#my imagine

[maybankiara]

BONFIRE

rafe cameron x reader summary: her restraint falls apart when rafe pulls her close during a bonfire. a/n: the only rafe fluff i’ll probably ever do. masterlist | tag list

sarah cameron’s brother is off limits. she watches him from afar, admiring the angle of his cheekbones, the sharpness of his mouth -- and his tongue. he’s her best friend’s brother, too, and she knows fair well that she’s off limits. he should be off limits.

she should know.

but she finds herself next to him, anyway, and there’s a bottle of beer in her hands. the bonfire warms them enough, but rafe still pulls her closer, his palm spread wide at her side. 

topper says nothing and neither does kelce, but she bites her lip to stop from smiling.

the one night sarah isn’t here. the one night she’s away with john b. 

that’s when the resistance slips and the orange-red light of the fire dances on rafe’s cheeks. there’s beer passing between them, and joints, and she’s laughing like never before. she leans into him, just a little bit.

just a little.

it means nothing.

rafe’s hand is now around her shoulders, and soon enough kelce and topper are away to get more drinks, and rafe’s hand is cupping the back of her shorts.

‘we can’t do this,’ she whispers.

rafe kisses her on the corner of her lips, teasing. ‘says who?’

‘sarah.’

‘sarah doesn’t care,’ he says, and kisses her on the other corner. ‘you’re your own person.’

she is, and maybe it’s the alcohol or the lighting or just rafe, but her hands grasp his face and she’s kissing him like he’s air to a drowning man. he reciprocates, and his hands are the only thing holding her together. 

kelce and topper come back, carrying two six-packs, and rafe’s hand never leaves the exposed skin on her side, thumb reaching just underneath her top. it feels like something. it feels like she should tell sarah, or hide it, or leave it for another day. 

she leans into rafe. she doesn’t know where this leads---if anywhere---but she feels excitement bubbling in the bottom of her stomach. so when, at the end of the night, he says ‘you’re coming home with me,’ she finds herself willing to go.

wherever he’ll take her.

#rafe cameron #rafe cameron fanfiction #rafe cameron imagine #rafe cameron x reader #obx #outer banks #obx fanfiction #my imagine #my fic #f: obx #c: rafe

[justsomewritingblog]

The Hero's Mission

Request:  None

Requested By:  Nobody

Prompt: “You're the hero, huh? I guess that makes me the villain."

Pairing:  Tom Riddle x Gryffindor!OC/reader

Summary:  The death of The Boy Who Lived requires the need of the Time Turner to change Tom Riddle for the better, saving dozens in the process. A Gryffindor has a different plan in mind, however.

Warnings:  mentions of death and murder

A/N:  Sorry for the wordcount. Not sorry for the Tom Riddle.

Word Count:  13K+

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He really did it.

Voldemort killed Harry Potter.

The world seemed to have screeched to a halt, everyone staring in disbelief at the dead boy.

The Dark Lord cackled.  “I’ve done it!  I killed The Boy Who Lived!”

Red flooded my vision.  I pulled out my wand, marching forward.  Just as I raised it to cast a spell, my arm was grabbed and I was dragged back into the castle.  I fought against it, turning to point my wand at whoever had a hold of me.

My eyes widened and I stopped.  “Professor McGonagall,” I breathed out quietly.

“Albus only wanted this used if absolutely necessary, but I believe this is the only way,” she said, letting go of me and reaching into her robe.

I blinked at her in confusion.  “Professor?”

She pulled out a chain, a tiny sand-timer dangling from the bottom.  Looping it around my neck, she looked me in the eyes.  “This is a Time Turner, allowing you to travel back in time.  You’ll need to return to the year 1945,” she told me.  “There is a young man there by the name of Tom Riddle.”  She looked back to where the battle had taken place, the sound increasing.  “He will become Lord Voldemort.”  Her gaze turned back to me, holding a shine of sternness, as well as concern.  “You need to go back and change him for the better.  It will save many lives.”

“Professor, I can’t-”

“You must, Miss King.  There are no other options.”

“But why me, Professor?”

She regarded me for a few moments.  “You will know, dear.”  Her eyes dropped to the time turner.  “The protection charm around that has been taken off, allowing you to go back more than five hours.  Take it and turn it backwards fifty times.  That should take you back to the right year.”

The noise got louder.

The Headmistress turned to me.  “Hurry, dear.”

I nodded, grabbing the time turner.  I began to spin it, counting up to fifty.  Once done, I looked up, staring at the castle wall in front of me.

It was similar to the wall I had been in front of before, though this wall was intact and clearly newer.  It possessed less scratches and burn marks.

Students walked past me and I quickly realized I stood out like a sore thumb.

Muttering a quiet “multicorfors” I waved my wand over my garments, making them look appropriate to the time period.  I stuffed my wand back in my robe, looking around.

Where to start?

A group of students walked by me.

I quietly slipped into step a few paces behind them, looking around casually in an attempt to not seem like I was obviously following them.

They unknowingly led me into the Great Hall, sitting down at their tables.

I stopped in the doorway, looking around for the Gryffindor table.  Spotting students wearing red ties, I strode over, trying not to seem suspicious.  Sitting down, my gaze raked over the room.

The Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables were behind me, the Slytherin table in front.

I scanned the Slytherin table for anyone that looked suspicious or evil.

Finding nothing out of the ordinary, I frowned, about to pause my search to eat, when my eyes landed on a boy seated amongst the Slytherins.

He was sitting up straight, talking with the people around him.  He had a lean figure, dark hair that fell over his forehead on one side and features that looked- at least from where I was sitting- like the perfect blend of soft and hard.

I stared at the boy for a few moments, completely sucked into his demeanor and appearance.

He was talking to the people around him, looking at one of his housemates.  His expression shifted slightly and he lifted his eyes, his focus landing almost instantly on me.

“-looking at?”

I whipped my head to the side to face the girl sitting next to me, grateful for the interruption.  My cheeks coloured slightly, no matter how much I tried to fight it.  “Me?  Nothing, I was just-” my eyes, quite without me telling them to, drifted back to the Slytherin table for only a fraction of a second.

They didn’t even have enough time to focus on anything.

“I have an idea…” one of the girls, sitting across from the other, said.  She smirked as she stabbed something with her fork.

“What?”  I recoiled.  “I was just getting used to my surroundings,” I said.

It was technically half true.

“I thought I didn’t recognize you,” the other girl said.  “Are you new to Hogwarts?”

I paused.  “Yeah.”

“What year are you,” she questioned.

“Seventh year.”

“It is a bit unusual for someone to join Hogwarts so late in their schooling,” the other said.

I cleared my throat.  “Well, I was transferred from a different school…..” I trailed off before quickly introducing myself.

“Nice to meet you, King.  My name is Margaret,” the girl sitting diagonally from me spoke.  She nodded her head to the girl sitting next to me.  “This is Joan.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” Joan greeted.

I nodded.  “The pleasure is mine.”

“Class will be starting soon…” Margaret informed.  “Do you have your books?”

I faltered.  “Uh…no, I-I don’t.”

“You can borrow ours,” Joan assured.  She nodded her head at the brunette across from her.  “Margaret and I always sit next to each other.  You could sit with one of us, if you wish.”

My eyebrows furrowed.  “How many students can sit at a desk?”

“Two.”

I turned my head to Margaret.

She went on.  “You can sit with Joan.  I will find another seat.”

“Oh!  No- I can’t.”  I lifted my hands.  “I would hate to split you two up.”  I shifted my gaze between them.  “Is there an empty desk behind you?”

“There is.”

“Then I’ll sit there.”  I shrugged.  “No worries.”

They gave me confused looks.

I frowned.  “What’s wrong?”

“You…” Margaret trailed off.

“You say things in a most unusual way, King,” Joan said.

I pursed my lips.

Oh yeah.

“I… apologize,” I said, though it sounded more like a question.

They smiled.

“Come.  Let’s head to class.”

I followed their lead, standing with them.

A lot of other students were rising to their feet as well, presumably also heading to their classes.

My gaze drifted once again to the Slytherin table, seeing the boy already standing, scanning the crowd.

His eyes met mine again.

I quickly snapped my head back towards my classmates, wincing slightly at the pain my neck had received for it.  Following their lead, I stubbornly kept my gaze intentional, only allowing it to drift to the halls of the school, so familiar and yet so strange.

“Our first class is Potions,” Margaret informed.

I grimaced behind her back, quickly wiping the expression away when Joan turned around to face me.

“It is taught by Professor Slughorn,” she added.

I nodded, taking in the information.

The girls pushed the door open, stepping through.

“We usually sit here,” Margaret informed, gesturing at a desk in the middle of the room.  She turned to me.  “Are you certain you would not prefer to sit with one of us?”

I nodded.  “Positive.  I’ll just sit behind you.”

“Here.”  Joan reached into her bag, pulling out a book and handing it to me.  “Use this.  Margaret and I will share.”

I accepted the thick book, making a mental note of the fact that Potions textbooks seemed to stay about the same size, even decades apart.  “Thank you.”  Sitting down behind them, I placed the book on the desk before leaning forward.  “What page are we on?”

“Three-hundred forty seven,” Margaret whispered back.

I thanked her, turning to the correct page, guessing that the book was probably close to seven hundred pages.  Looking up, I noted that this class period was shared with the Slytherin house.

Once everyone was seated, Slughorn started speaking.

“We are picking up from where we left off last time.”  His gaze raked across the classroom.  “Chapter-” he paused, his eyes landing on me.  A confused expression formed on his face.

I did my best to keep sitting tall, my leg bouncing anxiously.

“Do we have a new student?”

All eyes in the classroom turned to face me.

I held my head high, determined to not cower under the weight.  I kept my eyes locked onto the man at the front of the class.  “Yes, Professor.”

He hummed.  “Curious.  I was not informed we would be getting a new student.”

“A mere mistake I’m sure, Professor.”

“Most likely.  What is your name, then?”

I introduced myself, eyes unintentionally shifting downwards slightly towards the dark haired boy seated at the front of the class.

He, like everyone else, was already looking at me.

I quickly raised my eyes to Professor Slughorn again.

“-sit with Miss King for her first lesson?  In case she needs any help?”

The boy turned to his teacher.  “Of course, Professor.”

With abject horror, I watched as the boy collected his things, walked towards the back of the classroom, and sat next to me.

I looked back to the front of the class.  “Professor, this really isn’t necessary-”

“The Head Boy will willingly assist you if needed, Miss King,” Slughorn said.  “If you get along well on your own, should he so choose, he may return to his own seat.”

I held in a sigh.  “Yes, Professor.”

“Good.”  He turned his back to the class to look at the chalkboard behind him.  “As we were talking about in the last class…”

I ran a hand through my hair, reaching for my quill to start to take notes.  My hand closed around nothing and I lifted my eyes to look at where my quill was supposed to be, only to get a foul reminder.

I wasn’t where- or rather when- I was supposed to be.

I had no supplies.

Deciding I would rather try to memorize what Slughorn was saying instead of asking the boy next to me for anything, I folded my right arm on the desk in front of me, staring towards the front of the class.

“You might want these, Miss King.”

I turned to the soft noise on my right.

Merlin, even his voice was lovely.

At closer proximity, I could better make out his features, greedily noting that everything- his eyebrows, lips, nose- were perfect.

His dark green eyes were staring down at me, shifting between my own.

Before I stared too long I- with some effort- pulled my gaze away from him to look at the parchment and quill he had slid towards me.

My eyes widened slightly.

“It seems, Miss King…” he trailed off and I could hear the smirk in his voice, “it was good luck that I was sent to sit next to you.”

I lifted my head to look at him.

He was, indeed, smirking.  His green eyes shone with kindness and just a hint of mischief.

“Thank you,” I said, grasping the quill and beginning to write as I tried to focus on what Slughorn was saying.

Merlin, that didn’t stop my leg from bouncing, though.

~~~~~~~~~

Class ended and I stood, handing the quill back to the Head Boy.

He looked up at me, still sitting, his gaze dropping to the object.

“Thank you for allowing me to use your quill,” I said, holding my notes at my side.

The boy lifted his gaze to meet my eyes.  “You may keep it,” he said as he stood, forcing me to now look up at his tall frame in order to meet his eyes.  He slung his bag around his shoulder.  “I have more.”

I nodded once.  “Thank you.”

The corner of his mouth pulled upwards.  “You are welcome, Miss King.”

“Come on, King,” Joan said, grabbing my arm.  “Our next class is this way.”

I gave one last look at the Head Boy, nodding my head again to signal a ‘farewell’ and a ‘thank you’ before allowing myself to be led out of the classroom.

~~~~~~~~~~

“This is Transfiguration, taught by Professor Dumbledore.”

I faltered in my steps, stopping in the hallway.

Professor Dumbledore.

It had been so long-

“...you alright, King?”

I blinked back into reality, looking over at Margaret and Joan’s concerned faces.  “Uh, sorry.”  I offered them a crooked grin.  “Go on; what were you saying?”

They talked, but I didn’t listen.  As we strode into Transfiguration class, my eyes instantly made their way to the front of the room.

A man was sitting behind a desk.  He had long white hair and a very welcome face.

“Professor Dumbledore,” I breathed out, relieved to see someone familiar.

To see the man that had been killed.

“Yes, that’s him,” Joan said.

“Here is the book for this class.”  Margaret handed me a textbook, which I accepted, though not really paying attention.

