good day. :) 
pt1
pt23
pt25
(Y/N) stormed down through the palace, her dress billowing behind her as she walked. The stone cold look on her face alerted the servants that she was on a war path and it was best to leave her alone. Whatever the Fire Lord had gotten himself into, he surely deserved it. 
It was relatively early in the morning when (Y/N) opened her bedroom door to find Ursa holding a sleepy Kiyi in her arms. The previous Fire Queen gave her a stressed smile. “Noren and I wanted to go out into town today. Do you think you could watch her?” (Y/N) nodded quickly. 
“Of course! Today’s my day off.” She bent down so she was eye level with the little girl. “Do you want to have fun with me today, Kiyi?” The little girl sheepishly turned into her mother’s neck. 
“She’ll warm up to you,” Ursa promised, before handing her daughter to (Y/N). “Thank you so much, (Y/N).” She smiled. 
“Anything for you.” Kiyi squirmed in her arms as Ursa walked away, obviously very uncomfortable with being left alone with her. (Y/N) set her on the ground and took her hand. 
“Would you like to go see the turtle ducks?” Kiyi looked up at her and nodded eagerly. They walked to the pond and one of the servants gave them grapes to feed to the animals. She and Kiyi took turns throwing their grapes in. The little girl gave a small giggle every time a turtle duck ate her grape. 
“What would you like to do next?” (Y/N) asked once they had finished feeding the turtle ducks. Kiyi put a tiny finger on her chin and looked up at the sky as she thought. 
“Dolls!” She exclaimed. (Y/N) picked her back up and they walked into the palace and to Kiyi’s room. Zuko had ensured that his little sister would be absolutely comfortable while she stayed in the palace, so he had her pick all of the toys she liked from in town and brought them back into her room. She was incredibly spoiled, but she was so sweet that she deserved it. 
(Y/N) sat on the floor with Kiyi and played dolls with her. She couldn’t remember playing with dolls in her own childhood. She had received them as gifts, but her mother would put them in a case, claiming that they were too pretty to be played with. Azula had been her only other friend beside Zuko, and neither were very interested in playing with dolls. 
“There you are,” Zuko said as he poked his head into the room. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” 
“Zuzu!” Kiyi cheered, standing up and running over to her brother. She hugged his legs. 
“Kiyi!” Zuko cheered back, picking her up and taking her into his arms. (Y/N) smiled at the sight. “What have you and (Y/N) been up to?” 
“Dolls!” She turned herself to point at the toys. 
“And we fed the turtle ducks,” (Y/N) stood to join the two. “And now it’s time for a nap, I think!” 
“No!” Kiyi groaned, flopping over in Zuko’s arms. He started tickling her, causing her to erupt into giggles. He tossed her into (Y/N’s) arms, who tossed her gently into bed. 
“I’ll read you a story and then you gotta go to sleep, okay?” Kiyi gave a small sigh and nodded. Zuko leaned down and gave her a kiss on her forehead. 
“We’ll have extra fruit tarts for dessert if you take your nap,” He whispered. The smile on her face was wide and bright and it absolutely melted (Y/N’s) heart. “I’ll see you later,” Zuko said to (Y/N) before leaving the room. She knelt by Kiyi’s bed and began reading her the story about the first firebenders. 
As Kiyi fell asleep, a servant knocked at the door. (Y/N) got up quickly and rushed outside so that Kiyi wouldn’t wake up. She smiled pleasantly at the servant. “Can I help you?” 
“This came for you today,” The woman said as she handed her a scroll. (Y/N) gave her an approving nod to dismiss her. 
As she read, she clenched the paper in her hands. Ren had written her a goodbye letter that stated that Zuko had banished him and his father from the Fire Nation. “I think I made him jealous,” Ren wrote, “Because I was taking your time away from him.” (Y/N) tried her best to hold in the hot, angry tears that formed as she read his letter. 
(Y/N) missed Katara a lot. Throughout their adventures together, Katara had become her best friend and the person she told absolutely everything to. Every hope, every dream, everything she ever felt seemed to flow out of her mouth and straight to Katara. Their relationship wasn’t one-sided either. (Y/N) was the first person from the Fire Nation that Katara had ever liked. She showed her that not everyone should be held accountable for the decisions of their nation. The two girls grew up in completely different lives, but their bond was strong. She hadn’t seen Katara in a few months, which was the longest span of time they had gone without seeing each other. Today, (Y/N) felt that she really needed Katara, or else she might kill Zuko. 
She crumpled the note in her hands and threw it down the hall. Katara would tell her to get both sides of the story before making any rash decisions. But Katara, unfortunately, wasn’t there. 
(Y/N) stormed down through the palace, her dress billowing behind her as she walked. The stone cold look on her face alerted the servants that she was on a war path and it was best to leave her alone. Whatever the Fire Lord had gotten himself into, he surely deserved it. 
As she walked up to the doors of the throne room, the guards stationed out front held a hand up to stop her. “You must request an audience before speaking with the Fire Lord,” one guard said. (Y/N) squinted her eyes up at the guard. She hated using her position as leverage against people, but she had no choice at the moment. 
“I’m (Y/N), Fire Lord Zuko’s most trusted advisor. I need to speak to him immediately.” 
“But--” The other guard said. (Y/N) whirled to face him. 
“What do you think the Fire Lord would say if he knew you delayed me?” The guards looked at each other before parting to let her through the doors.
Zuko sat on his throne, drinking a steaming cup of tea. He smiled when he say her. 
“Oh, hi.” (Y/N) stared at Zuko, crossing her arms over her chest and glowering up at him. 
“Do you have anything you want to tell me?” She demanded. Zuko opened his mouth to speak, but she interrupted him. “You had no right to banish Ren and his father the way you did. And for what reason? Were you upset that I was paying more attention to him than I was to you?” 
“That’s not it.” 
“Why, Zuko? Why throw him out? What did he do to you?” 
“He didn’t do anything to me--” 
“Then tell me why you banished him!” She shouted. She could feel the fire building inside of her. Her body was itching to release it. She couldn’t understand why Zuko would do this to her. She had seen him be jealous before, but she never thought he would be capable of hurting her like this. 
“Because he was using you!” Zuko yelled. The flames at his side soared to the ceiling. Their force blew a blast of hot air into (Y/N’s) face. “He was planning to gain your trust so that he could use you to get to me.” 
She shook her head furiously. “You’re lying. He wouldn’t do that.” Zuko stood and walked down the steps to get closer to her.
“He was doing it! The whole reason he even befriended you in the first place was so that you could help sway my decisions in their favor.” His statement felt like a stab in the heart to (Y/N). She didn’t want to believe him. She didn’t want to believe that the person she had opened up to so easily was just using her the entire time. 
Her eyes welled with tears. “You’re wrong!” 
“Fine! Believe the Earth Kingdom boy over me, see if I care. You can join him if you’d like.” Zuko turned around to walk back to his throne, but stopped as soon as he heard her sobs. When he looked back at her, her face was buried in her hands. She tried her hardest to suppress her cries, but it was no use. (Y/N) knew Zuko was telling the truth. She knew Zuko like she knew herself. He had never lied to her before and would have no reason to start now. But his honesty hurt. (Y/N) had told Ren things that she had only ever told those closest to her. To think that he was only using her to further his own political advantages broke her heart. The feeling of being used was new, but she hated it. 
“Hey,” Zuko said softly, rubbing his hands up and down her arms. “I didn’t mean it. I don’t actually want you to leave. I just got upset.” She continued to cry, so he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “Sit with me.” He led her up the steps to his throne and sat her down. He was right at her side, pouring her a cup of tea. 
She finally calmed down enough to speak. Her body still shook with leftover sobs, but she tried her best to contain them. “I can’t believe I couldn’t tell.” 
“He was a pretty good actor.” 
“You saw right through him.” She turned to Zuko. Her eyes were still shiny with tears. “When you first met him. How’d you know?” 
“I thought he was a little too confident for someone standing in the presence of the Fire Lord.” (Y/N) rolled her eyes. “I’m serious! He was too bold. I saw your face when he called himself your boyfriend. I knew something had to be up.” 
(Y/N) sipped her tea slowly. It wasn’t as good as Iroh’s, but it would do. “Why would he use me?” 
“He probably read up on us and knew how close we are.” 
“Yeah, but I can’t even convince you to get out of bed on time. What made him think that I could force a political agenda on you?” 
“(Y/N), if you asked me to move a volcano for you, I’d figure out how to do it.” 
“That’s too easy,” She said with a smile. “All you’d need are earth and firebenders.” Zuko rolled his eyes. 
“You get the point. I’d do absolutely anything for you. He figured that out.” 
(Y/N) stared at Zuko for a long time. She had memorized practically every inch of his face. From his amber eyes to the deep red color of his scar, Zuko was etched into her mind like a stone carving. Ren was the distraction that she had needed to keep her mind off of Zuko. But he was gone now, and so she had nothing to keep her from pining for him. 
“I think maybe I should take a vacation,” She said quietly, turning back to stare at her cup. “A few weeks or something. I could stay with Katara or Toph. Probably Katara, because I don’t think Toph has any beds.” 
“If that’s what you want,” Zuko said. A sad smile graced his features. 
“You could invite Mai to stay in the palace while I’m gone, so you don’t get so lonely.” Zuko turned away. “What? What’s wrong?” 
“Mai and I aren’t together anymore. We haven’t been since before I found my mother.” 
“You didn’t tell me that.” 
“You and I hadn’t exactly been the best of friends before I left.” (Y/N) frowned. So he had noticed her distance. He was quiet for a few moments, and then asked, “I thought things were going well for us. Then it was like you were pushing me away.” 
“I’m sorry,” She whispered. “I just couldn’t handle it.”
“Handle what? Me being me Fire Lord?” She shook her head. “Being back here?” 
“No, it’s not that at all.” She felt her mouth become dry all of a sudden. She should do it. She should just tell him everything. 
“I couldn’t handle being around you and Mai.” 
“Me and Mai? Why?” 
“Do I have to lay it all out for you?” She felt hot. The room was big, but she felt so confined. “I love you, Zuko. I loved you when were kids, I loved you when we were enemies, and I loved you when you were dating Mai. So that’s why I couldn’t be around the two of you.” 
(Y/N) could feel Zuko’s eyes on her, but she refused to look at him. The silence only increased the embarrassment of the moment for her. She felt like running away. 
“You’re an idiot.” (Y/N) whirled to stare at him, her mouth open in shock. 
“Excuse me?” 
“How was I supposed to know that’s how you felt if you never told me?” 
“I thought it was pretty obvious.” 
“No, it wasn’t! You’re not the open book you think you are. You literally fought me in an Agni Kai, how was I supposed to know you loved me?” 
“I saved your life!” 
“You saved lives like every day! How was I supposed to be different?” (Y/N) opened her mouth to speak, but immediately closed it. Perhaps he was right. She hadn’t really given him any indication of how she felt about him. She huffed and crossed her arms, turning away from him. 
Zuko put his hand on her cheek, turning her head to look back at him. He stroked his cheek with her thumb. She closed her eyes tightly to brace herself for the impending rejection. 
Instead, ever so softly, she felt Zuko’s lips press to hers. Her fingers wrapped around the fabric of his robes, trying to pull him closer but not quite sure if she should hold back. 
When they pulled away, (Y/N) opened her eyes quickly, searching Zuko’s face for any sign of remorse. Instead, he smiled at her. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.” 
“Why didn’t you?” 
“Well, you’re kind of scary.” (Y/N) giggled. “And I thought that after everything that happened, there would be no way for me to have a chance with you.” Zuko kissed her forehead, each of her cheeks, and then her nose. (Y/N) couldn’t help the smile that took over her face. “I love you, (Y/N). Always have, always will.” 
She closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath. So many terrible things had happened to them during their lives. But in this moment, if she had to relive it all over again, (Y/N) wouldn’t change anything. 
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parkers-gal · 3 years
Note
omg omg omg could u please write a blurb abt reader and tom telling paddy he’s gonna be a baby uncle (because he’s the youngest of all the uncles) on his birthday by giving him a shirt i can’t stop thinking abt bb paddy
hope u like it !!! <3
requests are temporarily closed
After weeks of pondering how to break the news to Tom’s brothers, you decide on going cliche or overly cheesy — and intentionally so. You’d already given Harrison a mug that reads “Only best friends get promoted to uncle” — a gift he’d nearly broken from his excitement. Tom had caught it before it hit the ground, placing in on the counter while Harrison hugged him tightly.
You’d given Sam an apron that also read “Nieces and nephews are spoiled in this kitchen.” Harry’s was the most special to date, though. You’d been planning asking him to photograph the two of you, and with the baby on the way, you’d thought it best if he found out from his home behind the viewfinder.
Though he nearly dropped the camera, he’d cheered you on, and even shed a few tears.
You’d made each of them promise — including Tom’s parents — to keep the news from Paddy until you found out how to tell him. He’d just won his rugby game, and he was fresh out of the shower. You and Tom had arrived while he was washing up, and as he makes his way down the stairs, he notices you curled up into Tom’s side — gift bag sitting beside you.
He sits in the armchair across from the couch, glancing curiously at his older brother and his wife.
“What’s all this?”
“A gift for you,” Tom smiles, picking up the bag before handing it off to Paddy. Pat notices his family has gathered around with cell phones, and at first he’s questioning what’s really going on.
“What… is this some present for today’s game?” He’s talking while sifting through the wrapping paper, reaching inside for the contents of the bag. “I told you guys it wasn’t a big deal; it wasn’t even the championships, just the f-”
He cuts his own self off, reading the letters of the sweatshirt before holding it up so he can see the entirety of it. He’s breathing heavily, and Tom bites his lip in anticipation for his outburst, or at the very least his reaction.
Paddy finally lowers the sweatshirt enough for everyone to see his expression. He’s practically crying, smiling so wide it might become permanent.
“I’m… you’re… what?”
Tom lets out a breathy chuckle, swiping the edge of his eye for tears. “You’re gonna be an uncle.”
Pat turns to his fellow brothers, who are gathered in a group with his parents, recording with their phones. His mouth is still agape, the sweatshirt between his fingers, in his grasp. Harry is first to make eye contact with the red-head, and he sends him a smile and a nervous chuckle.
“You’re gonna be an uncle.”
Paddy weakly nods, and eventually Harry cheers, to which Pat replies with the same level of excitement. He’s up and about, hugging everyone; you and Tom get the longest ones out of them all. You can see how much this matters to Tom, knowing his brothers are level with him despite them having a chaotic childhood together. Knowing that Paddy is committed to his life with you is enough to fuel him until his last day.
“And this,” Paddy holds the sweatshirt up. “Is the cheesiest thing I’ve ever seen.” You chuckle, Tom’s hand rubbing softly on your lower back. “Good. That means you better wear it all the time, then, huh?”
The smile that emerges on your brother-in-law’s face is enough confirmation for you, and you mirror it.
“I’m gonna be the best uncle here.”
Tom smiles, and it’s then that you notice he has more tears forming.
“Aw, Tommy.” Your hands hold his cheeks while your thumbs swipe the salty drops away. He chuckles, pouting.
“I can’t help it.” He sniffles, and you coo at him. “‘M just so happy.”
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happy together (five x reader)
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requested by : @asphodelshare​  -   omg would u be willing to do a five x reader harry potter au 🥺 like a collection of slytherin!five and ravenclaw!reader cute moments/little scenarios and everyone even the professors can’t deny their chemistry (dumbledore would be a shipper for sure) and just them being known as the badass, real smart, match made in wizard heaven couple 😫❤️
a/n : thank you so much this was so fun to do!! little bit of ooc five but obviously hes gonna be different in a different universe i think anyway. i loved this idea so much cus personally im a ravenclaw so it felt PERFECT but anyway thank u sm for this i hope u enjoy <33333
Everything started on the train. The train to Hogwarts, that is. You said a tender goodbye to your parents before stepping on to the train. You were so focused on waving goodbye to them that you had forgotten all about actually getting a seat, and they were filling up fast. Eventually, you got to this carriage that had only two other people in it, a boy and a girl. and you hesitantly slid the door open.