“Thanks,” I managed to get out before sitting in the only open seat; next to a Ravenclaw.  My eyes stayed locked onto the Professor as he began teaching.

~~~~~~~~~~

“And this is the Common Room,” Margaret said, leading me through the portrait of the Fat Lady.

I smiled slightly at the familiar face before being pulled in.

The room, though possessing some similarities to the Common Room in my own time, had notable differences.

The arrangements of the furniture were different, the furniture having a far older style than what I was used to.

“It’s very nice,” I said, observing the room.

“Our rooms are up these stairs,” Joan said, gesturing.  “Do not attempt to go up the stairs to the boys’ dormitories.  They are charmed.”

I nodded.  “It was the same way at…” I paused, “my other school.”

Margaret turned to face me.  “Where were you before you transferred?”

“Uhh…it was very similar to this, but it was a small school,” I bluffed.  “You probably wouldn’t have even heard of it.”

They nodded, satisfied.

I let out a small breath of relief as they began to move around the room, introducing me to my other housemates.  I greeted them all, smiling.

“Follow us,” Joan said, walking towards the stairs.  “We will see if we can find your room.”

“Did Headmaster Dippet say which dormitory was yours,” Margaret asked.

I froze, eyes wide.  “No…no, he didn’t.”

“Oh dear.  This may be a problem.”

“I can go ask him,” I said, realizing that I had yet to officially announce my…transference, anyway.

“We will go with you.”

“No!”  I shot my hand out before quickly retracting it and lowering my voice.  “No, it’s okay.  It’s getting late, and I don’t want you out past curfew.”

“But do you know the way,” Margaret questioned.

Assuming Dippet’s office was in the same location Dumbledore’s was, I nodded.  “I’m sure I’ll find it.”  I began backing up towards the door.  “If I’m not back before you girls go to bed, have a goodnight!”

“You as well,” they said, waving.

I turned, exiting the Common Room.

Alright.  Time to find Dippet’s office.

I began walking through the castle, making mental notes of the differences and similarities between this Hogwarts and mine.  As the duration of my walk lengthened, I began to wonder why I was even doing this.

I didn’t need to sign in to Hogwarts.  I didn’t need to take notes in class.  And I certainly didn’t need to start forming attachments to young men.

I didn’t have time to be distracted, no matter how gorgeous that distraction happened to be.

I had one job to do.

I had to find Tom Riddle.

I had to kill him.

“Miss King.”

I jumped at the sound of the voice, whipping around.  I couldn’t make out who was approaching me, since the castle was getting dark as evening came upon it.  Pulling out my wand, I held it out in front of me.  “Lumos.”

A light shone at the end of my wand, illuminating the boy that stopped in front of me.

My eyes widened.  “Merlin,” I breathed out.

It would be him.

The Head Boy raised an eyebrow, cocking his head.  “Curfew has begun, Miss King.  I do not wish to take points away from you on your first day, but-”

“I’m sorry,” I interrupted.

He closed his mouth, looking over at me.

I could see a flicker of surprise, and possibly annoyance, in his eyes at being cut off.  “I was just on my way to see Headmaster Dippet,” I explained.

The Head Boy’s expression shifted, becoming more curious.  “Oh?”

“I realized he never told me which dorm was mine,” I said.

The boy didn’t need to know that I hadn’t actually been accepted into Hogwarts yet.

That would have been very suspicious.

“I see.”

A beat of silence passed between us.

“Then let me escort you.  If any other Prefects find you alone, you likely will lose points.”

I nodded.  “Thank you.”

The Head Boy pulled out his wand and flicked his wrist slightly, a light appearing on the end of it.

My eyes widened.  I hadn’t heard him cast ‘lumos’.

The boy gestured and began walking.

I fell into place beside him, increasing the speed of my steps to keep up with his longer strides.

We walked in silence for a few minutes before the boy broke it.

“Why have you transferred to Hogwarts so late in your wizarding career,” he questioned.

“I have a job to do,” I replied without thinking.  My eyes widened as soon as the words were out of my mouth.

He turned to look down at me, regarding me curiously.  “What is the nature of your job?”

I floundered for a realistic response.  “My parents just thought that the school I was previously at wasn’t preparing me well enough for a career.”

“A career?”  The boy was silent for a moment.  “Most witches your age hope for marriage out of school.  There are few who wish to work.”

“Well…” I pursed my lips.  “I guess I’m one of the few.”

The boy hummed.  “We’re here,” he said.  He turned to look at the gargoyle.  “Strawberries.”

The gargoyle spun, revealing the staircase.

I looked over at the Slytherin.  “Thank you.”

“I’ll wait until you’re done.”

“That’s really not necessary-”

He smirked.  “So you keep saying.  But as I said, if you want to avoid losing points, I will need to accompany you.”

I looked at him for a few moments before nodding, heading up the stairs.  Once at the top I looked around, noting that the office was very similar to Dumbledore’s.  “Headmaster Dippet,” I called out.

A man with long white hair and a short white beard and mustache emerged from behind a pile of books.  His eyebrows furrowed.  “Yes?”

“My name is King, sir,” I said.  “I was transferred to Hogwarts today.”

The Headmaster sat down at his desk.  “It is very late in the day to be transferring, Miss King.”

I swallowed nervously.  “It was a late decision, sir.”

He raised an eyebrow.  “Very well.”  Pulling out a quill and parchment, he asked “what are your parents’ names, dear?”

I froze, trying to remember the names of my great grandparents.  “Edward and Dorothy King, sir.”

He nodded, writing the names down.  “What school did you transfer from?”

I listed the first school that came to mind.  “Beauxbatons, sir.”

He nodded again, writing some more.  “That’s a good school.  Why did you transfer?”

I fisted my robe sleeves as my leg began to bounce.  “My parents thought I would be more suited here.”

He looked up at me, saying nothing.

I pursed my lips.  “Professor?”

Reaching into his desk, he pulled out more papers.  “I see you have already been sorted into Gryffindor…”

“Professor Dumbledore, sir,” I said.  “He saw me earlier…”

The headmaster hummed.  “He made no mention of it to me.”

“Probably just an oversight, sir,” I said quickly, beginning to sweat.

Merlin, who knew trying not to be caught in time travel would be so difficult?

“Probably.  Very well, Miss King.”  He reached over his desk, handing me a piece of paper.  “This is your dormitory room.”  He stepped around the desk, leading me back down the stairs.  “I will show you to the Common Room-”

“There’s no need for that, Headmaster.”

We both turned to the voice, seeing the Head Boy standing right where I had left him: in the middle of the hallway.

“I already volunteered to take Miss King back.”

“Ah, Mister Riddle,” Dippet said, clearly pleased.  “Excellent.”

My eyes widened and I nearly choked on my own saliva.  All the blood drained from my face and my heart began to beat erratically in my chest.

Dippet placed his hand on my back and shoved me gently towards the tall boy.

I simply stared up at him, at a complete loss for words.

There was no way-

“Hurry along, Mister Riddle,” Dippet encouraged.  “I’m sure Miss King would like to go to bed at a reasonable hour,” he said, smiling before turning back towards his office.

“Goodnight, Headmaster,” the boy- Riddle- said.

“Goodnight, children.”

Once the gargoyle closed, the boy looked down to meet my gaze.

I didn’t think I had moved in the last two minutes.

Let alone breathed.

“Are you ready, Miss King?”

I finally blinked.  “Riddle?”

He stared at me, his eyebrows furrowing slightly.  “Yes.”

I opened my mouth again, my voice wavering.  “Tom Riddle?”

His eyebrows furrowed further.  “Yes.”  He looked at me curiously.  “Why?”

“I…” I trailed off.

What was there to say?

The silence stretched on and he narrowed his eyes at me.

I blinked at him.

His eyes widened and he leaned back slightly, standing up taller than he had been before.  “You’re the hero, huh?  I guess that makes me the villain.”  He lowered his head, stepping further into my space.

I took an instinctive step backwards.  “You should already know you’re the villain,” I muttered, amazed that I was able to speak, let alone say something so bold in my current state.

“You’ve come to kill me,” he whispered.  “Tell me…where…exactly…are you from?”

I took another step back.

“If you don’t tell me, I can still get the information,” he insisted darkly.

“Stay out of my head,” I warned, with more strength than I felt.

“Everything alright here?”

Tom and I turned towards the voice, seeing two Prefects standing in the hallway.

Tom turned his body mostly towards them, moving away from my space and returning to his full height.  “I was escorting Miss King back to her Common Room.  She just got her dormitory direction from Headmaster Dippet,” he explained casually.

My eyes widened in horror at the speed in which he effortlessly swapped personalities.

“Very well,” one of the Prefects said.

“Enjoy your trip,” the other said with a wave as they walked away to continue their routes.

When they were out of sight I broke into a full sprint down the hallway.

I had no plan.  My body was moving purely on instinct.

Where could I go that would be safe?

I didn’t have time to think.

He could easily catch up.

Running through the halls, I turned a corner and was promptly whipped backwards.  I fell into a chest, trying to rip my arm free of the hand that held it.

Tom’s long fingers and firm hold were making it difficult to break his grip.

“Let go of me!”

Tom lowered his head.  “Be quiet.”

“No!”  I went to reach for my wand, but Tom’s other hand shot forward, fingers wrapping around my wrist and keeping both of my arms in his hold.  I struggled against him, but it was no use.

“Why are you here to kill me,” Tom demanded.

I continued pulling against him.

“Answer me, witch!”  His eyes flashed red, his face contorting into one of anger.

I froze, chest heaving as I tried to catch my breath.  My wrists hurt and my body was tired from fighting against his hold.  “Because you’re a monster,” I spat.  “Because in my time you’ve killed countless people,” I panted, glaring up at him.  “Because I have to stop you.”

Tom said nothing for several moments, studying me closely.

I defiantly met his eyes, knowing he could use Legilimency if he wished.  He already knew half of it, anyway.

“Am I the most powerful wizard in your time?”

I glared.  “No.”

“Who is,” he demanded, his hold on my wrists tightening.

I lifted my chin, looking at him proudly.  “Dumbledore.”

Rage flashed across Tom’s face.  “Impossible.”

“It isn’t.”  I stared at him, unwavering, even though I felt like my heart was being squeezed.  “You’re going to lose…Voldemort.”

He stared at me, his chest rising and falling harder and faster than it had been.

Then he smirked, an aura of confidence washing over him.

“If I am truly going to lose, why did you come back in time to stop me?”

“To try to reduce the number of deaths,” I half-bluffed.  “Just because you get defeated in my time doesn’t mean we should let you get away with all those murders.”  I glared at him.  “I know I’m too late to prevent the deaths of Myrtle, some of the other students around here, and even others, but what I can try to stop, I will.”

“So you’ve come to kill me.”  Tom raised an eyebrow.  “Did you really think you would be able to?”

“That wasn’t my mission.”  My eyes narrowed at him.  “It was just the one I chose.”  Reeling my leg back, I swung it forward, kicking him in the shin.

He doubled over.

I kneed him in the nose.

He let out a yell as blood began to run down to his chin, his hands loosening enough in surprise that I managed to wiggle one of mine free.

Grabbing my wand as fast as possible, I aimed it at him.  “Stupefy!”

He shot backwards, back colliding with the castle wall before he hit the ground.

Walking over and rolling him onto his back, I held my wand at his throat.  I looked at him, his unconscious body laying on the floor.

Kill him.  Do it.

My grip on my wand tightened.  Foolishly, my eyes raked across his softened features.

Even as blood trickled from his nose, I couldn’t help but think the annoying thought that he was breathtaking.

The two sides of my brain fought each other.

Now’s your chance!  It would be such a pity to destroy something so beautiful.  Avenge all he’s done!

I ground my teeth together, hand shaking as I pointed my wand at him.

Save the world!  Save your friends!

Don’t destroy him!  Do what you were told to do!

End it!

Do the right thing!

Ending him is the right thing!  Stop him from causing harm to others!

Murder is never right!  Change him to become a better person!

You can’t change him!  He’s too far gone!

You don’t know that!

I let out a yell, jerking my arm towards the wall alongside Riddle.

A flash of light emerged from my wand and struck the stone.

Parts of it crumbled, falling alongside the unconscious boy.

I stared down at him for a few moments, heaving breaths.

I had to go.

He could wake up at any moment.

Giving him one final glance I ran towards the Common Room and didn’t look back.

Announcing the password I rushed in, sprinting up to my dorm.  Opening the door as quietly as I could, I sped in, hurrying onto my bed.  I sat on it, hugging my knees to my chest as I stared at the door.

I couldn’t afford to sleep.

He might come for me.

~~~~~~~~

I shakily made my way to breakfast the next morning, creeping around every corner to make sure Tom wasn’t there.  I sat down at the Gryffindor table, only a few students in the Great Hall this early.  Having had no sleep, I decided I would at least get something to eat and try to work through my thoughts.

Now that I hadn’t killed Riddle, what was my next plan?

Should I try again to kill him?  He would definitely be watching me, now.  He knew that I knew.

Should I try to convert him?  Easier said than done.  He’s already committed crimes, and I already attacked him.

Merlin, what did I get myself into?  Why didn’t I just kill him when I had the chance?

No, I scolded myself.  You did the right thing.

Even if it was for selfish, and admittedly, stupid reasons.

Alright.  Tom Riddle was alive.  I allowed Voldemort to live.

I could only hope I wouldn’t come to regret it.

In my time, the situation couldn’t get much worse anyway, so what the heck?  Might as well see where this takes me.

I pushed the eggs on my plate around with my fork, being hungry and yet not possessing an appetite.

“Miss King.”

My head shot up, gaze locking onto a pair of green eyes.

“Riddle,” I greeted coldly, my throat tight.  “How’s your nose?”

He glared as he sat down across from me.  Ignoring my question, a smirk formed on his face as his gaze scanned me.  “Did you sleep in your uniform, King?”

I frowned, mentally cursing myself for forgetting to cast a glamor charm.  My clothes were quite wrinkled.  “I didn’t sleep, actually.”

“Is that so?”  A crooked grin formed on his face.  “And why is that?”

I lifted my gaze to meet his eyes.  “You’ve killed for less.”  I left it at that, knowing he understood the subtext.

He hummed.

I raised an eyebrow.  “Why are you here?”

“For information.”

I let go of my fork, letting it clatter slightly as it connected with my plate, and crossed my arms.  “About what?”

“My future.”  He inclined his head towards me slightly.  “You.”

“There’s not much to tell.”

“Oh, I think there is.”  He leaned forward, lowering his voice.  “If you came to kill me, why did you not do so last night?  I was unconscious…” he trailed off, sitting more upright.  “You had the opportunity.”

I regarded him silently.

What was the best way to respond?

I was never very good at figuring out what to say in delicate matters like this.

It was made even worse by the fact that what I said could drastically impact the lives of countless people, myself included.

“I couldn’t,” I finally said.

Tom raised an inquisitive eyebrow and sat up even straighter.

He clearly had not been expecting that.

“And why not?”

I looked towards the doors of the Great Hall to avoid him using Legilimency on me again.

I did not want him using anything to his advantage.

“I somehow managed to convince myself that you were capable of saving.”  I allowed myself to look back at him.  “That you were worth saving.”

He stared at me silently, keeping his expression very guarded.

“You’re a very bright wizard, Tom,” I said.  “Powerful, too.  In the right place, you could do great things.”

“I will do great things,” he insisted.

“You will do impressive things,” I corrected.  “But they will be evil.”  I sat up straighter.  “For your own selfish end.”

His eyes briefly flashed red and I saw his face twitch as he tried to control his expression.  “It’s natural for me to look out for my own interest,” he said, voice slightly tense.

“At the cost of everyone else?”  I rolled my eyes.  “How typically Slytherin.”

His eyes narrowed.  “And I suppose it’s very Gryffindor to run headfirst into something without actually planning it out.”  He scoffed.  “Is it also a Gryffindor trait to retreat out of their task so foolishly when their opponent was helpless before them?”

I felt my anger boiling up.  “I spared your life!”  I whisper-yelled, conscious enough of the few other students in the room.  “The noble thing to do.”

“Because you are so focused on being noble, aren’t you?”

“I don’t send giant snakes to do my killing for me, you miserable boy,” I hissed.

“They weren’t worth my time.”

I slammed my hands on the table, pushing myself to my feet in a hurry as I glared daggers down at him.  “I should have done the job!”

Riddle stood as well, towering over me as he snarled back.  “If you had any brains, you would have!”

The room fell completely silent.

My chest took in air at an irregular rate, and I noticed Riddle’s breathing was also unusual.

We refused to look away from each other.

“Your ‘perfect boy’ image is slipping, Riddle,” I whispered, raising my eyebrow challengingly.  “Tread lightly.”