You cleared your throat. “Do you guys mind if I sit here? Everywhere else is full.”
“Of course not.” The girl flashed you a friendly smile and you hummed happily in response, taking your seat beside the window, sat next to the girl. Considering she had actually answered you; you felt a lot more comfortable sitting beside her than the boy, who merely shrugged one of his shoulders when you had asked.
His hair was carefully swiped over and looked as though it was made of silk. When she caught a glimpse of his eyes, they were a piercing blue, the kind that made you squirm under the stare of them. His face was chiseled kindly and he radiated with confidence. It seemed like he put no effort at all into his appearance, but at the same time, it seemed that he put every single effort he had into it. His demeanor seemed rather uppity, like he was too good to even respond to someone who had asked a simple question.
As you studied him, you watched his brows furrow in confusion and you lightly leaned over to read what he was writing down on the piece of paper in front of him.
“Three hundred and sixty-nine, point eight. (369.8)” You answered to the question he didn’t ask. He quickly snapped his head up to look at you and you sat back in your seat, offering him a small smile.
“What?” He spat, his eyes narrowing as he looked over you. You swallowed, moving uncomfortably in your space.
“I—I said, three hundred and sixty-nine point eight. (369.8). That’s the answer, isn’t it?” To your equation.”
His eyes widened in shock as they scanned back over the page he had scribbled over, biting the inside of his lip as you pulled out a book, reading it though you could feel his curious gaze on you.
 Then, there was the sorting ceremony. You were sorted into Ravenclaw, which you knew you was your house anyway. The boy, whose name seemed to be Five, was sorted into Slytherin, and his eyes couldn’t seem to leave you as you tucked into your food.
The start of the year seemed to go on pretty similarly, Five continued to stare at you from afar or even from beside you in some lessons.
 One day, you were feeling particularly rubbish. Your head resonated with pain and the bags under your eyes could not be mistaken for anything other than complete exhaustion. When you sat beside Five for your transfiguration lesson, you had entirely expected him to make some snarky comment, or snicker at the rough sight of you, but instead he simply looked at you, offering a small smile, much like the one you had given him on the train on the first day.
“Are you alright?” He whispered.
You smiled at that, nodding slightly, applying pressure to the centre of your forehead. “Yep. I’m okay.”
“You sure? I could try a spell to fix your headache if you want.” A cheeky smirk spread across his face and you giggled quietly.
“Hm, perhaps it would feel more pleasant than—”
“Mr Hargreeves, Miss L/N. Stop talking.” The teacher glared at the two of you from the front, and the entire class turned to stare at the two of you. A pink blush dusted over your cheeks and you swallowed.
“Sorry, Professor.” The two of you said in sync, keeping your heads down to get on with your work.
Just from that tiny interaction, you were pretty much inseparable from that moment on. The two of you had made a plan of the school, so that whenever you had lessons apart, you would pass each other in the corridors. You would make sure that you sat back to back in the Great Hall, so you could chat at every available opportunity. He would walk past you in potions and steal your ingredients. You would stay late in the library with each other, doing your homework and just talking. Quite quickly, the two of you were the top of every class you had, constantly battling for the very top spot.
 Then there was Christmas. You had planned to go home, but something came up and you simply just couldn’t get home. Your parents were devastated, as were you. But at least you got to spend it with your best friend. Five hadn’t gone home. He hadn’t said much about why and you were hesitant to ask, but you were still glad that you weren’t alone for Christmas.
You skipped into the Great Hall, where he was sat reading a book. When he heard footsteps he looked up, his eyes lighting up when he saw you.
“Y/N! I thought you were going home, what happened?”
“Something came up, and I couldn’t get home.” You shrugged and he frowned, squeezing your hand gently.
“I’m sorry. I know how excited you were.”
“It’s alright. At least I’m not alone.” You flashed him a grin and he chuckled, returning your smile and you took a seat opposite him. “Why aren’t you going home, anyway?”
“Oh, I, uh… I don’t exactly have the best relationship with my family.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t—”
“Y/N. It’s okay.” He laughed and you smiled. Your gaze turned downwards onto the table, where your fingers were picking regrettably at the skin around your nails. Five’s brows furrowed together, watching you curiously. “Are you alright?”
“I, uh… I got you something. For Christmas.” His widened slightly, as if he had never received a gift before. You could’ve sworn you saw the slightest hint of a tear in his eye, but he quickly blinked it away, a confused look on his face.
“Why?” His brows knit together in genuine confusion and you didn’t quite know how to respond.
“B—Because I wanted to.”
“What is it?”
“It’s a surprise.” He scoffed at your words and you frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, why would—”
“Five.” Your stern face made his collapse and he sighed, his eyes turning soft.
“I’ve never been given a gift before. And I didn’t get you anything, I didn’t even think about it.” He admitted and your heart simply shattered for him.
“Five, I got you a gift because I wanted to give you one. You’re my best friend. I didn’t get you a gift because I wanted one in return.” You smiled and the edge of his lip turned up slightly. He faked a yawn, grabbing his books and standing.
“I’m pretty tired, I’m gonna get to bed. Goodnight.”
 Christmas morning, you made your way to the Slytherin common room, waiting outside like you said you would for Five. After a while of waiting, you sighed. You knew he wasn’t coming. Luckily, you had made chums with a fair few people in Slytherin house, and they gladly let you inside. A frown fell over your face when you saw Five sat by himself, staring into the roaring fire in the center of the common room.
“Five?” You said softly, and his head turned to you. You made your way over to him, sitting beside him. “If you don’t want it, I won’t give it to you. If it’s too weird.”
“It’s not that, it’s just…” He sighed. “I don’t know what to do, what I’m supposed to do.”
“You don’t have to do anything.” You smiled. “Tell you what, I’ll give it to you, you can put it n your bed now, until later. You don’t have to open it in front of anyone else. Okay?” He nodded and you smiled. Handing him the parcel that you had neatly wrapped.
That night, Five stared at the present lingering on the edge of his bed with hesitance. His arm kept stretching out to then and then pulling itself back in again, but eventually he ripped off the paper, feeling awful that you had probably spent so long making it look nice, but he wasn’t too bothered. What lay inside the paper, however, had Five bubbling with excitement. There was a notebook, a book and a small envelope. The book was all about time travel, something Five had shown a frequent interest in. The notebook was completely blank, save from a little doodle that you had drawn in on the back of the cover. It was a doodle of the two of you, of him not being able to stop reading the book you bought him and you getting angry that he wouldn’t listen to you. He opened the envelope. Its contents contained a little letter you had wrote, explaining how grateful and happy you were being his best friend and taped to the back of the letter was a small polaroid photograph of both of you, that took not too long ago at all.
Five had not noticed the stray tears of appreciation falling down his face until one landed on the note he was holding, and he gasped, swiping his tears and blowing on the paper to dry it out. He didn’t know why, but he felt comfortable being vulnerable around you. He felt comfortable showing his emotions, he had felt it from the very first time you had met. Something in his heart told him you were a good person and you wouldn’t leave him.
 The next three years carried on the very same but what was different in your fourth year was the Triwizard Tournament. You planned on asking Five to the Yule Ball, or rather you hoped he would ask you, but when he did nothing of the sort, you decided to start dropping hints yourself.
“I got my dress for the Ball. Have you got your dress robes yet?”
“Y/N, I’m not going to the stupid ball!” He snapped, completely unnecessarily rudely. You sighed, clearing your books off of the desk before clutching them to your chest, walking back to your common room without a word. It was at that moment when a boy from your own house decided to ask you to the ball, and you gladly agreed, your heart burning with excitement that you would actually get to go. You would much rather go with Five though. Your heart fluttered when you imagined the two of you dressed up, holding hands while you danced together. Years of close friendship had led to you developing deep feelings for him. But regardless of how you felt about him, you were going to the ball, whether he was going to take you or not.
The night finally arrived, and you stood at the top of the stairs before the entrance to the Great Hall. You looked incredible. Five’s eyes landed on you in no time at all, an incredulous look slapped across his face. His jaw dropped to the floor, his eyes scanning every inch of you, his heart thumping vigorously. His face fell when he watched you call out to your date.
“Sorry, Y/N. I said I’d actually go with Allison.” Your date wandered off, hand in hand with another girl and you frowned, tears welling your eyes. Storming away, you swiped angrily at the tears falling from your eyes. All you wanted was a simple dance and a nice evening. Your head fell into your hands as you sat on the steps, hot tears steaming from your eyes. A soft voice called out from behind you and you quickly wiped away the tears on your face, plastering a smile in your face as you turned around.
“Five! I didn’t think you were coming.”
“Are you alright?”
“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?” You asked, blinking away the new tears that formed in your eyes, glancing over his frame covered in his dress robes. “You look nice.”
“Y/N, I saw. Are you okay?” A deep sigh left your lips at Five’s words, and he came to sit beside you.
“Yep. I’m perfectly fine. Y’know, I didn’t even wanna go to the dance in the first place.”
“You don’t? Oh, well that’s too bad… I was gonna ask you if you wanted to go with me.” He gently took your hand in both of his, intertwining your fingers and your eyes lit up, receiving a smile from Five.
“Are you serious? I—I thought you didn’t want to—”
“I changed my mind.” He cleared his throat after a while, speaking in a whisper. “You look beautiful.”
Your eyes locked with his as you tilted your head up to his, gently pressing your forehead against his. His eyes flickered between your eyes and your lips and slowly, his face was drawn closer to yours, the temptation and want too huge for him to bear. When his lips found yours, the two of you were in a complete heaven, your lips moving together so generously, at a gentle but steady pace. The hands came up to hold your cheeks, holding your face close to his, both of your hearts racing at a lightening speed while the world around you turned to slow motion.
 When the two of you finally announced to your friends that you were dating, you were met with a sea of ‘finally’s and ‘it’s about time’s. All you would do is chuckle, pressing a gentle kiss to Five’s cheek and he smiled. You were happy. Five was happy. You were happy together.
my masterlist
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today | m. schumacher
pairing: mick schumacher x reader word count: 1.8k words prompt: letter q: question. from this christmas alphabet prompt list. warnings: language maybe? a/n: day seventeen! i'm back bitches!!!! special thanks to @onebigfangirlworld for the greatest prompt ever. thank u so much bestiee!
my masterlist / christmas alphabet masterlist
i decided to make this a part three to "promise" (1) & "tomorrow" (2)
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"okay, everyone, gather around! it's time for presents!" corinna said as she grabbed a glass of wine and sat next to michael on the loveseat.
you and mick decided to spend this year's christmas with his family, you were both too tired from all of your different projects and hectic agendas all year that you couldn't even think about hosting or even traveling somewhere to celebrate the holidays.
you grabbed mick's hand, a bright smile on your face as you stood up from your chair at the dining table.
"come on, i can't wait to see everyone's reactions," you grinned, extending your hand. mick gave you a small, shy smile as he grabbed your hand and walked to you. he sat on the couch first and pulled you on his lap. you looked down, seeing his fingers tapping on your thigh.
after the anniversary fiasco a few days ago, mick was more nervous than ever. as you got better from your cold, you barely could keep yourself away from him. he was always so warm and cuddly and you just slept better when he was with you, and the fact that you had him all for yourself was perfect for you. for him, though, he could feel his heart stopping each time your hand grazed his pocket, always shifting the position and grabbing your hand, placing a soft kiss on your knuckles.
that was until he got an idea.
you wrapped an arm around his neck, playing with his hair as he leaned back, eyes on a spot on the floor.
"you okay?" you whispered as everyone gathered around the living room with all the presents in the middle.
"hmm?" he hummed, looking at you, blinking back into reality.
"you zoned out. are you alright?" you asked, a small frown on your forehead.
"yeah, yeah, i'm fine, just a bit tired it's all." he gave you a small smile as he directed your glass of champagne to his lips, his fingers over yours as he downed it all in one go.
"whoa! easy there," you laughed. "leave some for me." you noticed that everyone was ready and eager to open the presents.
"sorry, let me get you some more," mick mumbled quickly, his hands on your hips guiding you off his lap. you stared at him as he walked away, wondering what was going on in his head. he came back with a filled champagne flute and handed it to you as he sat down. you were about to sit on his lap again when corinna called your name.
"(y/n)! you first, open ours first," she said as she handed you a small gift bag. you smiled, handing mick your glass again and grabbing the bag that she was handing you.
"thank you," you said as you sat down and opened the bag. you pulled out the tissue paper and unwrapped it. there was a postcard with a dolphin in it, the text 'greetings from hawaii' on the top left corner. your eyes widened, looking up at michael and corinna, who were beaming at you. "is this..." you couldn't even finish your sentence, too stunned as you read the back of the postcard.
"two tickets to hawaii, mick said you've always wanted to go, so," michael shrugged his shoulder, you looked back and forth between the older couple speechless. mick placed a hand on your thigh, squeezing it as he smiled at you.
"i-i don't know what to say, i-"
"don't say anything, let's just keep going before this one finishes the entire champagne bottle by himself," gina interrupted and you looked at mick, who looked as if he'd been caught in the act, which he had, as he was emptying your glass again.
"sorry, thirsty," mick gave you a short smile as you placed your hand on top of his, clasping your fingers together.
mick seemed to relax more as you all opened your presents, you'd never felt so loved as you had at that moment, not because of the material stuff, but because they all remembered tiny details of the stories you shared, they listened and paid attention to you, and that was all that mattered.
"so there is only this one big box left, i think i know who it's from," michael grabbed the box and shook it.
"dad! careful, it's... fragile," mick stood abruptly. michael raised his hands in defeat as corinna pulled him down. "okay, so, this is for you." he said as he placed the box in front of you. "it's... well i'll let you see for yourself," he sat down beside you, his knee bouncing up and down.
you laughed at his nerves, holding one of his hands as you smiled at him.
you unwrapped the first box, grabbing the scissors gina handed you to cut the adhesive tape. you felt butterflies as you opened the box, laughing as you saw another, smaller, wrapped box.
"seriously?" you laughed, being a little less careful about the wrapping paper, only to be met with the same thing again, by this point everyone else chuckled as well. "mick, i swear to god."
as the boxes got smaller, mick shook his leg faster, which gina noticed.
"this is all your fault, mick, all this anticipation, it all could've been avoided,"
"gina," corinna scolder her eldest daughter, "leave him alone,"
you side-eyed mick, thinking of a way to save him from his self-made hell.
"i've always wanted to see something like this, i'd only seen it in movies." you chuckled, crossing your legs beneath you as you opened another box. as the boxes got smaller and smaller, your mind started wondering what it could be.
"it's gonna be a rock," gina said, and this time even mick laughed.
"or a bracelet," michael pointed as the next box was a long, thin one.
"it might be," you agreed, standing up as your legs were cramping.
you took off the small box, seeing a small square box.
"maybe a necklace?" corinna asked, standing up and walking to you. they were all too invested in this mysterious present as much as you were. soon enough, michael, corinna and gina were all by your side as you scanned the box, they made a human wall between you and mick.
"maybe," you nodded, looking at them. "i think this is it, it doesn't feel that heavy," you weighted the box in your hand, suddenly feeling a knot in your stomach. you took a breath before opening the box slowly.
mick had bought you rings before, there was a promise ring that mick got you for christmas a year ago, the one he'd got you for your birthday with your birthstone on top.
this one was different. it felt just like the time he gave you the promise ring, only the anticipation and everything just felt... different.