“I was about to give you the same warning.”  His eyes narrowed and he leaned closer.  “You do not want to make an enemy of me, King.”

I met his eyes, a determination and fury flowing through me.  “You were my enemy before I got here.”

Tom’s jaw clenched.  

The doors to the Great Hall opened, students beginning to flood in.

Riddle cast me one last glance before turning and making his way over to the Slytherin table.

I let out a relieved breath, plopping back down on the bench.  I watched Tom as he sat down, being joined by his housemates.

They all talked animatedly around him, but Tom seemed…distracted.

“Hello, King.”

I turned, seeing Margaret and Joan.  “Good morning.”  The words sounded tense, bordering on rude, to my own ears.

Margaret followed my previous line of sight.  “Looking at the Head Boy again?”  A teasing smile formed on her face.

I crossed my arms, scowling.  “I resent that.”

“Hopefully she’s studying the enemy.”  Joan turned to me.  “You had better be coming up with ways to win the House Cup this year,” she remarked.  “Slytherin’s won the past several years because of that boy,” she said, nodding towards Tom.  “Everyone loves him.”

I looked back over towards the dark haired boy.  “How... lovely,” I sneered.

The girls shared a look.

“Did you manage to find your dormitory alright,” Margaret asked.  “We never saw you.”

The blood began draining from my face as the memories from last night came back.  “Yeah.  It’s not with you two, though.  By the time I got back from Headmaster Dippet’s office, everyone was already in bed, and I got up early.”

At the sound of a few claps I turned my head to the right to see the Headmaster trying to get everyone’s attention.

I thanked Merlin for the distraction.

“Good morning, students,” he greeted.  “Normally I don’t want to interrupt your breakfast, but I believe some point adjustments need to be made.”

My eyebrows furrowed.

“Last night one of the Prefects found Tom Riddle with some injuries,” he began.

All of the color drained from my face and my blood ran cold.

“Our Head Boy was walking back our newest student,” he gestured at me, announcing my name.

I felt faint as all eyes turned to me.

“Riddle has brought it to my attention that when he was walking Miss King back to her Common Room, a troll attacked them, injuring Tom and breaking the wall.”

I was certain the astonishment on my face was evident.  Eyes wide and eyebrows to my hairline, I stared at the Headmaster in bewilderment.

“The Head Boy is certain that Miss King chased the troll out of the school while he was indisposed, saving everyone.”  Dippet smiled.  “For her bravery on her first evening at Hogwarts, saving the Head Boy and the rest of the school, I award Miss King with fifty points.”  He began clapping, everyone else following his lead.

I whipped my head around to look at Riddle, the only one besides myself not clapping, meeting his eyes in confusion.

“I needed to give them some reason for my state you so rudely put me in,” a voice in my head said.

The voice was proper, smooth, yet stern, and so clearly Riddle’s.

I ignored the clapping, keeping my focus on the Slytherin.  Why didn’t you tell them the truth?

“If I had told them the truth, I would have had to tell them why you attacked me, wouldn’t I?  I could have lied, saying you simply lost your temper or felt that I threatened you, but questions about me would arise, wondering what I would have done to warrant such a response from you.”  Tom sat up straighter in his seat, arching an eyebrow as he kept his eyes locked onto mine.  “You pose no threat to me.  You can’t tell anyone what you know without sounding like a deranged lunatic, especially after being here for only a day.”

I struggled to think of an appropriate response.

A hand on my back and a voice right by my ear had my head turning to my left, seeing Joan and Margaret smiling at me.

The connection between Riddle was broken, a sharp twinge in my head causing me to wince slightly.

“Why did you not tell us?”  Margaret asked excitedly.

“I…” I trailed off.  Looking down at my plate I hesitantly lifted a forkful of eggs into my mouth to buy me some time while I thought.  I forced down a gag at the unwanted food.  “I didn’t think it was important information,” I offered weakly with a shrug.

“It’s most definitely important,” Margaret insisted.  “You saved the Head Boy.”

I grimaced at the thought, looking back down at my plate.

“The entire school,” Joan corrected, eyeing her friend.

Margaret looked over to the dark haired girl.  “Well, obviously, but the Head Boy was more immediate.”

I lifted my gaze, keeping my head down, to look at the Slytherin table.

Tom was staring in silence at his own plate.  Unlike my shuffling of the food on mine, he simply looked down at his, his arms crossed and resting on the table.

What was he thinking about?

Was he thinking of killing me?  Would he decide to kill Dumbledore, since I told him that he was the most powerful wizard in my time?  Was he plotting a murder of someone else?  Was he actually thinking of changing?

I put my elbow on the table, holding my forehead in my hand.

Merlin, this was too much.

“Are you well, King?”

I turned to the girls.  “Just a headache,” I excused.

Technically, one was beginning to form at the number of questions and stress of it all.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Margaret said.

“Hopefully it goes away soon,” Joan remarked.  “Potions will be starting in only a little while.”

I groaned.  Here I was, supposed to save the Wizarding World, needing to attend class.

As if I needed more problems in my life right now.

Rubbing my forehead, I sat back up and ate a little more.

Did I want it?  No.

Was I going to regret not eating?  Yes.

Managing to get through half of my breakfast, I stood with everyone, making our way to Potions.  As I took my seat, accepting Joan’s book, I made a mental note to buy some textbooks since, apparently, I would be here for a while.  Flipping to the page we left on last time, I went to pull out some paper to take notes on, but paused.

I mentally added parchment to my shopping list.

The noise in the room got louder as more students filed in, taking their seats.

At the sense of someone sitting beside me, I turned, eyes widening at the figure there.

Oh, yeah.

I had been so concerned about avoiding Tom Riddle’s possibly murderous intentions I had forgotten that he sat next to me in Potions.

Though, I did recall that he didn’t have to.

“Miss King,” he greeted, passing me more parchment as he kept his eyes toward the front of the class.  His gaze remained there, even as he asked “do you still have the quill I gave you?”  He finally turned to look at me.

I nodded.

He turned his attention to Professor Slughorn as the man began writing on the board.

My eyebrows furrowed.  I leaned towards him slightly.  “What are you doing?”

He glanced at me.  “Preparing for class.”

I rolled my eyes.  “I meant sitting here.”

He smirked.  “Only to keep up pretenses, Miss King,” he insisted quietly.  “It casts a good image for the Head Boy to assist the newest student.”

I scoffed, sitting upright again and turning back to my own book.  My eyes roamed the page, pretending to be interested in the words.  “Everything’s all about pretenses with you,” I mumbled.

I didn’t bother looking at his reaction.

~~~~~~~~~

I made my way into Hogsmeade, treading the streets slowly.

Merlin, I really had no idea where I was.

The shops all looked so different from my time.

My heart tugged slightly and I frowned.

My time.

How long was I going to be in this cursed place?

However long it takes to do something about Voldemort, I reasoned with myself.

Letting out a huff, I kept walking, peeking my head into shops to see what they were.

“Looking for something, hero?”

I turned at the sound of the voice, seeing a blond standing on the sidewalk.

Tom Riddle stood slightly in front of him, towering above the boy.

The blond smirked at me.

My eyebrows furrowed, my questioning gaze unintentionally shifting towards Riddle.

Tom nodded his head towards the boy.  “This is Avery.  He’s one of my friends.”

I gave him a disbelieving look, cocking an eyebrow.

Tom lifted his head slightly, tilting his chin up a little in defiance.

I turned to look at Avery.  “I’m not a hero.”  I crossed my arms.  “Whatever Riddle said, it’s not true.”

Avery raised an eyebrow at the accusation.

Tom’s expression remained stoic, but I could see his features harden slightly.

I sighed.  “Look, could you just tell me where to purchase some parchment and textbooks?”

“You don’t know,” Avery asked incredulously.

“I’m not exactly from around here.”  My eyes drifted to Tom before turning back to the blond.

Avery chuckled darkly.  “You could just look around and find out for yourself.  Get more acquainted, you know.”

“That’s what I was doing before you interrupted,” I retorted.

Tom nodded his head towards a store, clasping his hands behind his back.  “I believe you’ll find your desired things in there, Miss King.”

“My desired things, huh?”  I scoffed, beginning to walk towards the building.  “I doubt it.”

~~~~~~~~~

I sat in the library, scratching my head as I stared down at my Transfiguration textbook.  I wasn’t focusing on the words, though.

I was trying to figure out how to get through to Riddle.

I didn’t want to seek him out, but I had to do something.  I couldn’t just wait around for things to happen on their own.

But how does one get through to a psychopathic murderer?

“You’ve been staring at that same page for ages.”

It took a few moments for me to realize that I was the one being spoken to.  Looking up, I locked eyes with my guest.  My stomach caught in my throat.  “I don’t see how that’s any of your business, Riddle,” I muttered, looking back down at my book.

He sat down across from me.  “I understand; Professor Dumbledore is such a dull teacher.”

I lifted my head to look at him, a glare crossing my features.  “Professor Dumbledore is an excellent teacher.  He’s an excellent mentor and an excellent man.”

Tom sneered.  “I would have sooner compared him to a vulture.  He’s always watching me.”

“Gee,” I deadpanned at him, “I wonder why that is.”

His eyebrow twitched upwards; in challenge or annoyance, I couldn’t tell.  “There’s no evidence of anything I’ve done.”

“Maybe you just seem evil to him.”  I crossed my arms.  “He’s a good judge of character.”

Tom smirked at me.  “Unlike yourself.”

I looked at him in silence for a few moments.  “I can judge someone’s character.”

“Perhaps, but you must not be very good at it.”  He pulled out a book, flipping to a random page to feign studying.  “You left the Dark Lord alive, remember?”

A pang of guilt and rage rushed through me.  “I told you why.”

“But I don’t believe it.”  He lifted his head to look at me.  “Gryffindors are noble, but they’re also headstrong.  If they make up their mind to do something, it takes a lot to get them to change their mind.  And what could be more noble than avenging the deaths of so many?”  He leaned forward.  “So.  What made you change your mind?”

“You’re so smart.”  I leaned forward in my own seat, narrowing my eyes at him.  “Figure it out.”

Tom stared at me for a few moments before letting out an incredulous chuckle and sitting upright.  “Surely you wouldn’t let something as mundane as physical attraction sway you.”

My face broke into a harsh heat and I leaned back in my seat.  Having no response, I simply scoffed and averted my attention to another student searching the shelves for a book.

Tom continued to stare at me in silence.

I could feel my face getting warmer at the attention.

The awkward prolonged quiet wasn’t helping, either.

I took a deep breath, trying to fight off the sweat that had formed a thin layer over my skin.  I practically willed my cheeks to lose some of their red color.

Merlin, they rivaled a Weasley’s hair.

Turning my glare towards the Slytherin sitting across from me, I crossed my arms.  “You didn’t kill me, either.”  I nodded my chin towards him.  “I know your secret.  I’m a threat to your cause.  I could expose you for what you really are.”

“You can’t expose me, remember?  No one would believe you.”

“Dumbledore would.”

His confident smirk was replaced by a frown, his eyebrows pulling together.  His form tensed, sitting more rigid than before.  He looked to the side.  “Dumbledore is a fool.”  He met my eyes again.  “He can’t do anything to me.”

“So you keep saying.  But I’m not convinced.”

Tom’s eyes narrowed at me.  “Are you trying to get me to kill you?”

“No.”  I shrugged one shoulder.  “Just trying to figure you out.  You said you were keeping me alive for information.”

“A true statement.”

I leaned forward.  “Then use Legilimency.  Read my mind and find out all you want to know.  Then you would have no reason to keep me alive,” I challenged.

Tom’s eyes shifted between my own.  “It’s too easy.”

I rolled my eyes, sitting upright again.  “Sorry, I didn’t know that taking over the world was a sport to you.”

He regarded me silently.

When the silence stretched on, I looked back down at my textbook.  “What are you doing here, anyway?  Are you following me or something?”

“Don’t be absurd.”

I glanced up at him before returning my attention to the page in front of me.  After rereading the same sentence eight times I huffed, closing the book and staring in annoyance at the cover.

Transfiguration: Third edition.

I chewed on my lip before stuffing the book in my bag and standing, marching out of the library.

~~~~~~~~~

I steeled myself, knocking on the door.

“Come in,” a voice from inside called.

Pushing open the wooden door, I stepped into the office.  “Professor Dumbledore?”

“Ah, Miss King.”  A small smile appeared on the man’s face.

Merlin, I almost cried at the sight of it.

“Please,” he gestured, “have a seat.”

“Thank you, Professor.”  I sat down in the chair facing his desk.

“What can I do for you?”

“Professor, I was wondering…”  My leg began to bounce.  “I was wondering what you could tell me about… about Tom Riddle.”

Dumbledore’s eyebrows rose.  “What would you like to know about Tom?”

“Anything useful.”

Dumbledore cocked an eyebrow at me.

My leg bouncing increased speed.  Surely, I could tell Dumbledore what was going on?  In my time he was dead anyway, so it wouldn’t have an impact later?

It was flimsy logic, but it was all I had.

I huffed.  “Professor, I’m from the future.  I was sent back from the year 1998.”  Reaching into my robe, I pulled out the time turner to show him.

His expression remained mostly impassive as he simply looked at the object before lifting his gaze to me.  “All but two time turners in the world only take the wearer back at a maximum of five hours.”

“This one was altered by the person who sent me back,” I explained, trying to be as vague as possible.

He didn’t need to know everything.

I fisted my altered uniform roughly, twisting the fabric in my hands.  “Professor, I was sent here to change the past.  To save everyone that Riddle kills.  But I’m not a hero.”  I let out a humorless chuckle.  “I’m starting to wonder if I’m even a Gryffindor.”

“Why would you not belong in Gryffindor?”

I lifted my eyes to meet his.  “I had the opportunity to kill Tom Riddle, before his acts got too carried away…but I didn’t.  I cowered out of it.”

Dumbledore hummed.  “Oftentimes, killing is the easy solution.  Especially if Tom becomes as bad as you say.  It is simple to end someone that would cause so much harm.”  He looked at me meaningfully, with a warm smile and a kind look in his eyes.  “Sometimes it takes more bravery to spare a life.”

I bit back tears and nodded.  I cleared my throat.  “What should I do, Professor?  How do I change a killer?”  I moved in my seat, sitting on the edge of the chair.  “How can I get through to him?”

“I do not know everything about Mister Riddle,” Dumbledore informed.  “He grew up in an orphanage.  His mother died when he was very young.  His father abandoned him.”  Dumbledore clasped his hands, resting them on the desk.  “There must be a reason that you specifically were sent here, Miss King.  Use your judgment.  Find your own way.”

I sighed, looking down and nodded.  “Thank you, Professor.”  I stood and exited the office.

My own way, huh?

~~~~~~~~~

What the frick was my way?

I briefly considered the option of holding my wand to his throat, demanding he fix his mistakes or I’d kill him, but I quickly reasoned that wouldn’t work.

No matter how much I wished it did.

I had been in 1945 for a few weeks, but it felt like I had been here for a number of months.