"what is it?" gina said as she leaned in, gasping as she saw the huge, shiny rock reflecting from the lights. "i knew it was a rock!" she said, walking away.
"m-mick?" you whispered as corinna dragged michael away, your eyes couldn't leave the small velvet box, until you saw a figure materializing in the background.
"i made a promise to you, last year, and i think it's time to fulfill that promise," mick said, down with one knee on the floor, you felt weak at the knees. "this year has been one of the greatest in my life, it had its ups and downs but you were there for me, like you always are, every step of the way. you always find a way to make me feel... worthy, deserving of your love and company, and i can't thank you enough for that. i promised you a happy future where you felt loved. i'd like to add to that. i promise to always make you soup when you're sick, to hold your hand when you're nervous, to be there whenever you need me. as a friend, a companion, anything you like. today i give you my heart, my love, i offer you my full affection and devotion." he paused to take a deep breath.
"i want to spend the rest of my life with you," he couldn't help but sigh as he thought about the two of you growing old together. "i love you more than i've ever loved anything," he look to the side, "sorry, mom," he chuckled, and you all let out shaky laughs. your eyes were burning with unshed happy tears. "we bring out the best in each other, we're so good together that nothing else in the world makes sense," you nodded your head unconsciously. "i don't need anything else, nothing but you."
"you complete me, you are like the puzzle piece i never knew was missing, and i'm so happy you chose me all those years ago, and that even after so many years you've continued to pick me. now, i'm asking you to pick me one more time. (y/n), my love, my best girl, would you do me the honor of being my... mine? forever?"
the room fell silent as mick finished his improvised speech. the rest of the schumachers had left the room, well, they were peeking in from behind the pillar but had left you two alone for the last part.
the tears were falling freely, your heart was beating quickly and hard in your chest as your hands shook, you gripped the box in your hand, afraid that you'd drop it. you felt a shiver run down your body as you noticed mick's eyes glistening, your lips curled into a small smile as you kneeled in front of mick, leaving the box on the couch next to you as you grabbed mick's face gently in your hands.
"i've-" you started, clearing your throat as your voice came out shaky. "i've said it about a million times by now. you are the most perfect man that i've ever had the pleasure and honor of knowing. and it- it would make me the happiest person in the universe to-" you paused, smiling as more tears fell. "to be with you for the rest of my days. i must've behaved really well in my past life if this is the way i'm being rewarded. because you are the most special person i could've ever dreamed of meeting."
mick placed his hands on your waist, helping you up and sitting you on his knee as you placed your hands around his neck.
"my answer is yes, a million times yes." you breathed as you felt mick let out a breath he'd been holding. "our forever starts today," you said, directing his lips towards yours in a soft embrace.
"after today, nothing will ever come between us, nothing will split us apart," he said, kissing your cheek.
"nothing. except..." you said, hearing quick footsteps coming your way.
"you're getting married!"
"i'm having a sister!"
"my family is now complete,"
your new family helped you both up and pulled you into tight hugs. you smiled through happy tears as they all whispered their best wishes for the both of you in your ear.
the rest of the world and wedding planning could wait until tomorrow.
today, you were going to celebrate.
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mintseesaw · 4 years
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harana | jjk
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translation: n. the act of wooing/courting someone by serenading him/her
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pairing: jungkook x reader
genre: fluff, f2l au, drabble
word count: 3.5k
warning: none // rating: pg-13
requested by bebe athena @rookiegukie​. Im sorry it took a while, but i hope you like it hun! You may still submit your requests for the drabble game Paraluman Playlist until the end of August. ✨
note: this didnt turn out as initially planned changing after jk released his latest cover so i highly rec u to listen to 10,000 hours by jjk (cover) while reading it hjfjgdjdkgm  also it’s a first for me to delve into f2l trope ljggdhd yall forgive me if it’s too cliche bwahaha
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“Hyung! ______-noona is here!” A kid who opened the door for you announced your arrival rather loudly, recognizing him as one of Jungkook’s cousins. You pushed through inside the nostalgic interior of the Jeon’s household. Nothing much has changed in the past two years.
Soon after, Jungkook appeared from the doorway you remember as the door leading to the kitchen. He’s decently dressed and when you say decent, you meant he’s not in his usual attire of anything black and over-sized. Nonetheless, he’s handsome as ever. You’re not gonna deny the fact.
“Hey!” He greets, face lighting up at the sight of you, biting back a smirk as he skims the length of you adorning a cute, yellow dress. He glances down at your hand holding a gift-wrapped present for his mom before draping an arm over your shoulders.
He feigns a frown, “You shouldn’t have bothered. Mom will appreciate you making it on her birthday.”
“Well, unlike someone I know, I’m thoughtful enough to prepare something for Auntie.” You tease, knowing he possibly bought nothing for his mom.
He scoffs, only proving your assumption right. “Yah! Don’t sound too enthusiastic, I’m the son here.”
“So what? I’m your mom’s favorite!” You retorted back.
“No you aren’t!” He snapped, while his mouth unconsciously juts forward in defeat.
Your eyebrow arches. “Is that a challenge I hear?”
Jungkook nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. “Forget the competition. We’re here to make my mom happy.” He quickly dismisses, distracting you as he leads you straight to the garden area which you could already see where the guests are gathered through the glass doors.
As expected, the said small party looks simply classic with a touch of Mrs. Jeon’s sophisticated taste. Average-sized square wooden tables are neatly scattered in the expanse of the garden with uniform vintage table setting that coordinates well with the floral decorations in the vicinity. In front, a makeshift platform was made behind a decorated linen with pinned letters “Happy Birthday Mom!” Behind all the tables is where the buffet table was placed.
You’re actually relieved that your simple puff sleeve dress matches with the theme of the party, forgetting the guilt of having to wear the dress without borrowing it from your sister.
Mrs. Jeon was happily chatting with her guests but when the sliding door breaks open revealing you tucked under Jungkook’s arm, the present smile on her face stretches wide and immediately shuffled towards you and Jungkook’s way. 
Mrs. Jeon audibly gushes just as you handed your gift and welcomed you with a warm, tight hug. “Thank you, dear.”
Jungkook took it as his cue to leave you two for a second.
When she draws back, she appreciatively give you a once over. “Oh, you look so lovely on your dress!” Mrs. Jeon clapped her hands. You smiled shyly in return.
“Thank you for coming, dear. It’s been ages since the last time I’ve seen you. Come here and get some food.” She says.
It’s true. After you’ve been in college two years ago, you’ve hardly stayed in your hometown for more than two weeks, hence, you couldn’t squeeze your time here to pay the Jeons a visit. Mrs. Jeon became your guardian whenever your parents were in business trips back in the days, and during the times of your stay at their house, you’ve grown much closer to her just like your second mom.
By the time you reach the buffet table, Mrs. Jeon caught Jungkook in the act of getting a piece of sushi straight from the chafing dish, and his poor soon right away earned a whack on his arm from his mom.
“Use the tongs!” She reproaches which made him flinches dramatically.
Such a baby.
You bit back a chuckle as Mrs. Jeon went on with “Go to the kitchen and refill the dispenser!” Jungkook pouts but obeys his mom without complaining. However, he made sure to shoot a fake glare at you before he disappears from the doorway.
Mrs. Jeon then handed you an empty plate. “Here, ______. I know you like pasta.”
Your eyes widened a little. Perhaps, you have not recovered from the surprise painted on your expression, hearing it come from her that she caught a glimpse of your slight shock state. Why should you be surprised when Jungkook knows it as well? He might have told her or something.
“Oh don’t be surprised, dear. My boy always asks me to cook pasta whenever you come around.”
Isn’t it his favorite food? “It’s… his favorite... right?” You began but ended up questioning the validity of your knowledge.
She laughs, “You know he could eat anything edible but cannot live without his portion of meat every day.”
“Oh.” It was only that moment it registered to you. His mom is right. He’d always make it a point to consume all your stocks of meat whenever he shows up in your dorm in the most unexpected days. His university is not too far away from yours. Yet, this guy thinks it’s worth the two-hour drive just to get to your dorm and pester the shit out of you.
“I’m so happy you’re able to make it on my birthday. Will you stay in town for the rest of your break?”
“Uhh… I was supposed to focus on saving up through my part time jobs this summer but my mom threatened to disown me if I don’t stay here during summer break.”
“Oh she’s being reasonable, honey. Believe me, I’d do the same thing if Jungkook refuses to go home at least once a month, unless of course, if he runs off with you.” She remarks in a teasing manner, earning a profuse blush to appear on your cheeks so abruptly.
Since you left home for uni, you actually believe Mrs. Jeon had forgotten about your shared interactions back then. Yet, here she is, still having faith that his son has actual feelings for you. She told you many times that she’d want a daughter like you or, at least, be her in-law. She always regarded it in a playful tone so you used to get mixed signals whether she was really serious or not. But then, you’d say the overused line: “we’re only friends”. She would then give you a knowing look and insisted that she knows her son well. Fortunately for you, she made it a point to only tease you whenever Jungkook was out of earshot.
By the time Jungkook came back a few moments later, you’re already seated in a vacant table at the farthest back. Jungkook occupied the seat next to yours, taking notice of the half-finished food on your plate.
“What time are you leaving?” He asks the moment he plopped down the chair. Your head cocked to the side to meet his gaze.
“Are you trying to make me leave early?” You prompted suspiciously.
He rolls his eyes. “I’m gonna drive you home, idiot.”
“Well, you don’t have to. I can… walk.”
“It’s not like I have a choice.” He mutters under his breath.
Your eyebrows quirked but you spoke no more. He lifted his shoulders in a nonchalant shrug. Did he mean his mom will force him to drop you off at your house just like the old times?
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As the night progresses, the small celebration has pumped up with lively cheers from their relatives, incited by the impromptu program prepared by Jungkook’s cousins which was mostly filled with fun games. At some point of the said program, a small commotion on the side of the makeshift platform started to build up. The next thing you know, his cousin, the mastermind behind the entertainment portion of the party, caught yours and Jungkook’s attention when she announced his sudden participation in the program through a performance.
“Our boy Kookie here recently recorded a cover and he’s here to perform the live version and showcase his talent to our dear guests. Everyone, let’s welcome our very own Jeon Jungkook onto the stage!” His cousin enthusiastically says through the microphone. On cue, everyone in the garden, particularly his cousins, roared in earsplitting screams of cheer.
He blinks, completely perplexed. He was not given a heads up prior, much less told that he would perform a song in front of an audience. Hesitant due to his nerves, he backed away subtly just as he reaches the side of the supposed stage. However, his cousin caught up with his attempt and pushed him not too gently toward the platform, and even placed the microphone stand in front of him, giving him no room to say no. The expectant look of his relatives left him no choice but to just— his eyes suddenly caught your figure at the back when you stood up and went to the buffet table.
His heart thuds so hard against his rib cage that he’s afraid everyone can hear it through the mic, including you. He’s sure he’s as white as a paper by now more so that his nerves are getting the worst of him.
That song is not just any song he simply did a cover of. It was the song he meant to sing for you when the right time has come, when he’s ready to pour his heart out to you.
He sucked a deep breath once more, and slowly breathed out once more. Instinctively, his eyes fluttered closed when he heard the music began playing.
Ready or not, it’s now or never.
 Do you love the rain? Does it make you dance
When you're drunk with your friends at a party?
At the sound of his voice filling the air of the summer night, you spun back around to face him. That’s how he missed the look on your face just as how you missed the chaotic cheering of his cousins as they piled up to the side of the platform.
What's your favorite song? Does it make you smile?
Do you think of me?
Hearing the beautiful lyrics wholeheartedly sang by Jungkook, the same one who stole your heart a long time ago, you couldn’t control your heart as it started racing so wildly, tiny specs of heat slowly spreading in your chest. Thoughts began to swirl in your mind – giving you the anticipation. The possibility. The potential love affair. That the friendship would develop into something more.
Before the next verse comes, Jungkook peeled his eyes open, however, he didn’t expect to see you awestruck there across his line of vision from the back, and meeting your expressive eyes. If he didn’t know better, he would have mistaken the glint in your eyes for something else.
Maybe just… maybe you like him too.
When you close your eyes
Tell me what are you dreaming?
Everything, I wanna know it all
You look so beautiful. That the thought of you alone could easily make his heartstrings twist so cruelly in his chest. Oh how he wishes you’d let him spoil you the way he’s been dying to. He’d be the luckiest man to ever live to have you as his girlfriend.
Jungkook didn’t know how he managed to put up the courage to return your gaze, never have you looked at him the way your pretty eyes are staring back at him now with the genuine fondness in them. Somehow, as he gets lost to his emotions, he suddenly couldn’t find the strength in him to take his eyes off of you.
I'd spend 10,000 hours and 10,000 more
Oh, if that's what it takes to learn that sweet heart of yours
Butterflies erupt crazily in your stomach, goosebumps start to appear on your skin and your cheeks heat up as he held you captive under his wistful stare. The longingness and the passion they hold, the twinkle of his orbs as his doe-like eyes are digging straight to your soul, what it is all for?
And I might never get there but I'm gonna try
If it's 10,000 hours or the rest of my life
I'm gonna love you
He’s always been a constant figure in your life since the moment you two became friends. He didn’t miss any important celebrations that involves you since then. And even though Jungkook has been vocal about being overprotective of you dating guys he didn’t know, none of you ever tried to address anything remotely related to romantic love. It gave you the temporary relief, because you’ve been pushing your feelings back in the depths of your heart since the moment you realized you’ve fallen in love with him.
You never had the guts to test the theory, but leaving wondering what if… When have you visited the thought, again? You have long disregarded the possibility because you believed he loves you like his sister. Nevertheless, you’re lucky to have met him and be the only constant in your life.
Do you miss the road that you grew up on?
Did you get your middle name from your grandma?
When you think about your forever now
Do you think of me?
Jungkook’s face stretches in a subtle smile, forgetting about his nerves, his sweaty palms and the guests who kept looking back and forth between him and you in curiosity while he seems magnetized at his view. You.
When you close your eyes
Tell me what are you dreaming?
Everything, I wanna know it all
You smiled, recalling the times you two were inseparable. The times he let you cry on his shoulder, when he used to help you sneak out in the middle of the night, be your chaperone, witnessed you getting drunk for the first time in your life and even that one time a senior stole your first kiss. It was the first time you saw Jungkook that angry, beating the shit out of a poor guy two years ahead of us over a single peck. Your memories with him didnt end in high school for he didn’t stop making efforts to see you, regularly visiting you frequent enough that he’d made himself home at your place.
Ooh, want the good and the bad
Everything in between
Ooh, gotta cure my curiosity
In the midst of serenading you, he recollects the memories he shared with you. The day you two were introduced to each other was still as good as new in his memory bank, or the times that you encouraged him to push through to audition to his dream role that you even learned to play his audition piece just so he could practice with you every day after school. His basketball games with you as his personal cheerleader, the times that he couldn’t hide his jealousy when you dated someone else, the immature fights that always led him to drink his heart out as if you two had broken up, and you nursing him back to sobriety. When you two were separated in college, he’d always make a way to bother you whenever he’s drunk and you’d end up going to his place and ceaselessly irk him while he rotted from hangover.
His angelic voice singing the rest of the song lulls you further into your thoughts, gathering each memory like a missing piece in the puzzle. Why didn’t you see all the signs back then? Were you blinded by your then-infatuation over him that you failed to hint his own feelings? He never gave you a reason to make you think he likes you more than a friend nor tried to hide anything from you, right?
Shortly afterwards, you were pulled back into the reality when you hear the cheers of the guests, signaling the end of Jungkook’s performance. Your eyes silently follow him as he sheepishly walk out of the platform, going onto the same path he took before.
Jungkook didn’t meet your gaze as he strutted toward the ice cooler on the side of the buffet table to get a bottle of alcohol which is just a few steps away from you. Twisting open its cap with such urgency, he took a long swig from the bottle to calm his traitor nerves, then pretends to busy himself on the variety of food laid on the table while feeling the weight of your stare on his back. Nervous that you understood the purpose behind his impromptu performance and that your silence was your hint of your rejection to his feelings, he didn’t try to talk it out to you the entire night. Yet, he feigned indifference when he sat on the same chair in the table next to you.
As the rest of the night rolls, the tension undeniably grows in between you two. Yet bearable enough to have you two stay glued on your seats despite the countless times you caught him staring at you, or you at him all throughout the night.
None of you dared break the silence and somehow, along the way, the tension has particularly become unbearable inside the car while he drove you home. Your house was just two blocks away and you bet it would take him faster to get there should he not intentionally slow down his driving with only a hand on a steering wheel while the other rested on the open window of his door as his fingers anxiously pinch his lips.
You chose to break the tension, feeling the need to speak up before your heart bursts out of your chest. And the moment you did, Jungkook coincidentally started to talk too.
“So…”
“About that…”
You met his eyes when your head jerked to the side to peer at him.
“What?” You immediately ask, curious to know what he would want to say after that, his heartfelt singing.
“Uh—“ He drawls, suddenly losing the words he was supposed to utter the second he made an eye contact with you. He shifts his eyes back to the road, feeling himself cower under the weight of your stare.
He clears his throat, putting up a pretense of a courage. “What do you think of... my performance?”
There was a moment of dead air inside before you manage to form an answer. “It was beautiful… I like it. You know I’m in love with y-you– I mean your voice. I love your voice.” You laugh awkwardly, while you’re incoherently screaming in your head at your almost slipped up.
Jungkook’s face flushes and he could already visualize the sudden boost of serotonin in his system hearing the validation he needs the most, the one coming from you. “Thank you.” He mumbles shyly.
It was that moment when the car arrives in front of your house. You shoot him a look, said your thanks and bid him goodbye before you climbed out of the car. You couldn’t deny the disappointment that was rushing so abruptly into you while you pad the distance across the gate of the house. For the nth time, you have hoped for something that was not even real to begin with.
However, your heart jumped out of almost joy when you heard Jungkook’s voice call your name out just as you’re about to close the fence gate.
“What’s up?”
“Okay before I tell you something, do you promise to remain best friends with me if… if you don’t… if somehow… oh god whatever— just promise me!” He panics, making you frown in return.
“I-I promise?” You say in an uncertain tone.
Jungkook held his pinky out.
“Pinky swear?” He prompts. You raise an eyebrow but let him hook your pinky finger with his to seal the promise of a lifetime friendship. 
“What is it?” You say in the most gentle way possible. If this is the moment you’ve been dreaming to happen since you were in high school, you have to encourage him to talk before you could stop yourself from advancing to his personal space just to kiss him without any further ado.
“_____I-I tried my best not to… n-not to see you in a different way. But god you’re always making it difficult for me to forget about it when you keep giving me reasons to want things I shouldn’t have–”
“Jungkook–”
“Please, let me finish before my legs give out.”
You chuckle all the while your vision blurs from the moisture in your eyes. The anxiety on his face gradually dissolves into relief when he saw the smile creeping into your face.
“I can’t keep dating anyone and pretending they’re better than you. I’m an idiot, I know.  But it’s always been you, ______. It’s you that I want and I can’t possibly live this life without you–“ You didn’t let him finish when he finally said the words you have longed to hear for years. You lean in to touch his soft, inviting lips with your own.
Jungkook staggered back at the suddenness of your move. Once he had recovered from shock, he cupped your jaw to deepen the kiss. He sighed against your supple lips. And for the first time since he has nurtured his feelings for you, the weight in his chest has been lifted off, replacing it with warmth and relief that only you could bring in his longing heart.
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*unedited
 mintseesaw © 2020 | photo credit
273 notes · View notes
ssamie · 3 years
Text
six. she likes someone else, idiot.
oikawa tooru x fem langa!reader
(hq x sk8 the infinity)
warnings: spelling mistakes, swearing, 2k+ words, u have langa’s blue hair sorry 
gen masterlist.            “snow” masterlist.
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"as promised, here we are" oikawa greeted her as she opened the door to reveal him and iwaizumi. "good morning " she greeted them with a bubbly smile "hey" iwaizumi nodded at her. 
"oh, you're not skating today, y/n-chan?" oikawa hummed "well, i don't want to accidentally leave you behind again" she said as she closed the door behind her. oikawa sweat dropped and nodded along "how thoughtful" he chuckled 
"here's your coffee, oikawa-san" she had a determined look on her face as she hands him the beverage in a disposable cup
"oh... yes.. my coffee" oikawa deeply inhaled a breath of air and took it from her. "thank you, y/n-chan. i didnt think you were serious about it, though" oikawa laughed as he took a sip of the coffee 
"oh, well i thought you'd be bummed if i forgot a promise" she said 
as soon as she looked away, oikawa gagged and shuddered, making iwaizumi sweat drop and look at him in concern. "dude what the hell?" iwaizumi deadpanned 
as y/n looked back at them, oikawa's dread filled expression quickly changed into one of delight as he happily chugged down the drink 
"haha, i was just amazed at this coffee!" oikawa exclaimed with a grin "and y/n-chan made it so its extra special!" 
"oh, that's great!" y/n cheered as oikawa gave her a thumbs up paired with a wink "im glad you like it" 
"yup! looking forward to the next one tomorrow" oikawa chuckled 
iwaizumi watched the whole thing go down with a look of bewilderment. he was just about done with these two and their shenanigans. "dude.." iwaizumi muttered as he watched oikawa gulp the whole thing down "why're you doing this.."
oikawa turned to him with a grin and clocked his head to the side "what do you mean, iwa-chan?" he asked "i told you, y/n-chan made it so its extra special!" oikawa said with a laugh as he threw the cup away at a random trash can
iwaizumi's eyes widened as he watched his friend jog over to the girl and happily start up a conversation 
"jesus christ.." iwaizumi sighed "i don't know if him being like this is a good thing or not.." 
now, its no secret that y/n was attractive. her features were head turning. and her eyes alone could bring a grown man to their knees. she was quite captivating, to say the least. 
so it shouldn't come as a surprise if boys and girls start flocking around her for the same purpose. 
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to have her as their girlfriend. what else? 
"hey, hasegawa-chan" a boy greeted her as she exited the classroom. "oh. hello.." she replied with a hint of confusion 
"are you free today? if you want, i would love to treat you to some snacks after school" the boy said with a nervous chuckle. "oh, thank you but.. i have club duties after school." she said "maybe some other time" 
she then walked away from the boy, absolutely clueless to the fact the she was just asked out on a date. 
from inside the room, oikawa watched the whole thing go down with a look of distaste. "hey, hey, iwa-chan!" he slapped iwaizumi's arm. "that boy just flirted with y/n-chan, look!" 
iwaizumi spared him a glance before looking back down at his comic. "i know, shittykawa." he sighed "its no big deal anyways. she declined, didn't she?" he said 
"it doesn't matter! people are trying to steal her before i could even exit the friend zone!" oikawa exclaimed "actually, im not sure if im even in the friend zone yet!" he pulled at his hair in distress 
"i told her we'd be best friends in the future but that means we're not right now, right?!" 
"you're thinking too much, shittykawa" iwaizumi sighed as he pushed him off his desk, since he was hitting his head repeatedly against the wood 
"im gonna follow her and shoo the boys away" oikawa perked up with a determined look on his face. "dont do that" iwaizumi grunted in annoyance. "and you look stupid. your forehead has a red spot now, dumbass" 
"actually, what if i ask her out before they do?" oikawa hummed thoughtfully to himself. 
"you did that already. didn't she say she has the 'boyfriend spot' reserved for someone?" iwaizumi raised a brow 
"whatever im gonna follow her" oikawa waved him off. "dont do that-- and he's gone." iwaizumi merely sighed as he watched oikawa rush out of the door 
"now.. who is that ugly guy?" oikawa muttered to himself as he watched a boy flusteredly hand y/n a letter 
"h-hasegawa-san..this is for you!" the boy exclaimed as he handed her the letter without making any eye contact. "oh.. its a letter" she muttered as she went to open it 
"no! uh- read it later when you're alone.." the boy stammered out "it's a bit embarrassing for me" he said. "oh, okay then" y/n simply nodded and put it in her pocket. "goodbye" she said as she walked away 
"right! bye, hasegawa-san!" the boy nervously waved 
oikawa sweat dropped as the boy looked at her with a lovesick grin even though she just straight up ignored him and walked off. well it's not like he has room to say anything. he's the exact same, if not, maybe even worse. 
"tch. hey" oikawa called out to the boy. 
"me..?" the boy muttered in confusion as he pointed to himself. "yeah you" oikawa raised a brow as he judgingly looked him up and down "why'd you give y/n-chan a letter?" he scowled 
"oh well i -" before the boy could finish oikawa laughed at him in a mocking way. "yeah yeah, save your voice. it's not like i'll listen to you anyways" he said with his usual charismatic smile 
"but don't do that again, okay~" oikawa cooed "y/n-chan doesn't need a boy toy like you! but maybe try with another girl!" he suggested 
he patted the boy's shoulder and waved him goodbye "good luck~" he cooed. the boy watched oikawa walk off with a look of dread and confusion. "what the hell, man?" the boy muttered 
"now, where is she-- another one?!" oikawa groaned to himself as he watched y/n receive another gift 
except this time, it was a from a girl in the first year who was shakingly handing her a bento with a cutesy note "hasegawa-senpai..! um- this is for you" the girl said as she shyly presented her the neatly wrapped lunch box 
"i made it myself, i hope you like it!" she said with a bow before hastily running off with an alarmingly red face. "..?" y/n cocked her head to the side as she waved the girl goodbye "thank you..?" she muttered 
she opened the bento slightly and gasped in awe at the food 
"no! don't be swayed by the food, y/n-chan!" oikawa silently screamed to himself "its a trick!" 
y/n then closed it and continued to walk away.
"yes! she wasn't swayed by the food. that was close" oikawa let out a sigh if relief as he placed his hand over his pounding chest. "maybe i should cook her food from now on" he muttered as he took a mental note for future use. 
"now--" before he could move another inch, he was suddenly crowded by girls that came out of nowhere. literally. 
"oikawa-senpai!" "oikawa-senpai, we made you a bento!" "oikawa-san i made you cookies, see?" "oikawa-san let's hang out!" 
"ah, hey there girls~" he cooed at them. as much as he wanted to leave them, he couldn't just ignore his fan girls. as annoying as they were, they were still his supporters after all. 
"oikawa-san, are you practicing later? can we watch?" "we'll bring you snacks during practice!" "i'll cheer for you, oikawa-senpai!" 
it had been roughly five minutes since the girls arrived. and it had also been five minutes since he's lost sight of y/n. oikawa was starting to get antsy. his sole purpose was to shoo her admirers away and yet he was being bombarded by his own. 
suddenly, the blue hue which he seemed to grow so fond of caught his eye. he turned to look at her, walking so casually while she frowns down at a piece of paper in her hands 
"y/n! -" sadly his voice was drowned out by the shouts and squeals of the girls, although the noise still got her attention 
y/n looked up to see the brunette waving at her with a girl latched onto his other arm. and being the clueless one that she is, she simply waved back with a smile before walking away 
"that might be the girl he liked.." she muttered with a hum. "he mentioned it at the park that night.." 
"ack! she wasn't jealous at all!" oikawa spluttered with a gasp 
"oikawa-san what are you talking about?" "do you like someone?" "what?! oikawa-senpai, you like someone?!" 
oikawa waved them off and hastily ran after the blue haired girl. "y/n-chan!" oikawa exclaimed as he slammed their classroom door open 
y/n, along with the rest of the class looked over to him in confusion. ".. yes?" y/n replied "ah sorry" he sent the class a peace sign before rushing over to her side 
"i was gonna ask --did  anything interesting happen just now?" he mused with a huff "did ya maybe get something from someone..?" 
oikawa, bless his heart, was trying to be as discreet as he possibly could. though it's not like he has to try since she was probably as dumb as a rock when it comes to shit like this. 
"oh.. i got a letter and a gift" she said as she shuffled through her bag for the said things 
oikawa dramatically cried in his mind as he looked away from her. "she has no shame! so she really doesn't care about my feelings!" he muttered to himself in distress 
"its this." she said 
oikawa reluctantly faced her with a furrowed brows and quivering lips, ready to throw the love letter and bento away. that is, until he actually saw what the 'letter' and 'gift' was. 
"uh what is this?" oikawa sweat dropped as he pointed to the pair of school shoes and a note from the dean. 
y/n sulked as she reluctantly started removing her converse. "i got in trouble today" she said "apparently, im not allowed to wear these" she said as she stuffed her shoes in her bag and slipped the school shoes on 
"well yeah, everyone knows that" iwaizumi sweat dropped. "then how am i gonna skate?" she faced them with exaggeratedly teary eyes as she uncomfortably moved her feet about 
"guess you're gonna have to make do with that" iwaizumi comforted her 
"is that all you got?" oikawa asked again 
"oh. i actually got a love letter and a bento. but that's about it" she casually replied 
oikawa gave her a painfilled smile and a thumbs up. "ah. i see." he grimly replied. "well.. aren't ya gonna give them a response?" oikawa asked followed by a strained laugh 
"i can't.." she mumbled with slight embarrassment 
"why not?" iwaizumi asked 
"i can't read it.." she admitted, her face gradually getting hotter and hotter from shame 
"what?" 
"i can't read it!" she covered her face with her hands "japanese is still hard for me! i can only understand certain parts!" 
"and i also ate the bento because i was tempted!" she confessed 
oikawa and iwaizumi sweat dropped and nodded along. "i see.." oikawa laughed 
"well it's no problem" he said. "you can choose not to respond. you're not really obligated to, anyways." 
"really? that's great!" she perked up. "i didn't know what to do anyway" she chuckled "i could only understand parts of the letter cus i wrote it for reki!" she said 
"im glad im not stuck in that pinch anymore.." she sighed in relief "im not used to people liking me.." 
iwaizumi watched as oikawa's face visibly fell at the mention of the redhead's name. his already pained smile quickly turned into a frown. 
"y/n-chan! can you come here for a sec?" one student called for her "oh sure." y/n replied before quickly making her way to them 
oikawa pouted and trudged over to his seat, plopping himself down on the chair and resting his head on the desk with a huff 
"so, what'll you do now?" iwaizumi asked as he glanced at his friend "dunno" oikawa replied 
"hey iwa-chan. am i ugly?" he asked. "i was gonna say yes but that'll be too mean at the moment. so no, shittykawa. you're not." iwaizumi replied with a sigh as he put his comic away 
"is that reki guy hotter than me?" he asked again. "i dunno, dude" iwaizumi shrugged "i mean, probably." 
"do ya think i have a chance? i mean, i always get with girls so easily!" oikawa huffed. iwaizumi rolled his eyes and hit him on the head with his fist. "wanna know why you don't got a chance, shittykawa?" he said 
"ouch -- yeah sure, enlighten me, iwa-chan" oikawa replied with a wince 
"its cus she likes someone else, idiot." 
oikawa rolled his eyes and rested his chin on his hand, watching y/n converse with another student from across the room 
"just how amazing is this reki guy anyway?" 