And I was making no progress.

My grades weren’t even very good, since I had other things on my mind.  I had never been a good multitasker.

Merlin, I was seriously doubting Professor McGonagall’s choice in sending me back.

I had no idea what I was doing.

Alright, then.  I’d wing it.

I stood from the chair in the Common Room, making my way to the door.

“Curfew starts soon, King,” Joan warned, looking up from her book.

“I know.”  Without looking back, I pushed the portrait open and closed it behind me, making my way to the dungeon.

I never liked the dark, and this part of the castle seemed to soak it all up.  Thankfully, I could still see.  Reaching the door to the Slytherin Common Room I paused.

I didn’t know the password.

And with curfew starting soon, Riddle might not have even been in the Common Room.

I chewed my lip.

Thankfully, the door swung open on its own.

I froze as a figure walked out, not sure if I should be relieved or not.  “Avery,” I greeted.

The blond looked up at me, his steps halting.  “Hero?”  He raised a judgmental eyebrow.  “What are you doing at the Slytherin Common Room?”

“Looking for Riddle.”

Avery watched me for a few moments.  “He’s inside.  He’ll be starting to patrol soon.”

“Can you get him?  I need to talk to him.”

Avery thought for a few moments before retreating into his Common Room.  He emerged shortly after, Riddle in tow.

Avery walked down the hallway, doing whatever it was he was going to do before he saw me.

Tom closed the door behind him, looking down at me in a manner similar to Avery’s.

It was different, though.

Tom was studying me.  Trying to figure me out.

He raised a silent, questioning eyebrow at me.

I suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable in my own skin.

I cleared my throat.  “Can we talk?”

His other eyebrow rose in surprise.  “I’m going to begin my rounds soon-”

“I know; Avery told me.”  I looked up at him.  “But I need to either sort this out or go home.”

Tom’s expression shifted ever so slightly.  “You would go home?  Even if your goal was unaccomplished?”

I shrugged one shoulder.  “If I can’t do what I was sent to do, there’s no point in hanging around a time that isn’t mine, is there?”

Tom regarded me silently for a few moments.  “No.  No, I suppose not.”

I gestured at him.  “Especially with you graduating soon, I’m going to lose a lot of contact with you.”  I cracked a small smile.  “Unless I apply for a job at the same place.”  I tilted my head, my smile growing.  “But I kind of doubt I’d get it, since I would only have about two months of proof of my existence, so…”

The corners of Tom’s mouth raised slightly.  He nodded, looking down the hallway.  His gaze drifted back to meet my eyes.  “Walk with me.”

I fell into step beside him, needing to jog a little initially to catch up to his long paces.  Once I settled into a rhythm that would keep me next to him, I relaxed, turning to look up at his side profile.  “Do you like being the Head Boy?”

He turned his head to look at me, a confused expression overtaking his features.  “What?”

“You heard me.”

He raised an eyebrow, looking forward again as he turned corners without much thought.

I figured he must have memorized his paths at this point.

“It gives me power, but also responsibility.”

“So, yes and no?”

He looked down at me.  “Did you come to talk to me about something as dull as this?”

I shrugged, turning my attention forward as we rounded another corner.  “I just wanted to talk to you about anything.”

He kept his expression guarded.  “Trying to discover my weaknesses?”

I frowned as I thought for a moment.  “Not really.”  I looked up at him.  “I don’t think your feelings on your Head Boy duties are particularly useful insights into the darkest parts of your mind,” I admitted.

His eyes flickered down to me very briefly before looking ahead again.  “Was there anything else?”

I pursed my lips.  “I didn’t really have anything in mind.”  I looked back towards him.  “Just…tell me about yourself.”

A skeptical look overtook Tom’s features as he continued to stare ahead, resolutely not looking at me.  “You’re trying to get me to reveal something.”

I could see it behind his eyes, though.

Vulnerability.

“Tom…” I sighed, looking up at him.

He finally looked down at me.

I frowned.  “You’re far too cynical.  Is it so hard to believe I just want to get to know you?”

Tom raised an eyebrow.  “You did try to kill me.”

“And I haven’t for almost a month now,” I reminded.

Tom’s eyes shifted to the floor for a few beats before he looked forward again.  “I still don’t trust you.”

“Nor I, you.”

~~~~~~~~~

I tugged at my hair, looking down at my Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook.

“Is something wrong, King?”

I looked up, seeing Tom sit across from me.  “My grades are slipping because I’ve been a little…preoccupied.”  Pursing my lips, I let out a small huff.  “And Defense Against the Dark Arts was never one of my strong suits,” I remarked, gaze returning to my book.

“Well, fortunately it’s my best subject.”  Tom stood, moving around the table to sit next to me.

I felt heat creep up my neck at the proximity.

He placed his hands on the table, his robe sleeve brushing mine, looking over at the pages I had flipped open.  “What have you been struggling with?”

Merlin, how was anyone supposed to think with Tom that close, let alone focus.

“Uhhh.”

Tom looked down at me, his green eyes peering into mine.

My breathing picked up, chest rising and falling at a faster rate.  I studied his face for a few moments, gaze dropping briefly to his lips before quickly averting my eyes to stare down at the textbook.

King, what do you think you’re doing!?  Pull yourself together!

I forcibly cleared my throat.  “Uhhh,” I repeated, my voice even weaker than it had been.  I let out a strained chuckle, holding my head in my hand.  “Merlin, Tom.”

“Are you alright, King?”

I looked over at him, only to turn even redder at seeing the smirk on his face.

“Should I take you to the healer?”  His eyebrows quirked upward almost mockingly.  His features shifted, feigning concern.  “I don’t believe that shade of red is normal.  Or healthy.”

I glared, the expression holding no actual anger, and swatted him in the arm, looking back to my book.  “I hate you.”

He let out a breathy chuckle before pulling the textbook closer to him so he could see it better.  Gesturing at it, he looked back at me.  “What’s confusing you?”

An affectionate smile graced my features.

I didn’t even have the thought to gasp in horror at the action.

~~~~~~~~

“No, that’s purely a defensive spell.”

I furrowed my eyebrows, scratching down a note as I took a bite of toast.

Tom sat next to me, taking a sip of his pumpkin juice.

“I think some of these spells should be more versatile,” I muttered, finishing writing and sitting upright.

“Unfortunately, we cannot decide.”

I looked up at Tom.  “Bummer, really.”  I huffed out a sigh.  “I guess we just have to focus on what we can control.”

Tom’s gaze dropped slightly.

I could practically see the gears turning in his head.

“Indeed,” he said.

I blinked at him for a few moments before pointing at a sentence in my book.  “But, does-”

The sound of the doors in the Great Hall opening brought my attention to them.

I sighed as students flowed in.  Looking back to Tom, I frowned.  “I wish there was somewhere private we could meet.  We aren’t in the same house, so we can’t even both be in the same Common Room.”

Tom hummed.  “The library is only available for certain hours, as well.”

I nodded, pursing my lips.  “I’m sure we’ll figure something out.”  Closing my book, I looked back at Tom as I put the textbook back in my bag.  “Thanks for all your help.”

Tom chuckled briefly.  “It’s a wonder you made it to seventh year in your time.”  He stood from the Gryffindor table, looking down at me.  “I can only assume that magic has gotten even more complex in future decades.”

“The style of writing is different.”  I sent him a crooked grin.  “Less pompous, if you ask me.”

He scoffed.  “Less professional, you mean.”  He turned around, returning to the Slytherin table.

I smiled at his back for a few moments before returning to my breakfast.

“How are you, King?”

I looked up, seeing Margaret sit across from me.  “I’m doing well, how about you?”

She smiled.  “I’m ready for the day.  Our finals are in only a few weeks, but I feel prepared.”

Groaning, I put my head in my hand.  “Don’t remind me.  This Defense Against the Dark Arts stuff is killing me.”

“You seem to be doing better in class,” she remarked, pouring herself a cup of pumpkin juice.

I smiled softly, the image of Tom Riddle appearing in my head.  Clearing my throat, I looked up at the Gryffindor.  “It’s a miracle, Margaret.”

~~~~~~~~~

“I’m ready to go to sleep,” Joan remarked, heading back to the Common Room for the evening.

“It has been a long day,” Margaret agreed, readjusting her grip on the books she held to her chest.

“I’ll probably be up for a little bit,” I admitted, running a hand through my hair with a huff.  “I need to do more studying.”

“Miss King.”

The three of us turned to the voice.

I involuntarily smiled at the sight of the Slytherin.  Nodding in greeting, I managed to wipe most of the smile away.  “Mister Riddle.”

My housemates were looking between us suspiciously.

Tom turned to the two girls.  “May I borrow her?”

They exchanged glances before nodding at the Head Boy.

Tom smiled.  “Wonderful.”

I looked at the girls and waved.  “I’ll catch up with you later.”

They waved back before continuing to head towards the Common Room.

I turned back to Tom, raising an eyebrow and smirking slightly.  “Borrow me?”

He smirked back.  “It worked, didn’t it?”

I shook my head, chuckling.  “What did you need?”

“I wanted to show you something.”  He gestured for me to follow him, which I swiftly did.

I didn’t even realize I no longer had trouble trying to match his pace.

“I found somewhere I think we could meet,” he said just quietly enough so that no one but me could hear.  “I had read something about it and began to research.”  He turned a corner, stopping in front of a wall.  He stared up at it.  “It’s called ‘The Room of Requirement’.”

My eyes widened.

Of course!

“Brilliant, Tom.”  I turned, seeing the familiar door begin forming on the once-blank wall.

Once the door had fully appeared, I walked forward, opening the door and stepping inside.

I paused, looking around.

“Is something wrong?”

My gaze raked the room.  “It’s just different from my time.”  I chuckled, observing the couch and two chairs surrounding a small table.

A fireplace sat a few paces away, filling the room with warmth.  A red rug covered the floor, a bookshelf in the corner of the room.

I chewed on my lip.  “I suppose it’s for a different use, though.”

“What do you use the room for in your time?”

The voice was so close I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

I looked over my shoulder, seeing Tom standing behind me.  My gaze raked his features.  I forced my voice to remain steady.  “Practicing spells.”  I drew my gaze from him to look around the room again.  “It’s usually much more open than this.”

Tom hummed before moving from behind me to stand by the small table.  “I thought this would be a good place for us to study,” he remarked casually, running his hand along the back of a chair.

I watched the action before lifting my gaze to meet his eyes.

He met mine at the same time.

“It’s very cozy in here.”  I walked towards him, sitting down on the couch.  “I might do more sleeping in here than studying.”

Tom sat down next to me.  “I will not let you sleep.”  He looked over at me.  “Not with the end of the semester so close.”

I huffed.  “Right.”  Sighing, I pulled my school bag off my shoulder, dropping it on the floor next to me as I pulled out my DADA book and set it on the table, turning to the right page.  “Now… where were we?”

~~~~~~~~

“Correct.”

I sighed out in relief, leaning back against the familiar couch, running my hands along my face.

“You really are doing quite well,” Tom said from beside me.

I let out a short chuckle.  “Only thanks to you.”  I dropped my hands to my lap, looking over at the Slytherin.  “There’s only one week left until exams.”  I scooched forward on the couch so I could better reach the table, looking down at my textbook.  “With all of this new information, my brain may explode.”

“I think that is unlikely.”

I chuckled as I turned to look at Tom, only to freeze, my breath catching in my throat.

He was looking down at me, a warm glint in his eyes.  A beautiful glow was being cast on part of his face from the fire, contrasting the dim lighting of the rest of the room.

The sounds of the crackling embers filled my ears.  The smell of wood flooded my nose.

A warmth overtook me as I looked between Tom’s green eyes.

My heart twinged.

I gasped slightly, looking away.  My eyes wide, I held my head in my hands as I tried to calm my breathing.

This can’t be happening.

“King?”

I felt the couch shift as Tom leaned closer to me.

“Are you alright?”

I looked over at him, meeting his concerned eyes.  I let out a tiny quiet, albeit strained, laugh.  “I’m alright, Tom.”  My gaze dropped to his lips, lingering there for far longer than I had intended, getting caught up in mentally tracing their shape.

I briefly wondered how they’d feel.

I groaned, falling sideways on the couch, my hair splayed out on the cushion.  I hid my face in my hands.

What in Merlin’s name was wrong with me?

Sighing, I turned, lying on my back as I stared up at the ceiling.

He’s the Dark Lord, he’s the Dark Lord, he’s the Dark Lord, he-

I closed my eyes.

The Dark Lord would never help the woman sent back to kill him with her homework.

My eyes opened, seeing Tom looking down at me.

His face was contorted into one of confusion as his gaze raked my form before meeting my eyes again.  He quirked an eyebrow.

I chuckled, sitting up again.

“Is everything okay?”

I smiled at the Slytherin.  “Yeah.”  My gaze drifted between his curious eyes.  “It is.”  Slowly, I reached my right hand up.

His gaze went to it, watching for a few moments, before his eyes returned to mine.

I carefully placed my hand on the side of his face.

He took in a sharp inhale, eyebrows pulling together and eyelids fluttering.

I gently rubbed my thumb over his cheek, reaching my left hand up and placing it on his shoulder.

He stared into my eyes with so much emotion I could barely stand it.

I leaned forward slowly, watching him intently for any indication of rejection.

He swallowed hard as I got closer.

When I was just a few inches from him, I met his eyes.

They were large, looking alarmed, but I didn’t find any dislike.

I slowly closed the gap, my eyes fluttering closed unintentionally the moment our lips met.

Merlin, his lips felt so perfect against mine.

My hand on his shoulder shifted, dragging across his back to cradle the back of his head.  My fingers threaded through the hair, loving the softness.

A tug on my waist brought my attention to the weight of his hands on my hips.

I broke the kiss slowly, desperately needing air, and rested my forehead against his.  I continued to play with his hair as I panted for breath, my eyes still closed, afraid that if I opened them the moment would be gone.

For the first time in a long while I could finally hear Tom’s breathing, nearly as ragged as mine.

I felt a gentle nudge against my lips and kissed back, my right hand taking place at the back of Tom’s head to replace my left hand, which had traveled down to Tom’s left shoulder.  My arm laid completely across the back of his neck and shoulders, pulling him towards me with such force I fell backwards onto the couch, Tom following.

I opened my eyes as I pulled away, looking up at him.

He panted from above me, eyes drifting between my own.

Shifting my right hand, I brushed some of his fallen hair out of his eyes.  “I think I love you,” I whispered.

His eyes widened and he froze, his breathing seeming to stop altogether.

But perhaps it did.

As much as my head screamed at me that this was Voldemort, the Dark Lord, the killer of dozens, it didn’t feel true.

I could never feel this way about Voldemort.

Tom Riddle was a different person.  He shared the same anger issues, hurts, wishes for something better for himself, but he wasn’t so malicious.

“It’s okay,” I whispered, cradling his jaw again.  “You don’t need to say it back if you don’t want to.”

Tom’s wide eyes searched my own, as if in disbelief of what he’d heard.