"I HAVE 40, 000 YEN AND A SKATEBOARD!" reki exclaimed as he slammed the money and the board down before cherry "IS THIS ENOUGH TO VISIT Y/N, CHERRY?!" he asked with an excited smile 
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"for a plane ticket!" reki replied "do ya think if i sell this skateboard i'd get at least a thousand yen?" he asked 
cherry sweat dropped and pushed the things away. "what is this for?" he asked with furrowed brows 
cherry watched the boy fuss with a smile of amusement, chuckling lightly to himself as reki starts listing down the jobs he's done for the money. "a plane ticket costs roughly 15 thousand to 30 thousand yen. with your budget now, you won't be able to afford a trip back home" cherry explained 
"whaaa?" reki groaned out "then i have to work more? but thats so boring! i haven't skated in forever for this!" he whined 
cherry patted his back as the redhead sulked. "don't worry, we'll be going with you anyways" he said "you can borrow money from the gorilla" cherry suggested with a smile 
"why not from you?" reki raised a brow. "because i don't want to." cherry replied 
reki sweat dropped but nodded anyways. he gathered the money and the skateboard before running on his way over to joe's restaurant. 
"JOE HELP!!" reki exclaimed as he slammed the restaurant doors open. "yo, what the hell?!" joe yelled back as he watched reki rush over to him and cling on his arm with a cutesy pout 
"hey hey, joe~" reki cooed "can i borrow money from you? i can right? right? great!" he exclaimed "i'll need 20 000 yen atleast!" reki said with a grin as he held his hands out expectantly 
joe spluttered as he stared down at the redhead. "hey, who said i'll give you money?" he scowled 
"cherry did!" reki exclaimed 
"kaoru.." joe muttered through gritted teeth. "that damn brat." he sighed. "whatever. i'll give ya money." he said. "it's to see y/n right? we've been planning on visiting soon anyway" 
"really?! great! can i have it now-" reki was cut off by joe's laughter. "no, no" joe cooed
"you're gonna have to work for it" he smirked as he pulled out an apron and a menu and shoved it into the redhead's arms. reki's expression morphed into one of dread as he held the apron against his body ".. am i supposed to be a waiter?" he groaned out 
"you're a smart one, aren't ya?" joe said in a teasing tone 
"but why do i have to work?" reki whined. "oh, cmon! it's for y/n, don't ya care about her?" joe taunted him 
reki sent him a glare and reluctantly put the apron on. "for y/n.. sure" he muttered with a blush of embarrassment as joe started ruffling his hair like a child
"hey, joe.." reki trailed off "if i have to work.. the shouldn't he be working too?!" he shrieked out as he pointed to miya who was quietly sitting by a booth. "hah?!" miya exclaimed "i actually have money, unlike you, you slime!" he yelled 
"how?! you're thirteen!" reki shrieked out 
"and you're seventeen but poor! shut up and take my order, slime!" miya hissed back at him 
"i hate you!" reki hissed back "im not letting you near y/n after this, just so you know" he said. miya simply rolled his eyes and huffed. "shut up, slime. i want a drink." he said 
"you shut up" reki muttered back in annoyance, but quickly wrote the order down anyways 
"haha, keep this up and you'll see y/n in no time!" joe cheered as he patted reki's back. "why can't you just give me money, dude?" reki groaned 
joe laughed and sent him a cheeky wink "gotta milk the opportunity, you know?" he mused 
"so you're just using me!!" 
ppl r asking for them to see y/n skate,, dw that's coming soon haha,, and reki and the others are also appearing soon :) 
"exactly!" 
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sorry for the spelling / grammar mistakes if there are any :<
38 notes · View notes
shintorikhazumi · 3 years
Text
I Have Two Sisters?! (4): Three Sisters, One School, and A Trio of Brunettes
A/N: No long explanation note. Just an apology. Sorry it got delayed. Was burnt out, am burnt out lately. I could not think of anything for this. Emotionally just... not good, I suppose. School is kinda hectic too. Sadly. But here you go. Chap 4! I hope the length is worth the wait?
Ended up yeeting out this incredible sloppy mess of a chapter. :’> sorry. I can’t think no more, Ma.
Thank you to the MAGENTA GAZE squad. Y’all know who you are.
Also, a big, warm THANK YOU to all those reading and supporting this story :>.Means a lot to me :’)) Without further ado,
Enjoy?
~Shintori Khazumi
I Have Two Sisters?! Chapter 4: Three Sisters, One School, and A Trio of Brunettes
Four days. That was all it took to get the necessary documents for Diana’s clutch enrollment over. Weiss was ever pleased with herself for this achievement, and Claudine could only look on dumbfounded as parcel after parcel was dropped off in their mailbox or at their doorstep, all on the same day.
“You are a scary woman, did you know that?”
“Why, thank you~. You’re quite terrifying yourself.”
Claudine only managed a gruff little huff, carrying a suspiciously large box into the house with a bit of effort, Weiss discovering very soon just how strangely strong Claudine could be, and thus labeled the youngest as the “brawn” of the house. Weiss made great use of this fact.
Claudine frowned at the memory of being made to carry the things they bought when they went furniture shopping the other day. Weiss was some sadistic task master.
“Wh-what the heck is in this thing?” Claudine managed to ask without biting her tongue after tripping over one of the house’s thresholds. “Are these also a part of Diana’s documents?”
Weiss threw a glance over her shoulder, walking in front of Claudine, leading her to the living room where even more packages lay, Diana cluelessly sorting parcels, boxes, and covered folders into separate piles to be opened.
“Ah, well… yes, but…”
“Weiss?” Claudine called after her, voice holding a warning.
“They’re for Diana, yes. Documents... no. But I thought it would be fun to have some of this stuff delivered for the sake of… stuff.”
“Stuff.” Claudine echoed. “Right. What stuff.” She sighed, finally placing the last box- she was praying with all her might that it was- on their carpeted floor.
“Yes, stuff.”
“I’m asking, what kind of stuff?” Claudine crossed her arms over her chest, rolling her eyes as Weiss did a zipper motion over her mouth.
“That’s something you and Diana are about to find out.” She made her merry way over to Diana, standing next to the girl seated on the floor, a box cutter in one hand, looking anxiously from one sealed delivery to the other. “Come on, Diana. Open up the presents!”
“Santa roleplay?” Claudine teased. Weiss pointedly ignored her.
“W-where do I even start?” The eldest eyed the packages, trying to figure out which one she should open first.
She was taking quite long, and Claudine and Weiss were beginning to worry that they’d overwhelmed her.
“Weeell...” Deciding to help Diana out, Weiss looked over the array displayed in front of them, eyes narrowed until they landed on one particular medium-sized box, reaching out for it with a twinkle in her eyes. “How about this one?”
Diana nodded, a little curious about the younger girl’s reaction. Taking the box from Weiss, she smiled in thanks. Weiss returned the gesture, stepping back to watch as Diana cut through the tape and opened the folded flaps to reveal bubble wrap, some papers for additional cushion and protection, a black bag and-
“...A Nikon D850…”
Diana didn’t know why Claudine looked a little bitter, and possibly more shocked than her, but she couldn’t really pay mind to that as she awed at the expensive equipment. Sure, her family had always been loaded and the cost of this was merely pocket change to them; but Diana hadn’t really explored all that privilege the same way they did, anyway.
To get such a nice present from Weiss...
“Th-thank... thank you?”
Weiss pouted a bit at the reaction. She had done her best to get the perfect gift to welcome Diana into college and her new course, but Diana’s response was honestly underwhelming. “Don’t like it?”
Blue eyes widened, afraid they had insulted the kind Weiss. “N-No! No! Not at all! I mean, no I don’t like- no I mean I like it, I just, no to I don’t like it. I like it! I love it! It’s amazing! And... wow. I... I just... I don’t know if I can accept this...” Diana carefully placed the opened package on their coffee table, staring at that sleek black, those marvelous lens on that box-ish frame the... wow.
“Psh, sure you can.” Weiss waved off.
“Can I really...” Diana scratched her cheek lightly, a tiny blush coming on as she felt her next words were a little shameless. “I admit that I would like to keep it...”
“It’s yours to keep.” Weiss reassured, gentle and smiling. “Okay?”
Diana looked up to meet her eyes, somehow still unsure, but Weiss coming in to sit next to her, one hand patting her shoulder and the other placing the camera back in Diana’s was the last push of encouragement she needed to accept it.
“Thank you, Weiss. Really. Thank you.” Diana embraced the gift carefully close to her, smile soft and teary. “It means a lot to me.”
Diana pocketed this tender moment in her heart, saving it like all the other good memories she’d made with her sisters thus far. And they were numerous, quite abundant considering how long they’d known each other. But maybe that no longer mattered, how long they had been together. Diana should just focus on all the time they have coming.
A cough from Weiss brought her back to the reality that there were still more packages to be opened, and she sighed internally. She was about to mention something to her sister, but then she caught Weiss staring at Claudine expectantly, as if saying it was the youngest’s turn for... something.
“Claudine, out with it.”
‘Hmm?’ Diana directed her gaze to Claudine, noticing that the action made the latter flinch, hands deep in her pockets, visibly shuffling underneath the cloth.
“I’m... I’m just kind of... shy now after seeing that...” She muttered with closed teeth. “You had me carry all these things, and I didn’t know it was part of our plan. Now I don’t really wanna... compete with that...”
“Compete?” Weiss chuckled. “This is not a competition. Come on, Claud. We agreed to both get her something.” She revealed their said plan to Diana who had been out of the loop on this.
“Well, yes, but I didn’t think you’d just… get her a bunch of high-end camera gear!” Claudine commented, bewildered. “I literally got her a keychain! I can’t just give Diana a keychain!” She exasperatedly announced. “Not after all that!” She sighed, toes curling and wiggling in some form of discomfort.
“And Why not?” “Why not?” Two voices sounded simultaneously, heads tilted to the side in confusion.
‘Gosh, these heiresses.’
“I like keychains.” Diana so helpfully informed.
“Of course you do.” Claudine deadpanned, gripping the small item in her pocket. “Just…” She sighed once more, finger wearing the ring-like bit of the item. “I just- I feel... embarrassed... and stuff.” She blushed, looking away from the pair on the floor.
“Why?”
‘Why?’ Claudine looked at them incredulously. Obviously because- because... to people like them, used to extravagance and all the fanciest jewelry and wear, something like this trinket was just-
“Because it feels so small in comparison to the camera... and insignificant.” Claudine confessed. “I-I mean, not that my thoughts behind it were insignificant, not at all, I just thought I could give you something better. Not that I thought this was no good, I mean. At the time I bought it, but now that I see all this-”
“You’re right.”
“Huh?” Claudine blinked, facing a serious-looking Diana, rising to her feet and walking over to her.
“It isn’t insignificant. Nothing you’ve given me is.” Diana’s expression melted into a gentle smiled. “From your kindness, to the gentleness of each action toward me, to your consideration... to these slippers on my feet,” She flapped them for emphasis. “to the mug I drink from daily, and my toothbrush on the bathroom counter. All those, and the warmth behind them pile up in my heart, making it overflow with gratitude. Really, Claudine. The greatest thing you’ve gifted to me is your genuine care for me and my feelings.”
“Diana...”
Her words, it moved Claudine’s heart. She never thought it meant that much to the older girl. She had gotten all those things for Diana, did all those things for her, simply because... she could. And she wanted Diana to experience better things than all the pain she’d been through.
“Thank you, Claudine.” Diana said, coming to a stop in front of the younger girl. Her arms raised and opened up, Claudine before pausing awkwardly in the air, her whole frame freezing. “U-um...”
With a raised brow indicating her confusion, Claudine waited, posture uncomfortably straight
“Just hug and get it over with.” Their one-woman audience complained, getting impatient. “And just give her the damn gift, Claud!”
“Hrrngh- okay, okay! I get it! I got it!” Claudine grumbled, fishing through her pocket and pulling out a silver keychain, a small unicorn figure attached with a tiny bead next to it, and a letter D that looked like a waxed seal. “I- This is obviously not the o-only thing I got you.” Claudine tried to say, thinking of what else she could get to supplement this huge failure.
But it may have not been needed.
Diana engulfed her in a huge hug, sobbing lightly into her neck, thanking her over and over.
Claudine felt those warm tears wash over her skin. Her heart ached, her eyes stung. But she could hold it in, she could. She was a big, strong girl-
“Thank you, Claudine. Thank you. Thank you so much. For always thinking of me. For getting me something I can truly call mine.”
And Claudine broke, arms squeezing tight around Diana’s waist, silently crying into her shoulder. “Dummy. Everything you have right now is truly yours. And we are truly your sisters.”
---
Weiss looked away, if only to hide the tears that had also formed at the corners of her eyes. “Hey! That camera is solely yours as well!” She inserted, jokingly sounding annoyed, before shaking it off when Diana gave her an apologetic look. She smiled,  watching her sisters continue to hug.
It didn’t look like they were going to part soon, huh. Maybe in a bit. They’d separate. In 1... 2... 3...
Nope.
Okay, Weiss was beginning to feel a little left out. Maybe she wanted to be in the hug too. Not that she’d admit to that.
Buuutt, she could just... hint at it. Or something. Casually, so they wouldn’t know. Claudine would tease her for days if she found out Weiss had felt a little lonely.
“You made such a big deal out of it, only to become so soft.” Weiss laughed, walking over to her sisters and flicking Claudine on the forehead, earning her an adorable yelp, and not-as-adorable glare. “Guess you being the youngest makes perfect sense now.”
“Wha-Hey! I’ll have you know-” Claudine broke away from Diana, proceeding to bicker with Weiss who simply laughed at Claudine’s empty bites.
---
Diana admired the scene in front of her, smiling warmly at her two sisters. They had transitioned from intense verbal exchange to teasing words and playful wrestling, and Diana could not help but smile along as Claudine and Weiss filled the living room with their laughter.
Warm.
It felt so warm.
Subconsciously, Diana had grabbed her new camera, lifting it up and snapping a photo of two beautiful hearts who had become her new world.
Like this photo, she would cherish them forever.
//-//-//-//-//
After their little gift-giving spree, they decided it was time to get a move on with their actual business. They had succeeded in getting the recommendations Diana needed, and simply needed to file them and prepare them with the rest of Diana’s enrollment documents.
As Diana sorted through the papers, reading the contents of each to check over important information, she found that there were some personal letters accompanying them as well. At first, they seemed to be greetings, checking in on Diana. She was almost happy, before she felt twinges in her heart, soon figuring what they were actually about. Just more people sucking up to her to get to her family.
Well. They were barking up the wrong tree. Diana was no longer of any value to the Cavendishes. Even if she was stuck bearing their name. It was practically just an unwanted decoration to her image; an image she desperately wanted to break free from.
Alongside those empty salutations were the sugar-coated bitterness from comments from Diana’s old teachers. They were almost all the same, with some saying it was a shame that she wouldn’t be continuing on as a doctor. Most were surprised to hear she was taking arts for college as not everyone knew of Diana’s family situation, and maybe they hadn’t even cared enough to know about Diana until this point.
Diana would have liked to believe that, surely, they would have seen the scandal on the news of the Cavendish’s case of abuse- but then Diana remembered that her family was powerful enough to possibly cover it all up, only enduring a few scrapes to their name. She supposed she shouldn’t be surprised then if they still thought she’d go medical.
Of course. They didn’t know. They didn’t want to anyway. They probably assumed Diana was just dropping out, not strong enough to ensure the pressures that came with being someone of her previous status. How would they see her? Did they think of her as pathetic? Maybe. Maybe.
And now, Diana was left with feelings of shame.
Before she could wallow in more of her brought-back sorrows, hands were quick to move around her, Diana realizing that Claudine had taken her laptop away from her, closing the messages and shutting the device down, while Weiss took away the letters. She was glaring at them so hard, Diana hoped she wouldn’t crumple or tear them. They still needed those.
“Don’t read those any longer than you should. And don’t listen to any of those comments. You have nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Weiss is right. You are amazing.”
“No sister of mine is going to get shamed because of her undeniable talent and wit.” Weiss huffed, breathing out her feelings of irritation.
Diana felt her eyes water as she felt their unconditional support for her. Something she’d never had before.
Whatever deity had blessed her all at once with the best gifts in existence- her two sisters- deserved all the praise Diana had to give.
Weiss and Claudine shared a look as Diana wiped away the few tears that had slipped by. They sighed before grinning, pulling Diana into a group hug.
Really, Diana felt silly for worrying about all those things now. All those people she shouldn’t- couldn’t care less about.
With a laugh, she could only join her sisters as they faced everyone else in the world. Everyone who had used them, hurt them. To that, they’d scream,
“”Screw them!””
//-//-//-//-//
“I- I apologize... could you perhaps... run me through the steps one more time? Just one more time.” Diana pleaded, face contorted in frustration.
Weiss and Claudine found it absolutely adorable.
Who knew Diana was so bad with phones! They were only exchanging numbers, for crying out loud!
This was truly a mystery that confounded them as Claudine and Weiss had watched Diana efficiently navigate her way around her laptop and camera gear. She was excellent in getting all the school application documents ready, and the pair had watched her fixing the practice photos she’d taken earlier, afterwards.
So what was so hard about tapping a few icons on her phone compared to that?!
“I-... i-it’s because i practiced using those! It took me quite a while, but I’m proud to say I’m able to use them well now!”
“Practice...” Weiss parroted, dumbfounded at the revelation. She blinked. Turned to Claudine. “Practice... she says... using a laptop...-”
And exploded.
“HAHAHAHA, practicing?! Practicing using a phone?? Diana, you are adorable!”
Diana clearly didn’t appreciate this, not because she felt insulted by Weiss’ actions, but because she couldn’t comprehend just what was so wrong about daily practicing your typing skills to get sharper.
----
Claudine chopped Weiss lightly on the head, sighing to keep herself from giggling as well. “Don’t worry about it, Diana. We’re just surprised.”
“I still fail to understand why.” Diana frowned, and Claudine poked at the spot between her eyes, now laughing.
“Stop that, you’ll get wrinkles.”
Diana blushed.
“Let’s forget about this for a second, and actually help Diana out, Weiss.” Claudine warned, and that effectively got Weiss to stop, as her laughter calmed into a smile.
“I got it, haha.” She then proceeded to review all the steps on ‘how to add someone to your contacts’ to Diana. “Do you think you can do it on your own now?” She smiled at Diana as she finished.
Diana nodded silently, then looked up to Claudine with a wordless question in her eyes.
One that Claudine had no idea about.
“W-what?” After five minutes of not getting it, Diana’s stare was beginning to feel pressuring.
“May I have your number as well?”
Really. She was just so cute.
“You absolutely can.”
Weiss and Claudine watched over Diana with soft expressions on their faces as she stared at her screen, mesmerized by the names of her sisters on the tiny little glowing object in her hand.
“I’ve... I’ve never needed phone.” She confessed. “I’ve never had one... that’s why I have no clue on how to use it.”
“Huh? Not even for contacting your friends?” Weiss simply asked.
“I... I had an email. And a home phone... and...” Diana paused. “...no friends anyway. At least, not in school that I’d need to contact with an urgency.”
Claudine blinked. Maybe they should have expected this? She definitely couldn’t say she related to the experience as she’d been surrounded by love and good company for most of her life.
She couldn’t possibly hope to feel what Diana did, or understand it. What she could, however, was change those situations into something better.
She would let Diana feel loved.
She and Weiss would.
“Well... you have us now.” She said, quieter than expected. Almost a whisper.
Weiss and Diana turned to her, the latter’s eyes shimmering once more with unshed tears.
How many times had they made Diana cry already?
Her next words made Claudine want to as well.
“I do.”
//-//-//-//-//
D-day. It was a Monday.  Two weeks before classes would get rolling. Today, the girls’ main agenda would be to get Diana enrolled as soon as possible, and then Claudine and Weiss would proceed to check on their own student statuses and pick up their uniforms.
The uniforms had been issued as a means to identify their students. They were free to wear it as they saw fit, so long as it was still recognizable as belonging to the school.
After they had accomplished most of what they needed for Diana’s processes, they sat waiting in the seats just outside the office clerk’s transaction window, waiting for their names to get called on to pick up Weiss and Claudine’s uniforms.
“Could this take any longer?” Weiss groaned. “The service is taking ages!”
“Hush, you. It’s not that bad at all.” Claudine sighed. Although she felt a similar frustration and impatience after sitting in that place for nearly half an hour, she understood that there were many other transactions ongoing so close to the beginning of classes.
Even Diana looked as though she was getting bored. It wouldn’t be surprising if one of them fell asleep at some point. Claudine had already gone through a few games on her phone, and didn’t feel like playing any more. They could only wait at this point.
Before the trio could succumb to even more mental distress, like a taste of salvation, their turn came.
“Weiss Schnee.”
“Yes, yes.” Weiss almost jumped out of her seat, glad the nightmare was over as she skipped over to the window to receive her items.
“Claudine Saijou.” The clerk called next. Claudine made her way more calmly, bowing gratefully to the worker.
“Thank you.”
As Claudine was doing all the final checks for all of their things, and inquiring about Diana’s status, she barely heard Weiss mumbling to herself, staring at Claudine the whole while.
“Claudine Saijou…” Weiss thought long and hard. Since the other day she had been wondering about why Claudine’s face and name were so familiar. She felt stupid not asking anything about it sooner. They’d been living together awhile now! So why hadn’t they ever... well, to be fair, with all the circumstances surrounding them, they hadn’t really tried to pry too much into one another’s pasts. They had also always referred to each other by their first names right away.
She knew Diana’s last name by heart, and a little bit of the weight behind it because of all the things they’d had gone through since meeting, helping the girl. She was sure they knew her name as it was the only thing she’d ever share with her dick of a father.
But there hadn’t really been an occasion to think about Claudine’s. Even if they had met her mother.
Why was that?
Weiss didn’t really know or understand. But now, she had a chance to stand back and think about it. What was it that had been tickling her mind each time she heard that name.
She tested the name a few more times, a tingling on her tongue as she tried to jog her memory. Just where...
“Ah! “ Weiss snapped, turning to Claudine and pointing a finger right at her face. “Claudine Saijou! You’re Saijou Claudine!”
A surprised Claudine, reeled back slightly, eyes wide, blinking at Weiss. Just what was this girl going on about this time?
“Yes… Yes, I’m Saijou Claudine. Thank you for telling me my name.” She tried, recovering from her initial scare.
“And I’m Diana Cavendish.” Diana butted in, wondering if she should also state her full name. Had Weiss somehow forgotten and needed a refresher? Did she need them for something?
“No, no, you idiots.” Weiss sighed, exasperated. Luckily, neither of her sisters took offense to what she’d just called them. Organizing her realizations, she shared them to the pair, once more gesturing to Claudine. “You’re the one from that… that.. Lou’s ointment commercial from a while back!” She excitedly exclaimed.
A blush crept across Claudine’s features, suddenly hyper aware of their surroundings. She began to notice that Weiss little outburst was starting to garner attention as more people began to recognize her. Of course they would. In a school for the arts, why shouldn’t she expect this?
“Did she just say Saijou Claudine?”
“You mean the one from Seishou? That Saijou Claudine?”
Claudine flinched.
“I loved her acting in Starlight!”
“I preferred her Dracula.”
“We all know it was Black Beard that was the hottest.”
Only good things were being said about her, but Claudine couldn’t help but feel awkward in this situation. Plus, her sisters... were here. Somehow it felt a little embarrassing with them watching.
She could see some people inching closer to her, and she could hear whispers about taking photos or talking to her. Usually, she’d stand up straight in pride and thank everyone supporting her, but somehow she felt... uncomfortable from the attention.
She hadn’t been in Japan, in Seishou, for a few years. Maybe it was a little surprising to know that her name was still heard of, and it was mostly associated with her former school. She knew she’d made some mark in France, but... the more time she spent there, away from many things she’d chosen to leave behind, it felt as though her sparkle dimmed.
Things she’d left behind... huh.
Claudine shook her head, ridding herself of those thoughts.
Maybe they should leave now.
Claudine grabbed her uniform that had fallen to the floor after Weiss loud declaration. She bowed in apology to the staff for the ruckus, threw some thanks over her shoulder, and ushered her sisters out the room hurriedly.
“Let’s go.”
//-//-//-//
“So... Saijou Claudine huh.”  Weiss awkwardly repeated Claudine’s name for her to hear again.
Claudine remained seated on the courtyard bench with her head down, not looking at Weiss. Silent.
Weiss was beginning to feel a little guilty, not even knowing why. Maybe she should try to ease the situation some way?
“I… I liked the ointment? It worked really well for me and was compatible with my skin type.” She attempted lamely.
Diana voiced her agreement, feeling the tension present in the air and wanting to help out. “Yes, I also used it during…” She trailed off, eyes dulling as she looked away, now also silent.
The girls understood immediately what Diana had been needing it for.
With that plan backfiring, moments of nothing passed.
“It’s alright, Weiss.” Claudine lifted her head, trying to meet Weiss gaze as assurance, but then shifting her eyes to the side mere seconds later. “...I was just... embarrassed.” -that and feeling another emotion that Claudine didn’t really want to face at the moment.
Again, she thought of it. Really, it was rather uncharacteristic of her to be this way. Usually, she would be rather proud of her achievements. While not in an annoyingly boastful manner, she never shied away from attention. Usually she took it with grace and humility.
Maybe it was because they were her sisters suddenly looking at her differently. Or maybe it was because of the mention of Seishou and all the memories... and people linked to it that she had neglected for so long, that reminded her and made her feel at odds with the sudden attention.  Maybe... she just didn’t know.
“If it helps,” Diana tried again. Maybe this could help them lighten the atmosphere. “I, for one, am proud to have a sister who’s been on TV?” She smiled, taking a seat next to Claudine, placing a hand over her own on her lap.
No matter how talented Weiss and Diana were, their performances were mostly exclusive to their rich guests at home. Weiss may have been invited on a radio broadcast once or twice, or a recording for a documentary on music. She was once even on a YouTube video for a friend. But it was different from having your face be constantly plastered on screen every time a particular commercial came out for days on end.
“If I remember right, you had another one… Country… ma’am?” Claudine’s blush came back as she shyly nodded.
“Ah! I remember you also had this one play!” Claudine watched silver brows knit together momentarily, Weiss struggling to pin the tail on the donkey. “Anne? Annie? Wait, no, that’s not it. Let’s see here…” She mumbled a few more names to herself, before the confusion in her eyes cleared somewhat, Weiss carefully asking,“Arrie?”
Claudine chuckled, amused. “Thank you for remembering. Yes, that was- you could say- the peak of my work. That was then. But now…” She smiled softly, eyes on the dirt, kicking a pebble away and watching it roll along ‘til it came to a dead halt. “I’m nothing special, really.”
...Did she really just say that about herself? Her eyes widened the slightest bit but her expression settled before her sisters could take notice.
Now really wasn’t the time for her thoughts to be all jumbled up and in a mess.
“Are you KIDDING me, right now?” Weiss scoffed. “Did you see those people’s reactions back there? That’s definitely amazing. You’re amazing.”
“Says an international recitalist.” Claudine responded without missing a beat, looking up at Weiss with a glint in her deep magenta eyes.
Weiss looked taken aback. “Y-you know-...how?“
“I study much.” Claudine shrugged. “I’ve seen and kept far too many books, video sources and the like for reference. Research. It’s research, dear sister. And I’ve come across you more times than i have fingers.” She confessed.
“And you never bothered telling me you knew me?”
“Why would I?” Claudine grinned teasingly. “Want me to stroke your ego?”
“Hey!”
Just like that, the weight had been lifted and Claudine found herself enjoying this banter with Weiss. Her sass and her confident, straight-forward self that always seemed to amuse and cheer them up in many moments, breaking the ice in their interactions.
Claudine felt her entirety smile at her older sister, feeling warmer. Such a pleasant feeling.
As she silently admired her sibling, a gentle giggling tickled Claudine’ ears as Diana watched her younger sister’s exchanges and playful jabs at one another. Claudine noticed Weiss quiet down as well as they ended up staring.
She knew the thought the same thing. They found it quite nice, a very pretty sound coming from an incredibly beautiful girl.
That visage imprinted itself in her mind, and she couldn’t help but wonder if Diana-
“... Ever considered being a model, Diana?” Weiss suddenly blurted out the exact thoughts in Claudine’s mind.
Diana’s eyes were just as wide as hers as the stunned girl looked between her two younger sisters, words barely registering in her mind.
“Huh?”
//-//-//-//-//
School.
What a place.
School was, and always had been her escape back then. It was where she would not feel the physical torment of her aunt, it was a place where she wouldn’t have to endure the scathing words of her family.
Yes, school had its own pressures, the teachers keeping their watchful eyes on her; sometimes expectant, other times judging. Diana also had her fair share of distant admirers, and braver, envious foe, but those were trivial little things in comparison to her home life of abuse.
Thumbtacks in her shoes, or her books in a fountain were as ant bites to her, nothing in comparison to the lions that hungered to devour her once she stepped foot into the manor’s towering gates come the end of the school day.
So really, school may have been better than home, but it never really held a special place in Diana’s heart. If anything, it was more associated with terror and the idea of faux and temporary freedom.
But now, did these perceptions remain for Diana? Or could school be something else for her, now that she had two allies on her side.
Two allies... two sisters.
Diana inwardly smiled at the word. That she had them now, that they were present in a place like ‘school’, it already made all the difference.
Where she had no genuine friends and peers before, she now had two of the best people by her side. Where she had no one who believed in her or her dreams, she’d found two people pushing her to pursue ones she hadn’t realized she had.
And though she had no family to send her off to school then, she did now...
Right now.
“Okay, Diana. Just as we were told, today is only the orientation day. There won’t be any classes, so we’re expecting an early out for the day. Which means we’ll be expecting to see you pretty soon after classes end.” Claudine’s hands fiddled with her tie, straightening it out and pressing it gently to Diana’s chest. “Perfect.” She nodded in satisfaction, eyes lifting to meet Diana’s. “Now. I have a copy of your schedule because Weiss said it’d be best for us to know where you are at times.” She informed, before eyes widened in panic, an explanation on her lips. “W-we don’t mean to tread on your privacy of alone time or anything, you can tell us if-”
“Claudine. It’s okay.” Diana laughed, watching her sister calm down somewhat.
“Okay.” Claudine paused to admire the pretty sound of Diana’s happiness. “Okay, but anyway. Our lunch times match up, so we were hoping we’d all have it together; how do you feel about that?” Claudine bit her lip, just a little nervous.
“I’d love that.”
“Ah, thank goodness.” Claudine sighed in relief. “Also, you have our numbers and all so just ring us up if you need us.” Claudine added more and more to her list of reminders. “Also, I snuck a water bottle into your bag. Remember to hydrate regularly! And also, don’t be scared to tell the teacher if you ever need a bathroom break-”
“Claudine.”
“And blatantly- not shyly, mind you- give people a piece of your mind if they ever try to hurt-”
“Claudine!” Diana laughed again, airy and sweet. “I’m not a child, you both needn’t be so concerned.” She patted the girl on the head, gaining a blush from her younger sister. “Thank you. Also, class starts in five. I know your classroom is quite far from mine.”
She knew the girl was biting her tongue, keeping her from saying anything more. Diana knew she was considering Diana’s words, knowing they were right. “Fine...”  She relented.