I chuckled, reaching both arms around his back and pulled him down, laying him on top of me.

He tried to use his forearms to support his weight, but I forced his entire body onto me, enjoying the fullness of his presence.

Letting out a content sigh, I wrapped my arms around him, rubbing his back.  I turned my head, placing a kiss on his temple before we stilled, just listening to the sounds of our own breathing and the fire, feeling nothing but each other.

~~~~~~~~

Tom hadn’t spoken to me since yesterday.

While he normally would spend some time eating breakfast at my table before most of the students came in, he marched straight to the Slytherin table, an expression on his face that I had never seen on him before.

He didn’t look quite confused or angry, but he didn’t look happy or sad either.

The best guess I had was that he was trying to figure out what to do after our last…interaction.

To be fair, hearing those three dangerous words from someone not from your own time sent to kill you would probably send me for a loop.

I slowly ate supper, doing some thinking of my own.

I had caught him looking at me multiple times today, but that was hardly surprising, or even helpful in finding out what was going through his brain.

It was doing little to calm the anxiety that had seemed to settle in my stomach and reside there all day.

“King?”

I looked up, seeing Margaret and Joan looking at me expectantly.  “Sorry, what?”

“What are your plans after you graduate?”

I let out a small chuckle at the irony, looking back down at the food on my plate.  “I’m not sure.”  My gaze lifted to find the Head Boy.  “I guess that depends.”

Margaret caught it and she gasped, clasping her hands together.  “Are you going to marry Tom Riddle!?”

My fork slipped out of my hand, clattering against the plate as my eyes widened.  “Shhh!”  I narrowed my eyes at her.  “Merlin, Margaret, people can hear you.”

She grinned sheepishly.  “Sorry.”

After a beat of silence, Joan looked over at me.  “Well?  Are you?”

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.  “I don’t know.”  My leg began to bounce and I brought my hand down, placing it on top of my knee in an effort to stop its movements.  “I don’t know what we are.”  I looked over at him.  “I don’t know if we can.”

Can you marry someone from the past?

“We didn’t think you and Tom were that close,” Joan admitted carefully.  “I know that you would often disappear, but we didn’t know why.”

“He’s helping me study for the upcoming exams,” I said, gaze dropping back to my plate.

“Is that all?”

I glanced over at Margaret.  “I don’t know.”  Putting my hands on the table, I stood.  “I’m going for a walk.  I’ll see you both later.”  Stepping away from the table, I marched out of the Great Hall, not once looking back.

~~~~~~~~

I simply had to ask him.

Two days had gone by without anything from the famous Slytherin.

I sat at breakfast, trying to figure out when the best time to approach him was.

He didn’t even come into the Great Hall early like he usually did, instead coming in surrounded by his followers amongst the flood of other students.

“Attention, students,” Headmaster Dippet spoke.  “Your final exams begin today and last throughout the week.  To avoid cheating, only one house at a time will take their exams so that everyone can have their own desk.”  His gaze raked across the tables.  “Your schedules are posted on the classroom doors.  Now,” he gestured, “enjoy your breakfast.  And good luck.”

I ran a hand through my hair as he sat back down.

Alright.  Approaching Tom before our exams was out of the question.

Maybe I could catch him in the hallway.

I then had the thought that talking to the most famous boy in school about our love life in the middle of a likely-busy hallway was not my best idea.

After class, perhaps?

He might have Head Boy duties, or something.  He’d probably run off to his Common Room as soon as he could, anyway.

Merlin, this was giving me a headache.

Sighing in temporary defeat, I pulled out my textbook to begin studying for my first test.

Maybe focusing on something else would clear my head.

~~~~~~~~

By Friday I was determined to track this man down, even if it meant breaking into the Slytherin Common Room.

It had been a whole week since we had spent that evening in the Room of Requirement.

Merlin, it just was my luck that the first person I broke down walls for, confessed my feelings to and was intimate with would be from fifty years ago, and it just would be Lord Voldemort- the man that I had been sent to kill- and of course he would avoid me at any possible cost afterwards.

You couldn’t write this stuff.

As soon as I handed in my test for grading- briefly noting that there was no way I did as well as I would have liked given my mental state- I sprinted out of the classroom as quickly as I could, making a beeline for the Slytherin Common Room.

If I had to wait there for hours, I would see Tom Riddle.

He couldn’t run forever.

And so, I waited.

Because it was Friday, the last day before graduation, there was only one exam today in order to give the teachers enough time to grade everything.

Tom wouldn’t be long.

I waited outside their door for two hours, at some point sitting down because my feet were beginning to hurt from standing on the stone floor.  At the sound of voices, I looked up, rising to stand.

Tom, naturally, led the pack; taking up the front.

He looked away from one of his followers, eyes landing on their door before his gaze drifted to me.

I don’t think I had ever seen Tom Riddle look nervous before.

“King,” he addressed in a false sense of calm.

I could hear the slight waver in his voice.

Cocking an eyebrow, I resisted the urge to cross my arms.  “Riddle,” I replied in a cold tone.

He let out a harsh, silent breath, glancing away briefly before meeting my eyes again.  “What are you doing here?”

“Hunting for snakes.”  I allowed my arms to cross.  “They tend to hide when they get scared.”  I tilted my head, narrowing my eyes.  “You haven’t seen any, have you?”

Whispers broke out amongst the Slytherins behind Tom.

He looked over his shoulder, wordlessly silencing them with only an expression.  Turning back to me, he faltered for a moment.

I had clearly caught him off guard.

He was getting sloppy.

I mentally patted myself on the back.

Surely if Tom was going to end up as Voldemort he would have kept alert, right?

At his prolonged silence I raised an expectant eyebrow.

“What’s the wait for?!”  Someone from the back yelled.

I looked towards the back of the group before meeting Tom’s gaze again.

He huffed, rolling his eyes slightly.  Looking back to me, he finally found his voice.  “We were going to celebrate the end of the year…” he trailed off, hoping I would get the message.

If he thought I was going to succumb to his not-so-subtle hint to leave, he had another thing coming.

I scoffed.  “You’re not.”

“We’re not?”

“You’re not.”  I nodded my head towards the group behind the Head Boy.  “They can do what they please.”  I looked back to Tom.  “But you owe me a conversation and some time.”

He watched me for a few moments.

I refused to back down.

Tom sighed, nodding.  He gestured for the rest of his housemates to go in, quietly announcing the password.

When we were finally alone I remained silent, wanting him to crumble a little under the dread of what would come out of my mouth.

Frankly, I didn’t even know what I was going to say.

After a few moments he cleared his throat, drawing his shoulders back and holding his head high to stand to his full height.  He looked at me, raising an eyebrow, but I could see the flicker of fear behind his eyes.

I waited a few beats before asking the first question.  “Do you realize how horrible this week has been for me?”  I scoffed.  “Merlin, Tom, we graduate tomorrow- I worried I would never see you again.”

His gaze dropped to the floor.

I crossed my arms, suddenly feeling extremely self-conscious.  “Look, if you regret it- if you regret me- then you should have just come out and say it.”  I looked to the wall, terrified of meeting his eyes.

Silence stretched between us, feeling so suffocating I considered leaving to get some fresh air.

But I couldn’t.  Not now.  Not when I finally had him.

“I don’t.”

It was so quiet I barely heard him.  I finally turned my head to face him, meeting his gaze.  I eyed him, trying to find any indication of a lie.  Finding none, I continued.  “Why are you avoiding me?”

“I needed some time to think.”

I tried to swallow the lump that formed in my throat, but was unsuccessful.  “And?”  I managed to croak out.

He grew silent again.

If I didn’t know any better, I would say he was toying with me intentionally.

My eyebrows pulled together as I searched his eyes.  “Tom?”

He took a deep breath.  “I want you to stay.”  He straightened his posture again.  “I want you to stay with me.”

I swore my heart stopped.

Time seemed to halt around me.

I opened my mouth, trying to respond, but I found I had no idea what to say.

Did I want to stay with him?  Could I stay in a time that wasn’t my own?  Was he completely cured of his evil endeavors?

I blinked away my thoughts, squaring my shoulders.  “And your…plans for the future?”

He went silent, though he held my gaze.  “I never had anyone love me before,” he finally settled on saying.  “I didn’t think I was capable of the feeling, myself.”  He took in a large, shaky breath, but kept his eyes on mine.  “I’m willing to give up my aspirations for you.”  His eyebrows quirked up in vulnerability.  “If you’ll have me.”

I was rendered completely and utterly speechless.  All thoughts of an appropriate response fled my brain.  I looked down, trying to think, when I caught sight of his hands at his sides.  I lifted my head to meet his gaze.  “And the Horcruxes?”

He grimaced.  “I haven’t destroyed them, yet.”  He lifted his hand to look at the ring that hugged his finger.  “I’m not looking forward to it.”

“It’s going to hurt,” I confirmed, walking towards him to look at the ring.  Reaching my hand out, I stroked the gem, making a mental note that he let me.  I lifted my gaze to meet his eyes.  “That’s what happens when you split your soul apart.”

He sighed, nodding.

I clapped my hand on his chest good-naturedly.  “Be glad I caught you when you’ve only made two.  I imagine it hurts worse with each split.”

Having nothing to say, he simply nodded again.

I chuckled, holding his large hand between both of mine.  “So…” I grinned up at him, “you’ll get a good job because you’re so smart, I’ll get the best job I can, being in a different time and everything, and we’ll go from there.”  I gently patted the top of his hand.  “How does that sound?”

He smiled.  “It’s a start.”

I chuckled, stepping completely into him and wrapping my arms around him.

His arms came around me, settling on my low back.

I let out a small laugh.  “How on earth did I do this?”

Tom pulled away slightly to look down at me.  “Do what?”

“Tame the Dark Lord.”  I chuckled.  “I still don’t know what Professor McGonagall was thinking.  I have no idea how this worked.”

Tom thought for a moment.  “By being yourself, I suppose.”

I hummed.  “Sounds flimsy.”

Tom huffed a chuckle and I grinned, looking up at him.

Reaching my right hand up, I once again cradled the side of his face.

He closed his eyes, leaning into it, before he opened them to look down at me.

We both leaned forward, meeting in the middle, and our lips connected, slotting into place.

My heart danced in my chest as I ran my hand through his hair before pulling away to look up at him.  “I love you.”

He smiled down at me.  “I love you, too.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/n: Holy moly, this is so long.  54 pages.

This was actually really hard to write.  Trying to make Tom Riddle redeemable is easier said than done.  I got stuck multiple times when writing this, trying to figure out how to best progress in a way that was realistic and moved the story and their relationship forward in a believable way.  He's also so nuanced that I reworked a fair number of his lines to try to sound as much like him as possible.

I went back and edited some things multiple times because I noticed that I was writing King coming at the problem from a Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff way, so I had to try to adjust it to make her more firmly Gryffindor.  She still has moments of traits from other houses, but that's normal, so.

There's a couple things in the story that I didn't outright say, but wanted to share anyway:

-Tom WAS following King (in Hogsmeade, the library, etc.) to keep an eye on her, because she DID defeat him and could have killed him if she wanted.  While he never admitted it, he did view her as a threat.

-Dippet's password being "strawberries" I made up/guessed, because Dumbledore had started a rumor that Dippet had planted strawberries on the castle grounds, likely meaning the Headmaster was fond of them.

-Doing some research, I found that Abraxas didn't actually go to school with Tom, but Avery was one of the few Death Eaters that were confirmed to.

-Tom reacting so strongly to physical affection just made sense to me.  Especially growing up in an orphanage, that boy is definitely touch-starved.

-Tom avoiding King to think also seemed fitting, since he was new to love and he had to battle between a woman and all of the plans he had been crafting for years.  I think it's realistic that he would have tried to give himself space and time to weigh his options, and even not wanting to seek her out to tell her.

-Tom didn't see an issue announcing the password to the Slytherin Common Room in front of King because it was the last school day, so she couldn't use it after they graduated, anyway.

Anywho.  That was a lot. Hope you enjoyed.  Make sure to let me know what you thought!  I'm curious if you thought I did our dear Tom Riddle justice.

#Harry Potter #Harry Potter x reader #x reader #reader #reader insert #OC #HP fandom #HP #HP x reader #Tom Riddle x reader #Tom Riddle #Tom Marvolo Riddle x reader #Tom Marvolo Riddle #Voldemort #my gif #Mara's gif #my works #Mara's works #my imagine #Mara's imagine

[quillandink333]

If you and your dominant f/o are into intense degrading roleplay, imagine the two of you having a non verbal signal that they give you to let you know they still love and care about you. For example maybe they’re objectifying you in this roleplay, calling you their toy and saying you were made to be used by them, but to keep you from getting too immersed in their words, they gently pinch the shell of your ear or smth distinct like that, which is them silently reminding you that they don’t really mean it and that they still cherish you for the wonderful being you are

#my imagine #f/o imagine #f/o x reader #proship selfship #proselfship #proselfship imagine #proship selfship imagine #tw degradation #hurt/comfort #I wrote this when I was feeling particularly unloveable

[game-set-canet]

can I please have where reader wins Wimbledon and Carlos was watching and then he celebrated with her please

Nothing is more important than Wimbledon

Pairing: Carlos Alcaraz x f!reader

category: fluff

warnings: none

Author’s Note: it turned out way different than I intended 🙈 but i hope you like it, lovely anon 🤗

* Y/N = your name

MY MASTERLIST

(not my gif! credits to the owner/creator!)

♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦

You wrap your towel around the back of your neck and breathe in and out slowly as you look over to your box.

The box is filled to the very last seat.

Your mother looks like she is on the verge of tears, your father has his face buried in his hands and your younger siblings are hopping up and down in their seats. Your aunt seems to be talking to your physio without a dot or comma, your manager looks like she's about to throw up from nervousness and your coach is shifting restlessly in his seat. And you aren’t sure, but it looks like your grandmother is already crying.

In the first row of your box – right between your mum and your coach – is Carlos. Of all those in the box, he looks the calmest and most collected. But you remember very well his nervous stuttering before the match when he tried to find words of encouragement for you - and he had demolished his sunglasses in the tiebreak of the second set when you had the match point against you. So he just looks calm, but he's definitely not.

You’re just one service game away from winning your first ever slam. Just one service game and you would win Wimbledon. Your hands are shaking, and you nearly spill some water from your water bottle.

“Focus! Let’s play point by point!”, you talk to yourself while getting up from your bench to get back on court, “You got this, Y/N. You got this!”

You see Carlos muttering something - probably a "Vamos!" - and forming a heart with his hands while you wait for Iga to get into position.

No matter the outcome of this final, you definitely have the best cheerleader in the world.

*** *** *** *** *** ***

Your coach was the first to embrace you, you can hear him crying tears of joy: “I knew you'd make it! I knew it!”

You can hear the crowd cheering and clapping, you feel the whole stands vibrating.

You feel Carlos' hands wrapping around you and pulling you close. He isn't crying, but you have never seen him smile so broadly. It’s hard to understand what he’s saying - people are chanting your name all over the stadium.

“Te amo!”, you kiss him briefly but effusively.

Your head is spinning, and you only now notice that your siblings are tugging at your shirt, waiting impatiently to be hugged too.

But you don’t want to let Carlos go. You want to say like this: hugging him tight, feeling his hands around your waist.

Just like yesterday.

Yesterday’s evening and last night were the worst ones of your life. You were so nervous because of today’s final. You couldn’t eat or sleep.

But Carlos was there for you. He talked to you. He encouraged you.

And when he no longer knew what to say, he just held you.

You fell asleep in his arms with his fingers lovingly stroking through your hair.

The night before the US Open final was the same but in reversed roles. You held him until he fell asleep in your arms.

*** *** *** *** *** ***

The interviews and the trophy ceremony pass by as if in a frenzy. You hope you said the right things, thanked everyone in the interviews and speech and congratulated your opponent and her team - you can't remember it at the moment.

By now, not only your team, but also a group of your friends are present, who have congratulated you effusively. Carlos' brother Alvaro and Juan Carlos Ferrero are also among the well-wishers. The latter commented on Carlos' half-filled champagne glass with a frown and a reproachful look - although he didn't say anything.

Later, you are still sitting together as a group - you have postponed the big celebration until tomorrow. You don't want to celebrate without Carlos, but he would still have to play tomorrow. Now Carlos and you are sitting together on a narrow couch, he is showing you the countless photos he has taken of you with the victory trophy.

Your younger sister - who has been busy building a pyramid out of tennis balls - suddenly raises her head and looks at Carlos for a long time.

“You know, now you also need your final exam tomorrow!”, your younger sister suddenly grins at Carlos.

Your boyfriend chuckles softly and gives you a quick sideways glance before he answers: “Is that so?”

“Yeah!”, your sister nods weightily and points a finger at you, “Otherwise she would be more successful than you!”

You slide an arm around Carlos’ neck and look down at your sister: “But he already won the US Open last year, and I didn’t?”

“Yeah, but this is Wimbledon.”, she shrugs, “Nothing is more important than Wimbledon.”

Her serious expression makes you laugh, and Carlos asks with feigned bewilderment: “And what happens if I don’t win tomorrow?”

Your sister raises her eyebrows, she sounds like it goes without saying: "Then you are not worthy to be her boyfriend."

After saying this, she gets up and disappears over to your mother.

Carlos and you start laughing at the same time.

“Wow, no pressure than, huh?”

You lean against him and rest your head on his shoulder: “Yeah, her standards are quite high for a nine-year-old…”

Carlos lets himself sink further back into the couch and pulls you with him.

“And what about your standards?”, he hugs you while saying that, “Would you still love me if I lose tomorrow?”

“Well, I think you make quite a good cheerleader…so, yeah, I think I’m going to keep you.”

He starts laughing and softly shakes his head: “Wow. I kinda expected a “I’ll love you no matter if you win or lose”.”

“Oh, come on!”, you smack his chest playfully, but you snuggle closer to him again, “You know I will never ever let you go!”,

His hand strokes your back in large circles, his voice sounds teasing: “Never?”

“Nope. Never.”, you lift your head to look him in the eyes, “But I’d appreciate it if you would win tomorrow’s final.”

“Yeah, me too.”, he sighs loudly and whispers, “Do you think I can do it?”

“Yes.”, you cup his cheeks with your hands, “Yes, you will do it.”, you smile at him, “And tomorrow evening we gonna celebrate both of our titles. Together.”, you press a quick kiss on his lips, “And we will do stupid and cheesy photos together. And my god, the press will write even cheesier articles about us…”

Carlos returns your smile and nods slowly.

“Can’t wait for that!”, he says before he kisses you softly.

♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦ - ♦

tagging: @bluetackbaby@lxndonorris @fedalev

#Carlos Alcaraz x reader #Carlos Alcaraz x you #Carlos Alcaraz imagine #Carlos Alcaraz fanfic #Carlos Alcaraz fic #tennis imagine #mira's imagine #my writing #my imagine #tennis imagines #tennis fic #tennis fics #tennis fanfic #tennis fanfics #tennis fanfiction #tennis fanfictions

[ivorydragoness44]

Imagine seeing Jack Frost:

   Curled up by the window, you comfortably sat with a blanket wrapped around you. It was night, and the quietest it had been in hours. There, you contently watched the gentle fall of the snow in the quiet night.    Snow, it was finally here. Already that time of the year. As you remained there, your focus shifted to look directly at the window in front of you. Icy frost quickly began to prickle and spread across the window in intricate snowflake like designs. You looked on in awe. The temperature must be dropping much colder than you initially thought.    “Wow,” whispered, “you’ve really out-done yourself this year, Jack Frost.”    Peeking out into view from one side of the window, was the aforementioned white-haired fun coordinator.    “You really think so?”    You nodded.    A smile beamed across his face. “Thank you,” he said, his eyes briefly roaming to notice your state of dress. “Is it…too cold for you?”    “Nah,” you assured, “I just really enjoy comfy blankets.”    “Oh, all right. Um…can I come in?”    “If you’re not too busy.”    His face scrunched at your words. “Busy? Me? Pfft. Besides…I always have time for you.”