“Get to your class, Claudine. I’ll be fine.”
Claudine still looked reluctant to leave Diana, eyes searching her expression for any doubts or anxiety, but finding none, she backed away.
“Fine. Okay. I got it. I’ll go. But!”
“Just go, Claudine.” Diana giggled. “Go. I’ll be alright. Please? Trust me?”
“I- I do trust you!” Diana heard the girl murmur a few things to herself. “I do. Okay. I’ll go. You’ll be fine, okay?”
“I will.”
“Okay. Pinky promise.” Diana felt her face warm as she and Claudine did the childish gesture, but it made her smile, thinking of how sweet and innocent Claudine could still be at times.
“Pinky promise.”
“Call me or Weiss! Lunch together! Water!” She called over her shoulder, even as she walked away.
“I will!” Diana reassured. Really, Claudine was a worrywart. The girl still paused in the middle of the hall before taking the turn around the corridor, making sure Diana was really alright. Once she was satisfied, she disappeared from the older girl’s sight.
Diana spun on her heel, facing the sliding wood separating her from her knew life goal. This was it. She just needed to take a step in. With a deep breath, it was like a mask was dropped onto her.
Her eyes became blank and cold, her expression just as frozen, settled not in a frown nor a smile. Simply a fine line on her lips. Diana trod into the room, a switch within clearly flipped.
She hated it. This Diana Cavendish. This Diana was cold and calculative to a fault. This Diana had built many walls around herself because she’d known the terrors of the world, and the possibility of people only here to use her. She had to be careful. That’s what the Cavendish had said. That’s what Diana had eventually tasted for herself after many betrayals.
This was only a defense. Impregnable as it should be when dealing with the outside world.
...
But then... where was this defense when she’d first met Weiss and Claudine? It was practically non-existent.
Diana felt her expression soften, eyes warming the tiniest bit. Thinking about her sisters made her feel... fluffy... inside. She never thought she could feel such a thing. It was such an abstract concept to her, that when she’d heard it from other people in the past, she knew she scoffed at the idea.
The emotions she knew were pain, anger, pride, sadness, the occasional joy. Feelings such as ‘fluffiness’ and ‘softness’, she’d never really understood what they meant. She still didn’t.
But she smiled. At least she now knew.
//-//-//-//-//
Diana internally squirmed in her seat, under the burning scrutiny of fiery eyes that had been locked onto her ever since she entered the room. Even during the duration of orientations and introductions, the only time the girl had broken her stare was when it was her turn to give her name and basic information to the class, as well as while she excitedly responded to a lot of things their professor had said. Only during those times did she give the poor Cavendish room to breathe.
Then it was back to watching every moment of Diana in that room.
Why?
Diana had no clue.
Kagari Atsuko.
She seemed peppy, cheery. She was loud and active. She was so different from Diana. She was friendly- or so Diana had observed as she first arrived in the class. She smiled at everyone and greeted them good morning, and Diana had regretted catching her gaze that now refused to leave her form.
She never said anything, she hadn’t greeted Diana ‘hello’ or ‘good morning’ like she did the rest of their classmates.
She didn’t get her.
She didn’t understand why the girl kept looking at her... she didn’t understand why she kept sneaking glances back.
So she didn’t force herself to think about it anymore than she should.
She may or may not get involved with the woman from time to time, maybe for school work and such, but she didn’t see them getting along at all. She had no time nor reason to pursue friendships anyway.
Kagari Atsuko, whoever she was, was just going to be another passing figure in her academic life, Diana concluded.
An odd lass, she surmised.
Class ended promptly, the professor saying she found no need to discuss much since it was only the first day, and that the students should go out and explore the campus. Maybe they’d find inspiration to use in the upcoming days.
As she packed her things into her bag, Diana could feel that incessant gaze boring into her back, the pressure laid strongly on her.
She really wanted to just ignore it, but somehow she felt like that wouldn’t be possible. There was a chance that this girl would actually act on all her staring.
...or not?
Diana quirked a brow as the girl had averted her gaze once Diana met it, clumsily throwing her materials into her own backpack, closing it haphazardly before rushing down the steps between the rows of lecture desks. As the bag hopped off her back as she made those rough movements, Diana  bit her lip. She could just foresee something happening-
And it did.
The girl’s water bottle had somehow fallen out of her pack, making a clacking sound that surprised the owner as she quickly tripped over her feet and fell to the floor.
In a span of under a minute.
Diana rushed forward without hesitation, body moving on its own as she crouched by the fallen girl, helping her sit up before gathering the contents spilled from her bag after she’d made her glorious failure of an exit.
Diana worked quietly, handing the girl her things and looking her over for any signs of pain or injury. Upon seeing that she may as well be fine, she got up wordlessly, gave the girl a curt nod before going out the door.
Only to be followed by that Kagari girl, voice calling out behind her.
“W-w-w-wait!”
She waited. Something compelled her to do so. Turning around, she raised a curious brow.
“I- you...” The brunette tried, not really knowing what to say after all that. “Thank you.”  She murmured quietly, and Diana had met her eyes and found sincere rubies glimmering with something she was unfamiliar with. Something that had suddenly captured her, leaving her staring. “Miss Cavendish.”
At the sound of her name, she snapped out of the odd trance, nodding once more with a reply of, “You’re welcome. Now I should go-”
“Wait-!”
Again, Diana felt her feet root themselves in place, not allowing her to leave. “Yes?”
She watched as the girl opened and shut her mouth, forming words in her mind perhaps, then rethinking them over and over ‘til she looked like a fish out of water with the way she left Diana hanging.
“If you have nothing else to say, I should be on my way.” That sounded a bit too cold, Diana admitted to herself. However, this was her normal reaction to people she did not know and could not be bothered to know anyway.
This was fine. She told herself so.
So then why was she so expectant? For... something- anything- from this unfamiliar person that had spent the better half of their orientation day ogling her?
Diana just didn’t get it. She didn’t get herself.
Upon receiving no response, she sighed, turning around for the last time. This time she wouldn’t look back. She wouldn’t wait. “Good day.” She said as a final word, shoes tapping against the floor.
She’d leave. She’d walk away this time. She’d ignore the stare boring into her very soul. She would never interact with this girl anymore if she could help it. She’d push away these strange feelings, these curious thoughts of hers all in a mess just because of this strange girl.
Then she’d be fine.
School would just be her, her camera, and her sisters. That was enough for her.
She kept walking, nearing the corner of the hallway.
“Ever considered being a model, Miss Cavendish?!”
-And she stopped.
[“Ever considered being a model, Diana?”]
Her sister’s question during her enrollment replayed in her mind, Diana slightly in awe at the coincidence.
Diana struggled to find her voice as she remained frozen by the stairs. Kagari Atsuko quickly followed after her, standing a bit too close for Diana’s liking, staring so intently into her eyes.
Once she found her tongue, a weak question was the only thing she managed. “Wh-why do you ask?”
“Please. Be my model.”’
There was this sincerity in her odd request, this spell in her eyes; and for a moment, Diana thought of saying yes. Only for a moment. Regaining her bearings, Diana shook here head, no.
It just wasn’t possible. Her?
“Please.”
Diana’s brows furrowed at the continued request. In the first place, should this girl really be asking her course-mate that?
“But… Miss Kagari… we’re both photographers…”
“So?”
‘So?’ What did she mean by that?
“Does that have anything to do with being my model?”
“...yes?” For one, Diana would be needing her own model. She’d figured she could ask her sisters for this one favor.
Diana realized the girl might be asking for their future projects that the teacher had mentioned earlier in orientation. If this was her way of being diligent by scouting early, she was barking up the wrong tree.
“But you could still do it! I know a senior who previously did the same thing! Come on, please, Miss Cavendish?”
In the first place, why was this girl so dead set on having Diana model for her? Why was she pleading so endearingly, with her eyes hopeful and sparkling, making it hard for Diana to say no. So hard to say no.
“I…”
‘I’ll think about it?’
Wait. Was that what she wanted to say? No, impossible. She shouldn’t even think of that possibility in the first place. Just.... what was it that was going on with Diana.
This girl had no clue who she was. She didn’t know Diana nor her past, nor her... scars. It wasn’t just an embarrassing feeling, or simple apprehension, now that she pondered on the reason behind her response- or rather, lack of it.
It was shame. If Kagari Atsuko ever found out about Diana Cavendish, there was no way she’d actually keep asking, was there? To have Diana as her model. No, not her. Not someone as marred and tainted, scarred and ugly as her.
And Diana had her answer.
“I’m sorry... I’m only a photographer.”
//-//-//-//-//
Weiss glared at her desk, willing the dark coffee stain on it away. There was also some cream, possibly from a doughnut, smeared along the side of it. So early in the morning, and already she was experiencing levels of gross she’d very much rather not see.
“Youch! You sure got the bad draw for the seating assignment. Wonder who among these early birds did that though.” Weiss’ eyes traced up the finger pointing to the frosted mess on her desk, trying to meet the origin of the voice that popped up beside her, red-tipped brunette strands obstructing her vision from this stranger’s face. This made her realize.
“Um... aren’t you a little too close?”
“Hmm?”
The mop of two-toned hair swayed with the motions of her new companion, turning her head to face Weiss.
‘Silver. How... peculiar.’
Before she lost herself, completely entranced, Weiss backed away in her seat, tearing her eyes free of that magnetic gaze. “I- I said you’re too close!”
“Oh. Oh! Oh, my bad. Sorry. Just. I saw you frowning so early in the morning, like you were gonna murder someone or something, or your desk.” The girl scratched the back of her head sheepishly. “I’m Ruby, by the way. Ruby Rose.”
“Miss Rose. Great. Well then, I’ll be looking for a way to... deal with this, so if you’d excuse me.” Weiss promptly rose from her seat, making a line for the door.
“Hey, that’s not very polite.” ‘Ruby’ called after Weiss. “I gave you my name, so why can’t I get yours?”
Weiss stopped in her tracks, casting a casual glance over her shoulder at the person who had gone and entered her personal bubble without much apprehension earlier, and admittedly, had piqued her interest.
Well. She was going to need some acquaintances to get through this class smoothly, after all. Hmm... but did it have to be her? Weiss pondered it. Maybe she could be of some use to Weiss.
With a small smirk, she considered her final options. She could just give her name... But where was the fun in that? They were classmates anyway.
So with a flip of her shoulder and a cheeky tone of voice,
“I’m sure you’ll learn soon enough.”
-She walked away.
//-//-//-//-//
Claudine stood outside the door of the classroom, hesitant about entering.
She was late.
She was late for classes because she had to make sure Diana was settled in and okay. Claudine had escorted Diana to her first class as some sort of precaution in case something happened to the girl on the way. She and Weiss had talked about it the night before school began, and decided it would be for the best. Just to be safe. So she’d taken the liberty to do this task as Weiss’ class started earlier than Diana’s and hers.
And she was glad to do it. Just that she might have taken a bit too long. Plus, it didn’t help that her classroom was on the other side of the building. Fortunately for her, she had swung by the faculty room first thing when they got to school to find her first period’s professor and inform her of the possibility that she’d be late. She was meticulous and sure like that.
But being late... wasn’t really the reason why she wasn’t too keen on entering the class, was it?
A deep breath.
She... should go in now.
With a simple, “excuse me”, and a knock on the front door, she slid it open to reveal herself to only the teacher who beckoned her in upon noticing Claudine.
If she took a step in now, what would greet her? Who would she see? Was she... ready for this inevitable reunion?
Her stomach churned.
Things were going to be different. She just knew it.
“Ah, yes, our final student.” Her professor’s voice took her out of her inner turmoil, adding to the dread she was feeling as she had no way out anymore. This was it. She had to face the stage and the people who stood on it. “She’s excused from being late because of some family circumstances, but we’re glad she could make it and complete our class, aren’t we students?”
Claudine thought the teacher was rather chipper. She seemed so happy so early in the morning. A totally different mood from Claudine.
She supposed she should just get on with it. Whatever happened, she’d deal with it later.
So she walked in, turning to the rest of the class, bowing in apology for being late.
... bowing to a certain group of people in apology for being a year late.
Claudine could clearly feel the eight pairs of extremely surprised eyes boring their scalding gazes into her. She wanted to address them and all the questions she knew swirled within them, but first things first. Formalities and introductions and all-
A resounding clatter of a seat, as it was pushed back suddenly, stole the room’s attention. A figure stood so abruptly, the handouts on the desk slipping off.
“Saijou…san.”
‘What a face you’re making...’ She chuckled to herself.
“Well, yes. I’m pleased you remember my name,” Claudine threw back with a bit of a tease, a sprinkle of playful haughtiness mixed in. She met the intense gaze with a fiery spirit of competition, like she always did; in a way, daring this person to say more, or to be her usual infuriating self.
But it seems she was just stunned.
Claudine raised a challenging brow, waiting for the spluttering mess to say something.
What she received was a gaping mouth, shock all over the woman’s expression, and a shy wave of a hand.
Then the mask of confident indifference she had donned melted into something much gentler as she looked into those Violet eyes she missed dreadfully.
“… Tendou Maya.”
//-//-//-//-//
Claudine felt pleasantly surprised that Aijo Karen could hold back any sort of emotion, at this point. She was very obviously buzzing in her seat in unfiltered tension and excitement, eyes frequently darting to where Claudine was. Hikari blatantly stared, and poor Mahiru tried to get both to calm down and pay attention to class orientation. Claudine found herself smiling the slightest bit at that.
Some things really didn’t change.
Maya, on the other hand hadn’t looked back at her once since their earlier reunion. While this could simply mean that she still kept her impeccable focus and professionalism that separated work and school from personal life, to Claudine, it was still their first interaction after a long time... She couldn’t help but feel disheartened.
Was she not pleased to see Claudine? Was it because... Claudine hadn’t kept in touch with everyone?  
Or was there something else that she didn’t know of?
//
Class could not end any quicker, but by the time that it did, Hikari and Karen were already making a beeline straight for her, as did the others- the others being the rest of her dorm mates and dearest friends. She was already bracing herself for the impending impact of these two jumping her, but before anyone else could touch her, Nana had sped her way past the pair, and engulfed Claudine in a near-bone-crushing hug.
“Kuro-chaaaan!” She wailed like a child, not completely out of character for Nana. “What happened to you all this time?!”
The flood gates of inquiry opened and rushed at Claudine who struggled to keep up with answering every query her friends had about the last year that she had been gone.
Warmth flooded her heart at the realization of many things. Among those was the fact that her friends didn’t seem mad at all. They had only been worried and hopeful for her well-being. Claudine’s heart was moved.
One thing that bothered her was that as the others fawned over her and asked her their endless questions, Maya just stood off to the side, not engaging with the rest of them. It unnerved Claudine. Maya was the one she was closest to, the one she thought she knew and understood the most.
So what was going on?
After everyone had calmed, satisfied with the brief explanation of Claudine’s life in Paris and why she’d lost contact with them all, she was surprised when everyone parted from her, creating a space to allow Maya and Claudine to clearly face each other. As if they were saying, ‘talk’.
Maya looked to be as shocked as she was. Claudine bit her lip nervously.
What would Maya do?
//-//-//-//-//
Tendou Maya knew she was a prideful woman. She was a confident woman. She was a skilled, talented, persevering woman.
What she was not was petty.
And yet, she couldn’t help but sulk the moment her mind had registered that Saijou Claudine was back. Back in Japan. Back in their circle of Seishou friends. Back to Maya.
That in itself was something she’d thought she’d rejoice about, having longed to see Claudine for many a sleepless night. The days that had gone by without so much a letter or a simple, ‘hello’ had torn her heart apart piece by piece, until she had somehow managed to convince herself that Claudine no longer cared for her... even if Maya still wanted to remain at her side.