~~~~

Thank you for reading!

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#jack frost #jack frost imagine #jack frost x you #jack frost x reader #jack frost fanfic #jack frost fanfiction #ivorydragoness44 #my imagines #my imagine #holiday imagine #holiday imagine 2022 #holiday fanfic #holiday fanfiction #winter imagine #winter fanfic #winter fanfiction #rotg #rotg imagine

[outerbanksofmaybank]

Imagine these two fighting over your hand

#matt smith #daemon targaryen #ewan mitchell #aemond targaryen #aemond one eye #the house of the dragon #house targaryen #my imagine

[strawberry-selfships]

imagine you sleeping in the same bed with your romantic f/o and you are closely cuddled up by their side. they are fast asleep but you haven’t fallen asleep just yet. you hear them mumble something in their sleep but you can’t make it out. a moment later they mumble it again, and you realize they mumbled your name. subconsciously they ever so slightly tighten their grip on you. you are everything to them.

#feeling soft rn shjfhhddj enjoy #self ship #selfship #selfshipping #romantic f/o #f/o imagine #my imagine #imagine your f/o #strawberry patch

[smolbeanjerma]

Imagine

You are in a shoe store, Payless or Famous Footwear or something else, you didn’t really look at the sign. You see a shoe with the face of Jerma on it.. Turns out it is Jerma himself! He has become a sentient shoe and wants you to help him turn back. Do you keep him as a shoe forever and even wear him? Or do you help him turn back to human Jerma form?

#imagine #jerma #jerma985 #jerma elbertson #jerma x reader #shoe au #jerma x you #jerma x y/n #my imagine #imagines #jerma imagines #imagine jerma #fluff #cute #shoes #shoe #Based on a dream I had lol #Very weird dream.... The au ideas grown on me though #Shoe jerma would be so cute<3 #Though he would be a cannibal. Sad.

[littystittys]

Eddie Munson-Mutual Feeling

Summary: After a little teasing and some laughs Y/N and Eddie’s friendship grows into something more.

Word Count: 1,168

The evening was cooling down as the sun began to set. The radio blasting Aerosmith while you sat on the bed folding the freshly washed laundry scattered about. You loved nights like this with the comfort of your bed, the window open and the music as loud as you wanted, wearing only an oversized band t shirt and some underwear.

You were in the middle of belting out your favorite part of the song when Eddie popped out of nowhere with a loud screech in an attempt to scare you. Eddie knew you were a huge horror fan so he was always trying to find ways to scare you.

“Like that would work Munson.” You spoke with a laugh. Normally you would’ve put on some extra clothes but it was Eddie and you two were pretty close so you didn’t mind the state of your outfit.

“It was worth a try.” Eddie shrugged with a smirk on his face. Eddie began climbing through your window one leg at a time when you abruptly stopped him.

“Ed’s, what the hell did I tell you about the shoes!!” You scolded while gesturing to his shoes which was inches away from making contact with your clean linens. Eddie had made a habit of jumping through your window, which wouldn’t be a huge problem if your bed wasn’t right against it.

“Ahh, my lady I do apologize.” Eddie said with a graceful head bow before he pulled off his shoe and threw it on the floor repeating the action with the other foot as he brought it through the windowsill.

“Behold, no shoes!” Eddie shouted proudly while he stood on your bed and gestured to his feet.

“Thank you very much!” You praised, satisfied with the lack of dirt on your covers. Eddie fully jumped backwards on your bed landing with a bounce right beside you.

“What are you doing here Ed’s, I thought you had plans?” You asked leaning against your pillow as you awaited his answer.

“Well, I did have plans but then I thought…. Why not go annoy my dear best friend instead!” Eddie spoke enthusiastically, his hand draped over his heart like a smitten damsel and your heart skipped a beat at this response. Lately you’ve been finding yourself looking at Eddie in a different light, although you never did anything about it because you didn’t want to lose your best friend.

“I just knew you couldn’t stay away from me.” You responded with a cheeky smile as you reached out to ruffled his hair.

“Watch the locks Y/N, they’re fragile!” Eddie spoke, his fingers running through the frizz he calls hair to fix the mess you made.

“Sure they are Munson.” You replied with a laugh as you playfully tossed a shirt in his direction.

“I heard the music and I was fully expecting a party or something yet I find you here…. Doing laundry. “ Eddie laughed with his eyebrows furrowed whe he fiddled with the clothing you just threw at him.

“Sorry to disappoint Ed’s, no raging party here.” You giggled at the thought of you throwing a huge party. As if you would ever be the party type.

“That’s fine parties aren’t my thing anyway. However….. I would definitely be interested in you modeling these for me!”Eddie said with a shit eating grin as he spun one of your thongs around his finger and you felt the heat rise to your face at his comment.

“Munson! Give me those!!” You screamed in embarrassment while reaching out to snatch the lace garments from his grasp. Eddie let out a loud laugh at your struggle.

“I betting you have the same ones on now!” Eddie joked reaching for the hem of your oversized shirt but you swatted his hand away.

“You, Eddie Munson, are a perv!” You replied jokingly as you got up to grab your hamper. You decided you had enough of the laundry pile for the day, shoving the unfolded clothes in the hamper while stacking the folded ones on top. You moved it to the corner of your room, making a mental note to put them away later.

“Actually, according to the town I’m a freak, so get it straight L/N. “ Eddie scolded you with fake disappointment. You walked over to the stereo, changing the station to something with more heavy metal, knowing that’s what Eddie likes. Eddie immediately started moving his head to the Black Sabbath now playing.

“Well screw the town, your my freak Munson!” You reply hopping back on the bed and throwing your legs over Eddie’s in the process.

“No argument there L/N.” Eddie spoke as his fingers gently ran up and down your legs. Eddie flashed you a sweet smile that made your heart flutter. Momentarily you forgot that the two of you were just friends as you stared at him admiring his features, his gorgeous brown eyes, his hair that perfectly framed his face, and his lips that looked so kissable.

“What’s wrong? Why did you get quiet all of a sudden?” Eddie asked softly as he leaned his head to the side, his fingers coming to a halt on your thigh.

“N-Nothing! I was just thinking.” You replied shaking your head to clear your mind, the realization of how close you two were finally hitting you.

“About…?” Eddie questioned further as his doe brown eyes stared into yours. You didn’t know what to say, how could you tell your best friend that you possibly have feelings for them without risking your friendship.

You were too lost in thought to notice Eddie leaning in but when his lips swiftly connected with yours you definitely noticed. It shocked you to your core. You would’ve never thought Eddie felt this way about you but here you were. Eddie lips were soft and warm against yours, completely different from what you imagined yet a hundred times better. You found yourself melting into the kiss before Eddie abruptly pulled back.

“Please tell me I didn’t misread the situation and completely ruin everything?” Eddie spoke softly as he rested his forehead against your. His eyes were closed tightly, as if he was afraid to look at you. You took this as an opportunity to reconnect your lips with Eddie’s kissing him with a deeper passion than before.

“You could never ruin anything Munson.” You replied breathlessly when you pulled away. You looked up to find Eddie with the biggest smile and a slight blush on his cheeks. You returned the smile as Eddie wrapped his arms around you pulling you closer to his body and you immediately relaxed against him.

“Does this mean your willing to model those for me now?” Eddie joked to break the silence causing you to let out a loud laugh in return.

“One of these days Munson!” You laughed, wrapping your arms around his shoulders and playing with his hair while the two of you sat there the rest of the night enjoying each other’s company.

#eddie munson imagine #eddie munson #stranger things imagine #stranger things #my imagine #written by me #not my gifs #credit to gif owner

[maybankiara]

PERFUME

rafe cameron x reader summary: all that's left from the person rafe loved is the traces of her perfume. a/n: not sure where this one came from.  masterlist | tag list

rafe walked into the biggest mistake of his life with his hands in his pockets, the cap backwards on his head, and a cigarette lolling in the corner of his mouth. the words rolled off his tongue with as much ease as all the lies before them, and he didn't watch her fall apart -- he just turned his back to her and walked away.

he always walked away.

but now, his head is in a haze when his eyes open in the mornings, and his hands still reach for the shape of her. he's washed his pillows more times than he can count, but he can still smell her perfume. her hairs wedged themselves between the stitches of his couch, of his rug, of his sweaters.

bits and pieces of her, collected of the years, remain. no matter how hard he tries. it all remains.

but not her.

rafe fucked that one up.

he watches her, instead, from a distance. never close. never near enough to hear her voice, to smell that perfume again. he doesn't need to. it's still everywhere he goes. her body is still a familiar shape under his palm, and her name is written on his walls.

she's all he sees when he closes his eyes. she's all he hears when he's strung out on coke and his heart aches for the one thing he'd given up.

she's moved on, though. she holds the hands of this boy and that boy, she laughs and smiles and rafe catches only glimpses of her, but they're enough. she's in a better place.

without him.

while he wakes up every morning, and washes the sheets, and airs the room, but none of it matters. at the end of the day, he'll still spray the perfume on the pillow that used to be hers, and for a moment, pretend that he's not all alone.

one day, he'll run out of the perfume.

one day, she'll be gone forever.

but not now.

not tonight.

rafe sprays the perfume, finishes the beer, and lies down. closes his eyes. pictures her next to him, looking at him with those eyes glazed with love, like she once used to.

and he smiles.

#rafe cameron #obx #rafe cameron fanfiction #obx fanfiction #outer banks #rafe cameron imagine #obx imagine #rafe cameron x reader #my fic #my imagine #c: rafe #f: obx #ngl i was going through my drafts saw the title and that it was meant to be a rafe one and it just. appeared #not sure where the plot twist/obession came from #but kind of digging it

[justsomewritingblog]

The Instinct

Request:  Can we have platonic Zuko and swordfighter!reader training during season 2 and Zuko has been trying to teach reader a certain move she just can't figure out and then when Jet attacks Zuko she steps in, does the move properly and defeats Jet? And zuko's like you did it!

Requested By:  @chantillymoon

Prompt: None

Pairing:  Zuko x reader (platonic)

Summary:  See request. :)

Warnings:  violence (swordplay)

A/N:  Sorry this is so late!! This month has been crazy with Christmas coming and everything.

Word Count:  3K+

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Living life on the run wasn’t the life you chose, but it was the life you were given.

You clutched the handle of your sword as you made your way through Ba Sing Se, looking around to see what you could steal from without getting into serious trouble.  Gaze landing on a food cart with its vendor turned around, you swiftly made your way over, swiping a couple papayas.  You walked away, tucking the food in your tunic.

“Hey!  Thief!”

You spun around, eyes wide as the vendor rushed out from behind his cart, drawing swords.

He ran towards you, face set into a snarl.

You broke into a sprint through town, ducking between buildings and weaving through people.  Looking behind you, you could see that the man was still on your tail.  You puffed another breath, only to get the rest of your air forced out of you.

You were falling.

Letting out a groan as you hit the ground, you quickly pulled yourself to your feet, drawing your swords as you ignored the person you just ran into.

The vendor stopped in front of you, his swords held in a defensive stance.  “No more running.”

Your eyes narrowed and you held up your own swords.

“We don’t have to do this the hard way,” the man said sternly.  “Just pay for the food.”

“I can’t.”  You shifted your weight.

“Then give it back.”

“I can’t do that either.”

The man sighed and lunged forward, slicing his sword down at you.

You quickly brought your swords up, blocking the blow.

Everyone around you took more steps back, but kept their attention on the fight.

“I need to eat!”  You grunted, shoving the man backwards with your blades.  “Leave me alone!”

The vendor regained his footing and looked over at you.  His eyes flickered between yours, his forehead wrinkling.  After a few moments he sighed, relaxing his stance and lowering his blades.  “Very well.”  He turned and walked away.

Most of the crowd stood around for a minute before returning to their business.

You heaved a few breaths before sheathing your swords.  Turning around, you let out a gasp as you came face to face with a short, elderly man.

He beamed up at you.

Your eyebrows furrowed.

“Would you like some tea?”

You blinked in surprise at the man.  “I beg your pardon?”

He placed his hand on your back, leading you down the street.  “I have been looking for someone to try a new brew I have been working on.”

“Wait, why would I-”

“I have never seen you before,” the man said as he led you around a corner.  “I need someone who has not had my tea before for the most accurate result.”  He smiled over at you before stopping and gesturing at a small wooden building.

You watched him in confusion for a few moments before sighing, walking inside.

“Sit down,” the man told you.  “I’ll go prepare your cup.”

Your eyebrows furrowed as you slowly sat down at one of the tables.  “Thank you,” you said quietly, though it sounded like more of a question.

The man walked away, venturing behind the counter at the front of the tea shop.

You looked around, observing the building as you picked at your nails.

This whole situation was weird.

Especially because you were currently the only customer in the room.

The hair on the back of your neck stood up.

This is a trap, this is a trap, this is a trap-

Your gaze drifted to the door.

It wasn’t safe here.

The man’s story didn’t make any sense.

You moved your legs, about to stand, when someone cleared their throat.

Turning, your eyes landed on a boy, about your age, with short dark hair, a burn over his left eye and an expression on his face that screamed ‘discomfort’ and ‘annoyance’.

You eyed him warily before raising an eyebrow.  “Yes?”

He cleared his throat again, gesturing to your waist.  “I see you have broadswords…” his gaze shot to the wall, remaining there for a few moments before he looked back at you.

You furrowed your eyebrows.  “...Yes…?”

He was silent for a few moments.  “Are you any good?”

Your eyes narrowed in suspicion.  “Good enough.”

A few beats of silence passed and the boy huffed, his shoulders tensing with the action.  “I’m a swordsman, too.”  He looked away, his face twisting in displeasure.  “I could teach you…if you want.”

You stared at him.

That was unexpected.

You crossed your arms, nodding your head at him.  “What’s in it for you?”

“Here you are.”

You and the boy turned to the new voice, seeing the man that brought you in.

He placed a cup and a bowl on the table in front of you.

You looked at the man for a few moments before glancing at the objects.  You pointed to the bowl.  “What’s this?”

“I made you soup, since it is nearly time for supper,” the man said.

You looked between the two males before standing, placing your left hand on the table, your right on your hip.  “Alright, what is going on here?  Sword fighting lessons, free dinner and tea, no other customers, phony stories- what are you two doing?  Are you con men or something?”

They looked at each other.

“I saw you in the street earlier,” the man said, turning to you.  “You needed assistance to eat and protect yourself.”

You crossed your arms, looking away.

“My nephew can teach you how to use your swords.  I can speak to the manager about giving you a job.”

Your gaze lifted to look at the man.  “Why?  Why would you help me?”

The man smiled.  “Ba Sing Se is about new beginnings.  Everyone deserves a second chance.”

You studied the man for a moment.

He seemed to be genuine.

“Alright.”  You sighed, sitting back down and picking up the spoon.  “What have I got to lose?”

~~~~~~~~~~

“Keep your arms tighter to your body!  You’ll never protect yourself if you’re flapping them around like that!”

You rolled your eyes.  “I’m trying, Lee!”  Lowering your swords to your sides, you glared at the boy.  “Some teacher you are.”  You huffed, leaning against the wall.  “Haven’t you ever heard of ‘positive reinforcement’?”

“No,” he said sternly.

You paused before looking to the side, a frown on your face.

“Do it again.”

Looking back at the boy, you sighed as you pushed off the wall, getting down into your defensive stance.  Taking a deep breath, you spun your blades.  Shifting your weight, you fumbled a little as you brought one of the swords over your chest, moving the other to go around your head.  Your arms got tangled and you frowned.  “I’m never going to get this,” you said, looking up at the swords as you tried to figure out how to get your arms free from each other without the blades getting in the way.  “What am I doing wrong?”

“You’re sloppy.”  Lee crossed his arms, a scowl on his face.

You rolled your eyes as you finally managed to twist yourself free.  “Sorry.  I’m kind of new to this whole ‘sword’ thing.”

Several beats of silence passed.

You cleared your throat.  “Maybe you can show me the form again?”

Lee sighed but nodded, pulling out his own duel swords.  He lowered his stance, spinning the blades.  Shifting his weight to face his left, he crossed one sword over his chest, moving it around his head before the other sword followed its path, spinning as he did so.  He stopped, holding one sword high, the other low.

Your eyebrows furrowed as you tried to burn the movements into your memory.

Lee turned to face you, putting his blades away.

You looked up at him.  “How long have you been using swords?”

“A while,” he said shortly and quickly, glancing away.

Your eyes drifted to the burn on the side of his face, pursing your lips.

“Time for supper!”

You and Lee turned to the sound of the voice.

His uncle leaned out of the door, smiling at you both.

You nodded, putting your blades away as you followed Lee inside.

“How is the practice going?”

Lee walked by him without saying a word.

You frowned, closing the door behind you as you looked over at Mooshee.  “It could be going better.”

The old man hummed.  “My nephew is not very patient, I’m afraid.”

Your gaze drifted to the door Lee had disappeared behind.  “So I’ve noticed.”

A silence fell between you.

“Come for supper,” Mooshee said, gesturing for you to follow him.  He walked towards the back, you falling into step behind him.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Again!”

You groaned.  “How much longer do we need to keep doing this?”  Your shoulders sagged as you turned to Lee.  “It’s past dark and my arms are killing me.”

“Until you get it right,” Lee snapped, his arms crossed.  “You wanted me to teach you, didn’t you?”

You scoffed, moving back into your beginning stance.  “Actually, your uncle did.”

Lee’s glare narrowed.

You sighed, beginning to spin your blades.  Shifting your weight, you brought one sword across your chest, moving it around your head.  You brought your other arm in a slashing move across yourself as you stopped.  Waiting a few beats, you turned to face your teacher.

“Your left arm has to bring that sword around your head, too.”

You huffed, throwing your head back and staring at the night sky.  “This is impoSSIble.”

“No it isn’t.  You just need to keep working.”

You brought your head down, raising an eyebrow at Lee.  You were uncertain if that was meant to be encouraging or a dig at your lack of abilities with a blade.  You gestured at him with your sword.  “How long did you practice this move?”

Lee shrugged.  “It’s not always about the practice.”

Your eyes dropped to his jaw as he clenched it.  You lifted your gaze back to his eyes, your eyebrows bowing in concern and confusion.

“A lot of swordplay is based on experience and instinct.  You can practice as much as you want, but in the end, your opponent may surprise you.  There’s no amount of running through moves that can prepare you for real swordplay.”  Lee’s golden eyes burned into yours.  “In real fighting, you have to respond in split-second moments.  You need to think, but not too much or it can cost you too much time.”

You stared up at Lee.  “That sounds intense,” you finally said, not knowing what else to say.

Lee’s posture shifted.  “It’s the life that refugees have to live.”

You hummed, gaze dropping to the ground.  Clearing your throat, you looked back up at him.  “Where are you refugees from?”

Lee turned away from you.  He was silent for several moments.  “The Fire Nation.”

You nodded, though his back was to you.  “Who isn’t?”

He tensed further.

“Well,” you sighed, lowering yourself to the ground.  You leaned your back against the tea shop.  “I would say that you’re safe in Ba Sing Se, but there are problems here, too.”  You rested your elbows on your knees.  “The segregation between the different wealth classes, for one.  And this place is extremely suspicious at times.”  You crossed your arms, lowering your legs so they laid flat against the ground.  “The only thing I can say for this place is that it’s got thick walls.  We’re safe from the Fire Nation in here.”  You paused, looking up at Lee.

He looked incredibly stiff.

You frowned.  “You’re safe from the Fire Nation…” you tried.

He turned slightly towards you, but you still couldn’t see his face.

Several beats of silence passed.

“That’s enough training for tonight,” he finally said.  Turning around, keeping his back to you, he went back inside the tea shop.

You blinked at the now-shut door.  Frowning, you pushed yourself off the grass.

The poor man clearly had some things he was working through.

~~~~~~~~~~

“I need one ginger tea!”

“Two jasmine over here!”

“I cannot brew any faster,” Mooshee exclaimed with a laugh.

You walked towards the counter, grinning as you placed your hands on it.  “Your customers are waiting, Mooshee.”

The pot finally boiled and he handed it to you.

You returned to one of the customers, beginning to pour water into his cup.

“This is the best tea in the city,” he remarked, a smile on his face.

You smiled back.  “It certainly is.”  You stood back to your full height and moved around the tables, pouring more water into people’s cups.  When you were out of water, you walked back to Mooshee and handed him the pot.  “We’re out of hot water.”

“I’ll boil some more,” he said, turning around to take care of it.

The door slid open loudly and you turned, seeing a man in the doorway.

“I’m tired of waiting!”  He stepped into the shop, his shoulders hunched slightly.  His eyebrows were bent low and his finger shot out, pointing to the side of you.  “These two men are firebenders!”

You glanced to your left.

Mooshee and Lee looked at each other.

The sound of metal drew your attention forward, seeing the man holding two long metal weapons, the ends formed into hooks.

“Are you crazy,” you asked, taking a step towards your friends.  You kept your gaze on the man.

“I know they’re firebenders!  I saw the old man heating his tea!”

“He works in a tea shop,” a guard said.

The man lifted his weapons.  “He’s a firebender, I’m telling you!”

“Drop your swords, boy.”  The guard stood from his table, his companion joining him.  “Nice and easy.”

The man held his weapons in a defensive stand.  He turned to Mooshee and Lee.  “You’ll have to defend yourself.  Then everyone will know.”  He began to walk forward.  “Go ahead.  Show them what you can do.”

You took another step, standing in front of your friends completely.  Your eyes narrowed at the man.  “Leave here.  Now.”

He pointed his weapon at them.  “Not until I prove these men are firebenders.”

You drew your swords.  “Alright.  ‘Hard way’, it is.”

“Y/n, no!”

You ignored Mooshee’s plea, zoning your focus in on the man before you.

He grunted as he charged, swinging his weapon.

Your heart rate skyrocketed.  Instinctively, you brought your blade up, blocking the blow.

He slashed at you with his other weapon.

You deflected that blow, bringing up your leg and kicking him in the stomach.

He backed up a few steps, grunting.  His head shot up, a glare on his face.

You lowered your stance, readjusting the grip on your swords.

He brought his leg to the side, dragging a table towards him.  He kicked it towards you.

You jumped over it, hoping that Mooshee and Lee got out of the way fast enough.  You heard a loud ‘crack’.  As you landed, you risked a glance over your shoulder, seeing they were both unharmed.

The table, however, was broken in two.

Your eyes widened in amazement and confusion before returning your focus forward.  A gasp unintentionally left your lips as you saw metal swinging towards you.  You brought your sword up, trying to press against it.

He was stronger than you.

You grunted as you brought your other hand up, still clutching your other sword, and used your fist to press against the flat side of your blade to add more force.

The sound of grinding metal filled the air.

The hook at the end of the man’s sword wrapped around your blade.

A sharp tug pulled the sword from your hands.

You gasped as you watched it fly out the window.  Your gaze drifted back to the man, eyes narrowed.  You swung your leg out, hooking it around his and pulling.

His leg came out from underneath him.  He fell to the floor.

You jumped over him, rushing outside.  You bent down, picking up your sword.  As you turned to face the shop again, a blade was held against your throat.  Your eyes widened as you looked up at the man.

He still had that piece of wheat between his teeth.  He pulled you against him, turning around to face the tea shop.

Everyone had rushed out to watch.

“Please stop!”  Mooshee grasped the doorway.  “You’re confused, son!”

The man’s grip on you tightened, his blade coming closer to your neck.  He looked between Mooshee and Lee.  “You’re going to have to firebend if you want to save her.”

The two exchanged glances.

You brought your right sword up, sliding it between you and his blade.  You used it as leverage to push his weapon away from your throat.  Spinning around to face him, you lowered your stance and began to spin your blades.

The man lunged at you.

You turned, blocking it as you brought your sword over your chest.

The man swung his blade at your head.

You turned, bringing your sword around your head.

His weapon clashed against it.

Your other arm followed your first to block another blow.

The man grunted in frustration as you turned to face him again.

He lunged at you.

You spun to the side, kicking one of his blades out of his hands.

It hit the ground with a ‘clatter’.

You raised one of your swords, pointing it at the man.  “Leave my friends alone.”

“Drop your weapons!”

Everyone turned, seeing two Dai Li agents approaching the scene.

Jet turned, pointing at Mooshee and Lee.  “Arrest them!  They’re firebenders!”

“This poor boy is confused!”  Mooshee stepped out of the shop.  “We’re just simple refugees.”

The tea shop owner pointed.  “This young man wrecked my tea shop and assaulted my employees!”

“It’s true, sir,” the guard said.  “We saw the whole thing.  This crazy kid attacked the finest tea maker in the city.”

“Ohh, that’s very sweet,” Mooshee said sheepishly, bowing his head.

The Dai Li stepped towards the man.  “Come with us, son.”

The man slashed at the one on his right.