Deep inside her, anxious pride told her that she should be mad. She should demand a reason from Claudine- although already given. Her bitterness hungered for a begging apology from Saijou Claudine who had forgotten all about Tendou Maya.
But having Claudine appear in front of her, realer than any of her worst dreams and most pleasant nightmares, and out of the unexpected blue, Maya struggled against the simple desire to give into her long-endured neediness and simply embrace Claudine and confirm that she was truly back.
“Maya-chan.” Nana had whispered, pushing her forward as she stumbled the first step before fixing her walk forward until she stood right in front of Claudine.
Claudine offered a hand out, a sense of deja vu washing over Maya as she took it, her own had shaking slightly.
Maya swallowed the lump in her throat, unable to fish for the right words in her mind that had melted into a puddle the moment Claudine gave her that sheepish, awkward, incredibly beautiful smile.
“Have you put on a little weight from all those potatoes, Tendou Maya?” She chuckled.
Claudine.
Maya was captured. She had grown even more beautiful, hadn’t she? This girl- no… they were women now weren’t they? Both Maya and the girl she knew as Saijou Claudine. They had become women in the short time they were apart.
But that wasn’t the only thing that had changed. Or rather, it was something that had finally surfaced so blatantly clear in their relationship; an aspect they had possibly always known but had pushed to the back of their minds as they had other priorities back then.
Maya knew that Claudine knew.
She knew they both realized it, and she could see it in Claudine’s eyes.
“I’ve missed you.” Maya murmured in the tiniest voice. She could see her friends’ smiles from the corner of her eyes, their grins growing wider as Claudine whispered her bashful reply.
“I’ve missed you too.”
And Maya knew it was love.
//-//-//-//-//
Claudine loved her friends. They were the most considerate people in the world. Maybe a little too considerate.
Claudine would have been fine spending time catching up with all of them, but it seemed as though they had caught onto the fact that Maya and Claudine wanted some private time to sort things out between themselves, and so were allowed time alone.
She swallowed down the lump forming in her throat, entirety suddenly full of butterflies in jitters. Being away from Maya for so long, not seeing her at all, unable to hear even her voice, it created this strange feeling of unknown- of an anxiety Claudine couldn’t describe.
Even if this was still Maya- dare she say her Maya-, Claudine could only wonder how much the girl could have changed without her by her side.
All those worries vanished like a mist in the rays of a smile as sunshine-y warm as Maya’s at this very moment. The cold fear in her heart melted away, and her heart beat strongly for a different reason now.
Maya’s eyes searched her own, and she found it difficult to form words. It was everything she could do to keep their gazes locked.
“I-”
“Will you stay by my side now?”
Her heart stopped.
Then ran so fast, Claudine was sure it would burst with all these feelings she knew could be nothing else but her undeniable attraction, and an emotion much deeper than that, towards Maya.
//-//-//-//-//
“Paris was amazing. It was like a dream that I had finally reached and made real.” Claudine began, as they settled on a bench at a deserted corner of the school’s vast courtyard. “At first it was so easy to tell you all of what had happened. The ups and the downs, the successes; the innumerable opportunities I had gotten... The classes were amazing. I learned so much.”
Maya took her hand, gently wrapping her own around it. She squeezed in her silent support, urging Claudine to continue.
“Then suddenly, everyone wanted me.”
Maya wanted to make a playful remark, a simple ‘My~ what a player’. However, there was something in Claudine’s expression that told her it would be better to refrain.
“I know you want to make a comment.” Claudine giggled against her other hand, giving Maya an eye smile that made her heart flutter painfully sweet. Claudine knew her so well.
“I did.” Maya admitted. Claudine nodded before leaning her head on Maya’s shoulder, eyes falling shut.
“You’d think it was all perfect.” Claudine whispered. “I thought it was what I wanted. All these jobs, the exposure, the experience. I thought I could handle it all.”
“But?”
“I was able to take it the first few months. I met so many people who were amazing, who were inspiring. Who had their dreams, goals and aspirations.” Claudine narrated. “But we were all apart. We had these grand views and desires. We had our individuality. That’s a marvelous thing, I know.” Claudine went on. “Even I left to be on my own... away from you all...”
Claudine had made a motion to separate herself from Maya, but Maya had quickly reached an arm over her shoulders, hand guiding Claudine’s head back onto her own.
“Stay.” She whispered, voice a little weak. She felt Claudine nod, and she sighed in relief.
She didn’t know why she did that, but a fear had lodged it’s way into her heart, one that replayed the emotions she had felt the first time Claudine had walked away from her. She dared not relive those again.
“Sorry.”
“It’s alright...” Maya murmured. “So? You thought you were all by yourself?” Maya continued for her. “But remember, we still work towards the same goal. We may have been apart, but that hasn’t changed. Not for me, at least. Didn’t you feel the same way?”
Maya felt that she’d be hurt if Claudine said no.
“I did. I do still.”
Maya felt relief wash over her as she received that reply. She was glad.
Her fingers began to gently tangle themselves in golden locks, playing with tufts of hair, occasionally massaging Claudine’s scalp. She felt the girl sigh and relax against her. Maya liked this. This feeling of comfort.
“So what was the problem?” Maya wanted to understand. She wanted to know what went on while Claudine was away. Why she had stopped contacting them, where she had gone, what she struggled with.
“Maybe it was too much for someone like me to handle. I might have over-estimated myself, Tendou Maya.” Claudine confessed, voice strained. It must have been something hard for her to admit. Maya nuzzled a kiss into her temple, disagreeing with her words.
“You’re Saijou Claudine. The most amazing performer I know. A top star.” She said with conviction.
“You’re the top star. You’re Tendou Maya.” Claudine sighed. “I’m... just a shadow lagging behind you-”
“Now you know that’s not true.” Maya cut her off, slightly angered at the mere implication that Claudine was anything less than her equal, and her partner. “That is not true. You have always been by my side, have you not? You have been the Saijou Claudine well-known for many of her works. The child prodigy, a star since birth!”
“And I was humbled upon meeting you.”
“You’re the one who was offered a full scholarship overseas!”
“I know you rejected it first!”
Maya’s breath caught in throat, words failing.
“I knew that you’d received the offer. When you said no, I didn’t understand. This was the chance of a lifetime. A season for growth. I believed it was. But we didn’t seem to think the same way. I was confused, Tendou Maya.  And so I went. If only to know why. I went and I tried... and then it all became too much.”
Claudine pulled away, allowing them both space to recollect themselves.
“I wanted to know how you could say no to such an offer. A bright future wanted you. And I went as only their second option. It... irked me. And so I wanted to prove that I could be just as good as you. That I could flourish even on my own.” Claudine spoke softly. “But I guess I was wrong. I wasn’t that strong. I became tired, I couldn’t manage all the things thrown my way. I didn’t know who to trust, who to go with, what to do anymore. And so I just... did. Everything.”
“Saijou-san...”
“That actually worked out quite well.” She chuckled, eyes lifeless as she recalled the downward spiral she lived those last few months in Paris. “I received multiple offers for university over there. Fully paid schooling. I gained what many yearned for, things others could only dream of attaining by turning off everything unneeded for the stage... or I thought they were unneeded.” Claudine looked at Maya with a held-back tears. “Then I saw that I was already alone.” Claudine laughed again, as sad as the last. “How odd, right? Haha, well that was that. We should talk about something else. How was senior year on your end?.”
Claudine was trying to wave it all off, smiling at Maya as if she wasn’t anxious and had been heartbroken.
“Tendou Maya?” The girl only stared at Claudine, not answering. “I’m sorry. My story must have been confusing. I would get it if you didn’t understand what I mean.”
But Maya understood. She understood it fully.
She remembered when they first met Yanagi Koharu, a like-minded genius as her. A girl who reflected the lonesomeness one dubbed as a ‘genius’ would experience. Maya remembered her own disregard for camaraderie back then. How she had, at most, only cooperated with others as they were mere stepping stones needed to reach the top. Her views of there being only one possible winner had been her driving force for perfection back then.
That was until Claudine opened her hand to her on the day of that evaluation to enter Seishou.
Then it all began to change for her.
Thanks to Saijou Claudine.
Maya had dedicated much time to repaying that favor. This moment was no exception.
If Claudine had felt alone then, she would never be from now on. Maya would make sure of it.
“Saijou-san-” “Maya-”
“Oh, you go first.” She had wanted to give Claudine some words of encouragement, of reassurance, but she seemed to have more to tell. It made her happy to see that Claudine had chosen to open her heart up so deeply to her. It was an honor that she’d gladly receive. Maya would listen to her, would understand her, and Maya would be there for her; she’d never allow Claudine to say she was ever alone again. “What is it, ma Claudine?”  
Maya had put on a welcoming smile, awaiting whatever else Claudine had for her to hear. However, Claudine seemed to have withdrawn after the interruption, a look of struggle on her features as no words came out of her parted lips.
“…”
“Ma Claudine? Is something the matter?”
“Actually… there’s something else I haven’t told everyone. And why I’m here.” She began, but then halted again, looking to the side.
Another difficult confession? Maya could only wonder. “You don’t have to force yourself to tell me.” She reassured, but kept her ears open just in case.
“But I want to tell you, Maya.” No Tendou. No honorific, just Maya.
And Maya listened.
“I had mentioned it, right? I had received offers to continue going to school there... I might have just went on, to be honest.”
“Yes. I was actually wondering about that. While I’m certainly glad you have returned, wouldn’t your chances have been brighter over there?”
Claudine nodded. “Objectively, I agree.” Maya understood that. “But... um... do you know about my family, Maya?”
“I’ve only heard as much as the others, I suppose, reluctant as I am to admit that.” She smiled weakly.
“Well, I don’t really make such a big deal about it anyway.” Claudine smiled back.
“We do all know that you love your parents dearly and often write home.”
“Yes. That’s true.” Claudine said. “In a sense it is.” She took a deep breath before allowing the next words to slip. “My papa, my father... or well, the man I actually consider as my father... is gone. Has been for a while. So it’s just me and my mom.”
“Claudine...”
Maya didn’t know what to say. She took both of Claudine’s hands in her own, thumbs brushing over her knuckles.
“It’s alright. We’ve already accepted it a long time ago. Maman and I... we miss him, yes. But we’re okay... or... I am, at least...” Claudine huffed, squeezing her eyes shut, a few tears spilling down her cheeks. “I came back because... I don’t know... when my mother will leave me as well...”
And Maya couldn’t take it. “I’m sorry, Ma Claudine.” Maya embraced her tight, whispering teary words onto her brow. “For all you’ve been through… and that I was never able to help you.”
“Idiote... it’s not your fault.” Claudine sunk into the hold, savoring the immediate warmth Maya provided her. They stayed like that a tender while, Maya allowing Claudine to express all her frustrations, grievances, and pain. She cried it all out with her.
“I’m sorry, Ma Claudine... I’m sorry.” She whispered against her hair in peppered kisses that sometimes made the girl cry even more.
“Mechante va... I told you it’s fine.” Claudine held onto Maya tighter, relishing in her comforting presence. “It’s fine...”
“Still... I could have been there for you sooner. I should have just kept reaching out. I should’ve followed you-! I should’ve bought a plane ticket and flew after you- No, I should have demanded another scholarship! Then we’d have been together-”
“Stop right there.” Claudine laughed through some sniffles, cupping Maya’s face with both cheeks and looking into her stunned eyes.  
Claudine really was beautiful, even as she cried.
“I-...” Maya waited, but what had seemed to be a planned retort, was set aside, Claudine simply shaking her head and smiling at Maya.
Really, Maya must look like a fool to her right now.
“An endearing fool, at least.” Claudine laughed some more at Maya’s shock at being read so easily. “A fool so willing to stay by my difficult self... All this time... willing and waiting.” Claudine sighed, touching her forehead to Maya’s.
Maya’s heart beat strong, a silly smile on her lips. Claudine was right. She was there for her. She always will be. And It wasn’t just Maya. She knew Claudine had many more people by her side. Both then and now.
“Maya?”
“Hmm?”
“Merci.”
Maya grinned, nuzzling her nose against Claudine’s.
“Je vous en prie, Ma Claudine.”
//
“Claudine?”
“Hmm?”
Claudine watched Maya purse her lips, hesitating a moment. Did she need something?
“What is it?”
“Earlier... you mentioned something... I was just curious. You don’t have to answer it or anything!” Maya clarified, a little panicked.
Claudine raised their joined hands, bringing the back of Maya’s to her lips in hopes of calming her. It seemed her plan backfired as Maya turned into more of a mess, if anything. It was cute.
“I- uh.. you see... father? You said...”
Claudine blinked. Then she understood.
“You said something about how your papa was the one you... saw as your father? And I didn’t quite... get that.”
Claudine had almost forgotten about that. Well there was nothing wrong with telling Maya about that. She’d learn eventually, right?
“Right. Um... I had said something about returning to my mother right?” Maya nodded. “But that wasn’t the sole reason. I... my papa isn’t quite my real father. My biological parent... was someone else.” Claudine sighed.
“I... see.” Maya seemed to be thinking hard about it.
“I received news about my mother and had wanted to find work here in Japan... and if I could, apply for a scholarship to keep studying, if possible. But then a letter came, saying that Maman was in the hospital, bills paid, and I was already enrolled in this school. Where all of you were. It was almost miraculous. A dream come true.”
Claudine prodded the crease that had formed on Maya’s forehead, giggling at how adorable she was being.
“Apparently it was, in a sense, a bribe. For me, and for a court that had held a trial against my ‘father’. I was angry, of course. I felt ashamed to be related to such a person, but... it was too good a deal to pass up.”
Claudine felt Maya squeeze her hand, concern written all over her face.
“And that’s it. How I ended up back here.” She smiled. “Thank you, Maya. For listening to all of that.” Claudine leaned forward to place a kiss on her cheek, enjoying the bright red glow of a rarely-seen, shy Tendou Maya.
“O-o-o-of course! A-anytime! You can talk to me anytime, Ma Claudine.” She stuttered out, her free hand touching the spot where Claudine’s lips had been.
Claudine felt her heart skip at the gesture. She already knew that Maya had realized it earlier as she had too;  and that there was something else they needed to talk about. However, she believed they could save that conversation for another day. Preferably, under better circumstances.
“Anyway.” Claudine caught Maya’s attention again, standing up to get ready to leave for the day. “It’s not all that bad.” She then remembered another important detail that she needed to fill Maya in on. “Actually, something good came out of it.”
“Oh? And what is that?” Maya smiled, taking Claudine’s offered hand as the girl helped her up.
“You see-”
“Claudine? Are you here- Oh, there you are!”
A voice cut in to their conversation, the attention of the pair redirected to the new arrival walking her way towards them.
“Thank goodness. I was just looking for you so we could pick up Diana since her classroom is the farthest from- oh.” The white-haired woman halted in her steps, at first only seeing Claudine, late in noticing that she wasn’t alone. “Am I… interrupting something?”
‘Such impeccable timing.’
Claudine didn’t respond to her, instead, she gestured with an open hand to Weiss in hopes this would help Maya process what she was about to say. She should really express her thanks to Weiss later for her amazing assistance. After all, show rather than tell because seeing is believing.
“Tendou Maya.”
The girl perked up, curiosity in her eyes, and some hints of confusion as well.
“It appears as though, as of recent…” Claudine awkwardly chanced a look back and forth between them. “...I’ve acquired myself a pair of sisters.”
“Oh.”
A/N: Future (?) Love-interests, Get! Also I will be exposing how Diana’s parents met in the future so calm your horses. Again, sorry this was super late. I promised it 2 weeks months ago but got slammed into a wall of life. Thank you for reading and for the support!
~Shintori Khazumi
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