The Dai Li agent brought his hand up, the blade hitting the rock glove he wore.  He and his companion quickly disarmed the man, encasing his hands in earth.  They drug him away.

“You don’t understand; they’re Fire Nation!  You have to believe me!”

The Dai Li threw him in the back of a barred wagon before driving away.

A few moments of silence passed before the crowd dispersed.

You sighed, your shoulders slumping.  Sliding your swords back into their sheaths, you turned to the shop.

Mooshee and your boss were ushering everyone back inside.

Lee was just standing there, regarding you curiously.

You raised an eyebrow.  “What?”

“You did it.”

You glanced to the side before looking back at him.  “Did what?”

“The move I’ve been trying to teach you.  You did it.”

“I did?”  You looked back to where the man had been standing before being dragged away.  “But I didn’t-”

“You didn’t think about it,” Lee said.

Your gaze drifted back to Lee.

“You didn’t need to.”  His expression tightened for a brief moment.  “It’s instinct.”

You chuckled lightly, before smiling over at him.  “Thanks, Lee.  And thank you for being willing to train me.”

A few beats of silence passed.

Lee nodded before turning around and heading back inside the tea shop.

You shook your head, a smile on your face before following him in.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/n: Hope this is everything you wanted! Thanks for requesting!

Tag List: @hitsugayarose

#Avatar: The Last Airbender #Avatar: The Last Airbender x reader #x reader #reader #reader insert #A:TLA #A:TLA x reader #Avatar x reader #Avatar #Avatar: TLA x reader #Avatar: TLA #Zuko #Zuko x reader #my imagine #Mara's imagine #my works #Mara's works #request #my gif #Mara's gifs

[quillandink333]

Fun idea for an immersive selfship activity:

Rewatch or replay or reread one of your favourite shows/movies or games or books with them! You can enjoy it from a new perspective by imagining what their commentary would be like as you go

#f/o imagine #selfship imagine #my imagine #proship selfship #proselfship #proship safe #life tips #selfship life tips

[game-set-canet]

could you do an alcaraz fic where you both wake up the morning after his Wimbledon win and it's all fluffy and cute and happy?

My Number One

Pairing: Carlos Alcaraz x f!reader

category: fluff

warnings: none

Author’s Note: I had so much fun writing it, so thank you for this request! 💙 there is a lot of fluff (and hand-holding) going on in this imagine, i hope you like it!

* Y/N = your name

MY MASTERLIST

(not my gif! credits to the owner/creator!)

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The first thing you see after slowly opening your eyes is Carlos’ peaceful face. He is still asleep and has a soft little smile on his lips.

For a few seconds you just lay there and watch your boyfriend while your thoughts go back to yesterday.

Carlos won the second slam of his career. He defeated Novak Djokovic and won the tournament of Wimbledon. Although you were really confident and always believed that he will win it, you can’t remember the last time you cried as much as yesterday – except because of the final of the US Open 2022 of course.

You are so proud of him and what he archived in the last two years: winning slams, becoming world’s number one, breaking lots of records and still he remained the cheerful, humble and loyal young man you fell in love with.

He deserves this success so much after the start of the season: missing the Australian Open hurt him more than he admitted to the rest of the team and after Roland Garros and his loss to Djokovic with all the cramping and emotional pressure. All these thoughts bring tears to your eyes.

Suddenly Carlos snaps you out of your thoughts, you didn't notice that he was awake: “Please don’t start crying.”, his voice is a bit hoarse and still full of sleep, “I hate seeing you cry – no matter if they are tears of joy or not.”

You smile at your boyfriend and quickly try to blink the tears away: “Hey!”, you put your hand on his cheek and softly stroke it with you thumb, “Good morning!”

Carlos covers your hand with his and presses a kiss on your palm: “Good morning, Y/N!”

You smile at each other before Carlos moves closer to you – your noses are almost touching now.

“Did you sleep well?”, Carlos intertwines your hands with each other under the duvet.

You nod a little and smile at him: “I slept next to my beautiful boyfriend who just won Wimbledon alas his second slam, so yes, I slept very very well.”

Carlos’ smile got bigger and bigger with every one of your words and looks at you with a really radiant smile now.

Seeing him like this, your heart skips a beat. You can’t help but close the last distance between you to kiss him. The kiss was slow and tender and ended in little pecks.

“I still can’t quite believe it, you know?”, Carlos leans his forehead against yours, he is only whispering, “I mean, I always dreamt of winning Wimbledon and now…I can’t believe it.”

You chuckle a little because he had already said these words a few times yesterday - and also in exactly these words after winning the final in New York. And as Carlos repeats his words over and over again, you also repeat the answer you have given on every other occasion: “But you did it. And I’m so so proud of you.”

He doesn’t reply.

Instead, he buries his face in the crook of your neck and wraps his arms around you.

You slowly stroke one hand up and down his back while the second hand runs over his hair.

“Although I have to be honest: I might be a little jealously of the Wimbledon trophy.”, you say teasingly while playfully tugging on Carlos’ short hair, “You hugged it almost the whole evening yesterday and I can’t count the number of kisses you have given that trophy during the team celebration.”

Carlos groans softly because of the feeling your fingernails cause on his scalp. It takes a while for him to answer, his stubble scratches the sensitive skin of your neck: “I’m pretty sure I have hugged you way longer and have given you even more kisses during the team celebration.”, he lifts his head to grin at you, “And to be fair: it’s a really beautiful trophy!”

You roll your eyes and stick out your tongue at him: “I’m your girlfriend! It’s your job to hug and kiss me!”, you giggle a little, “But I’m honestly surprised you didn’t take it to bed with us.”

Carlos’ cheeks turn red which tells you that he actually did think about take it into bed. “No, I think I found the right place for it.”, he turns his head to look at the big trophy which is standing on the nightstand on his side of the bed, before he looks back at you and grins: “Besides, I already have the most beautiful thing of the whole world in my bed: you.”

“Cheeky.”, you laugh and shake your head in disbelief, “I like it.”

Carlos joins in your laughter before snuggling up to you again.

Somewhere in the bedroom you hear a smartphone vibrating, announce the arrival of a message. Your boyfriend groans in annoyance and rolls away from you over to his side of the bed. Without looking, he fumbles for his phone which is lying on the floor right next to his trousers.

“Is it something important?”, you ask him while sitting up in bed and stretch your arms up in the air.

“No, just Alvaro asking if we want to join them for brunch.”

You look down at you boyfriend who makes himself comfortable in bed again: “Do we want to join them for brunch?” 

Carlos suppresses a yawn: “Mhhh, I’m hungry but I don’t want to get up!”, he reaches for your hand and pulls you on top of him so that you lie on his chest, “I say we stay in bed all day: have brunch in bed and later dinner in bed…what do you think?”

“Is this our post-slam-win-ritual?”, you press a feather-light kiss on his lips, “Staying in bed and sleeping, eating, making out the whole day?”

“Yes, because you had the perfect idea last year after the US Open final.”

“You are right, it’s the perfect idea.”

Carlos tilts his head and looks at you with a warm smile: “I love you, Y/N.”, he whispers between loving kisses, “I love you so so much.”, his fingertips stroke over your right cheek, “More than anything else.”

You lean into the touch, close your eyes as you enjoy the feeling of his fingers on your skin: “Even more than your slam trophies?”

“Definitely.”, Carlos chuckles softly, “I wouldn't have won them without you.”

Your eyes snap open: “What do you mean?”, you reach for his hand and hold it in yours, “You won them because you are the best. Because you sacrificed everything for that…you practise every day, and you train really hard…”, you sit up in bed and take a deep breath before you continued in your monologue, “You won all these tournaments because of-“

But Carlos just interrupts you, a soft grin on his face: “My amazing team. Because I have the best possible coach in the world and a family that supports me no matter what.”, he moves over so you are now sitting opposite each other, “And because I have my girlfriend by my side, who truly cares about my, who supports me and helps me every day.”, he doesn’t look at you, instead he focuses on his fingers playing with a loose thread on the bedspread – he seems a bit nervous but he starts talking again, “A girlfriend who encourages me before every single match and cheers for me in the player’s box.”, his fingers slowly wander over to intertwine them with yours, “A girlfriend who is always there for me, who I can always count on and who sometimes knows me better than I know myself.”, finally he lifts his head to look at you with a shy but loving smile, “I don’t think I could have done it without you.”

You have been very emotional the whole weekend: his second slam final, so much work and so much pressure, the relief and happiness after the win and all the love you have for this man right in front of you, who just casually dropped the cutest love confession ever. You can no longer hold back the tears now and two of them make their way down your cheeks.

Carlos quickly takes your face between his hands and wipes away the tears with his thumbs: “Oh hey hey, please don’t cry!”

You smile through the tears and softly shake your head: “You can’t say such beautiful things and expect me not to cry!”

Your boyfriend tilts his head from one side to the other without breaking the eye contact: “I’ve made my girlfriend cry two times in the last one and a half hour, and I think, I’ve seen you weep tears more than five times yesterday…“, his smile is a bit playful now, “Guess I’m a terrible boyfriend…”

You laugh because of his words and nod: “The worst, actually.”

For a moment you just look at each other before you lean forward to kiss Carlos.

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tagging: @bluetackbaby @lxndonorris @fedalev

#Carlos Alcaraz x reader #Carlos Alcaraz x you #Carlos Alcaraz imagine #Carlos Alcaraz fanfic #Carlos Alcaraz fic #tennis imagine #tennis imagines #tennis fic #tennis fics #tennis fanfic #tennis fanfics #tennis fanfiction #tennis fanfictions #mira's imagine #my imagine #my writing

[ivorydragoness44]

Seth Clearwater Imagine - Too much candy

~~~~  ~~~~

  Arriving quickly to Emily’s house, her phone call to you kept replaying in your mind. You should come over, Seth…well…you’re just going to have to see this for yourself. She had told you not to worry. The tone of her voice throughout the short phone call reassured you as much.

  After hopping out of your car, you jogged up to the house. It was rather strange not to be greeted as soon as you rolled up or neared the porch.    Entering the house, you witnessed an even odder sight. A number of the boys were either hunched over or otherwise holding their stomachs.    You caught sight of Seth as he gave you a quiet greeting from his seat at the table.    “What happened?” You asked him, placing a gentle hand to his shoulder.    “I had candy,” he mumbled.    “I gave you all a bag to share…how many did you eat?”    “They finished the bag,” said Emily, handing one of them a glass of water.    You looked around incredulously. “But it was huge!”    “I know,” she sighed, Sam coming up beside her.    “Congratulations, you’ve done what no vampire could…take down a pack of wolves.”    Blinking wordlessly at the statement, you peered back down to Seth. “You’re a handful, you know that?”    Seth could only smile, happy that you were there.

#seth clearwater #seth clearwater imagine #seth clearwater fanfic #seth clearwater fanfiction #the twilight saga #twilight saga #twilight wolves #twilight wolfpack #twilight saga imagine #twilight wolfpack imagine #ivorydragoness44 #my imagine #my imagines #halloween imagine #my halloween imagines #halloween fanfic #seth clearwater x you #seth clearwater x y/n #seth clearwater x reader

[outerbanksofmaybank]

Aemonds personal handmaiden part 2:

Aemond and you didn’t speak as you made your way down the long narrow corridors you had to all but run to keep up with his long easy strides . You had to admit now though that you did think it was strange how he had requested you personally . He barely knew you or so you thought .

Aemond had on many occasions , Unobserved by you watched you taking care of Helaena’s children and indeed your interactions with her as well. If someone had asked him , he wouldn’t have been able to say what it was exactly that drew him to you but he was intrigued .

Being lost in your own thoughts you suddenly became aware that the further along you had gone the more deserted the corridors had become . You had also become way more behind him to the point you saw to your dismay and embarrassment he stood looking somewhat annoyed with a smirk on his beautiful face watching you .

“Come along y/n. It’s not much further . Or must I carry you ?” His smirk growing bigger with this especially when he saw your cheeks turn pink.

“ no, sorry my prince .” Was all you had managed to meekly reply , hiking up your skirts to jog up to his spot .

“Mmm” was his only reply . Turning on his heel resuming his walk with you close behind .

You were delighted to see you had rounded the corner to his chambers . Aemond stopped seemingly contemplating something before finally pushing the chamber doors open.

Aemond walked quickly inside his chambers moving to the side so you could enter. You moved quickly inside his chamber, stopping right inside the doorway taking it all in. His room was so large, larger than Helaena’s even. you stood transfixed by everything in his chamber’s the many tombs of books , the black or dark green upholstery. Your eyes slowly made their way to his bed , blushing slightly.

“Does my bed meet with your approval ?” Aemond spoke finally . His silky smooth voice pulling your thoughts back into the present . Turning at his words you became aware that he had closed the door and was slowly striding towards you . The blush you had spreading , heart beat slowly starting to race as he stopped mere inches from you. Aemonds gaze was intense not intimidating though. He seemed to be waiting for your reply or for you to make a move.

“Y/N? Shall we?”

You stared the blush fading as you didn’t have the faintest idea what he was talking about .

“ W..what ? Shall we? My prince “ you stammered like an idiot .

Aemond moved even closer to you now, his lips curving into his trademark smirk “Your my handmaiden y/n. I’ve just finished training . Help me get cleaned up .”

You stood where you were just looking back at Aemond .

“Help you ….clean up? My prince ?” Your eyes growing wide at the sudden implications of what that would mean.

“Like remove your clothing and wash you?”

The blush that had left had returned to your cheeks although it felt like it was burning your whole face. Your heart was threatening to pound out of your chest . You also were cognizant of his eye on you, the intense way he focused on you. Expecting his smirk to still be there you were disappointed . He seemed to be studying you as if you were a rare species he had stumbled upon.

“ As Helaena’s and her children’s handmaiden have you never helped them clean up ? washed or undressed them? ” Aemond asked you. Not waiting for your reply he continued “ it would be the same with me.” His lips again returning to smirk at your obvious innocence and demure nature .

“ no my prince. I was only the childrens tutor. As for Helaena I was simply her confidant and companion . So in answer , no I’ve never undressed nor bathed anyone but myself .”

As you spoke your reply firmly if a little timidly Aemond took one of your hands in his much larger one . He placed it simply on his training tunic right on the fastening

“ well then I’d say it’s time you learned . If you are to stay my personal handmaiden it’s what I will expect from now on.”

#ewan mitchell #Aemond targaryen #prince aemond targaryen #house of the dragon #my imagine #part 2 #my gif #idk

[strawberry-selfships]

Imagine you and your f/o during a large thunderstorm

The sudden boom of thunder outside startles you both, whether either of you admit it or not. Flashes of lightning’s light also shine through your window. The two of you are thankful that you’re inside and you and your f/o hold each other close. If storms like these scare you, your f/o reassures you that they will be here and that things will be okay. If either of you had plans later, you cancel them due to the harsh weather, and you bask in each other’s presence as the storm makes its way through.

#selfship #selfship imagine #f/o #fictional other #selfshipping #self ship #self shipping #self ship imagine #strawberry patch #storm #thunderstorm #lightning #imagine #my imagine